Not so long ago, Microsoft introduced a redesigned notification area for Windows 11 with modern focus boxes, better tooltips, improved spacing, and new features. Like other parts of the taskbar, the new notification area lacked some of the previously available options (users hated that), so now almost every Windows 11 Dev build brings various improvements for that part of the taskbar. Recently released build 25227 is no exception—it adds new animations and icons to make pinning and unpinning apps a slightly better experience (and, to some extent, a bit worse).
The modernized notification area in Windows 11 25227 now shows pin/unpin icons when you drag apps in or out of the overflow menu. The "Show hidden icons" button also plays a neat animation when you add or remove apps from the notification area. A small but aesthetically pleasing addition.
It is not all roses, though. Windows 11 build 25227 and its notification area have some weird quirks and bugs that will annoy those daring to use Dev builds on a daily basis. For example, opening the overflow menu triggers File Explorer, and you can even preview the area by hovering the cursor over File Explorer"s icon. An attempt to close File Explorer with the open overflow results in the former crashing hopelessly.
Pinning and unpinning apps from the notification area is another thing that will take some time to master. Windows 11 22H2 and older versions let you drag an app from the notification area into the overflow menu and vice versa. In Windows 11 build 25227, things are different—you need to aim precisely for the "Show hidden icons;" otherwise, you will get nothing but a stop icon. It might be just a temporary bug and something Microsoft will improve in future updates.
It is worth noting that not all insiders with Windows 11 build 25227 have access to the updated notification area, and we are well aware that the feature is still in testing. Hopefully, the quirks will not stay this way, as is currently the case with the buggy tab dragging in the generally available File Explorer tabs. You can force-enable the new improvements using this guide (do it first) and this guide (do it second).
Do you like the latest improvements for the notification area in Windows 11 build 25227?