Windows 11: movable and smaller taskbar in Insider builds

With Insider Experimental build 26300.8493, announced on May 15, 2026, Microsoft started rolling out two requested options: moving the taskbar and reducing its height and icon size. These are Experimental previews delivered gradually, not a general Windows 11 release.

Move the taskbar to another edge

Under Settings > Personalization > Taskbar > Taskbar behaviors you can choose bottom, top, left or right. Vertical positions offer top or center icon alignment; horizontal positions offer left or center. Start and other flyouts open relative to the selected edge.

A smaller taskbar

Set Show smaller taskbar buttons to Always to reduce both icon size and taskbar height. Microsoft did not announce a three-size taskbar slider, as the earlier version of this article claimed. The setting needs no sign-out or restart, though rollout to Insiders may be gradual.

Preview limitations

Auto-hide, the tablet-optimized taskbar and a full Search box do not yet work in alternate positions; Search appears as an icon. Touch gestures remain in progress. Separate positions per monitor and dragging the taskbar are under evaluation, not features promised for this build.

Start menu changes on the way

Microsoft described upcoming Insider controls to show or hide Pinned, Recommended and All separately, manage file recommendations independently, choose Small or Large Start menu size, and hide the profile name and picture. These controls were planned for the following weeks, so do not assume every one is present in build 26300.8493. A three-density Start icon selector was not announced.

Trying the preview

On a test PC enrolled in Windows Insider, check the Experimental channel under Settings > Windows Update > Windows Insider Program and verify the build under Settings > System > About. Then check the Taskbar personalization settings. Back up before installing a preview build; features may change or never reach the stable version.

Official sources

Build announcement: https://blogs.windows.com/windows-insider/2026/05/15/announcing-new-builds-for-15-may-2026/ . Taskbar and Start details: https://blogs.windows.com/windows-insider/2026/05/15/improving-windows-quality-making-taskbar-and-start-more-personal/ .