Microsoft removed new taskbar animations in Windows 11 build 25182

It appears that Microsoft ditched the new taskbar animations it was testing in Windows 11 build 25179. As discovered by @PhantomOfEarth, Windows 11 build 25182 removed the updated zoom-in icon animations and restored the old fly-up variant.

The new animations were part of A/B testing Microsoft often conducts before announcing a specific feature or shipping it to all Windows Insiders. Users quickly discovered that you can force-enable the zoom-in variant using Vivetool and 39072097 ID. Unfortunately, the config no longer works. Any attempt to enable 39072097 with or without additional variants results in Windows 11 returning to the default animation.

If you are still using Windows 11 build 25179, you can check out our guide describing how to enable the new taskbar animation. Microsoft has never acknowledged the updated taskbar in Windows 11, so we do not know whether the removed animation will ever return.

Another taskbar-related "feature" Windows Insiders have been actively discussing is rounded corners. Unfortunately, Microsoft representatives quickly debunked the theories and confirmed that the rounded taskbar in preview Windows 11 builds is nothing but a bug.