Windows 11's taskbar and Start menu are getting more customization and improvements

Slowly but steadily, Microsoft is improving the taskbar and Start menu in Windows 11. Enthusiasts discovered a few interesting things that may soon be available or already available for testing in Windows 11 preview builds.

In build 22635.3785, which was recently released in the Beta Channel, Microsoft implemented proper jump lists for apps pinned to the Start. That change is well-documented in the release notes. What was not mentioned is the ability to drag a pinned to the Start app and pin it to the taskbar. It was one of those odd omissions where you can pin apps from the "All apps" list but not from the pinned section. Fortunately, that is now fixed.

Another change in build 22635.3785 hides in the redesigned "All Apps" list. It now properly supports folders, which you can expand or collapse similarly to tile folders in Windows 10.

Microsoft also wants to give you more control over what appears in the notification area. No, you still cannot decouple the battery, volume, and network indicators one from another. What you will be able to do is hide the notification bell icon and display the shortened time and date on the tray clock. For now, none of those two options work, so we have to wait for Microsoft to announce it or at least ship in the hidden but working state.

Speaking of the taskbar, Microsoft recently fixed a nasty bug that was causing all sorts of odd issues with the taskbar. You can read more about it here.