Windows 11 regains smaller Taskbar option as part of Windows K2

Microsoft is testing a smaller Taskbar mode for Windows 11 in the Experimental channel.
The feature reduces both the Taskbar height and icon size to create a more vertical workspace.
Users can enable the option from Settings > Personalization > Taskbar > Taskbar behaviors.
The update continues Microsoft’s shift toward restoring customization features removed from Windows 10.

Microsoft is bringing a smaller Taskbar mode to Windows 11, and the feature is rolling out now for testers in the Experimental channel. The update adds an option to reduce the Taskbar height and icon size, giving users more screen space on smaller laptops and compact displays.

This option is in addition to the ability to change the Taskbar position, bringing back the placement of the bar at the top, left, or right as it was possible on Windows 10.

A quiet reversal for Windows 11

When the company launched Windows 11 in 2021, it made the Taskbar taller on purpose. The redesign improved touch controls, created space for new system indicators, and aligned with the cleaner visual style Microsoft wanted across the operating system.

But the bigger Taskbar also became one of the most criticized parts of the redesign.

On smaller laptops and lower-resolution screens, the extra height eats into usable workspace. It’s especially noticeable when working in apps like browsers, File Explorer, spreadsheets, or code editors, where vertical space disappears fast.

Tall and smaller Taskbar view / Image: Mauro Huculak

This new compact mode feels less like a visual tweak and more like Microsoft acknowledging that not every computer should prioritize touch-first design. Windows still runs on tablets and 2-in-1 devices, but most people use it with a keyboard and mouse. A smaller Taskbar gives some of that lost space back.

That makes this update more important than it first appears.

Smaller Taskbar, more room

The new setting reduces both the Taskbar height and icon size. The result is subtle, but noticeable. Apps gain more vertical room, and the desktop feels closer to the denser layouts users remember from Windows 10.

Microsoft says the feature is designed for situations when every pixel counts. That wording reveals the real target here: smaller laptops, handheld gaming PCs, and budget devices with limited screen space.

The company is also making the change instantly. Users can switch modes without signing out or rebooting, which suggests the company rebuilt part of the Taskbar scaling behavior to work dynamically.

Enable the smaller Taskbar

Microsoft is currently testing the feature in preview builds through the Experimental channel.

To enable and switch to the smaller Taskbar, users have to open Settings > Personalization > Taskbar > Taskbar behaviors and set the “Show smaller taskbar buttons” option to “Always.”

Once enabled, the Taskbar immediately shrinks along with its icons.

It is worth noting that the “Show smaller taskbar buttons” setting has been available in the operating system for a long time, but it only worked to make the buttons smaller. However, the option has now been updated to also affect the Taskbar height.

Microsoft is listening to complaints

This feature joins a growing list of Windows 11 changes that bring back the flexibility users lost after the move from Windows 10.

Over the past year, Microsoft has restored or improved several long-requested features across the Start menu, File Explorer, and Taskbar. The pattern is becoming clearer. Windows 11 is slowly moving away from rigid design decisions and back toward customization.

The smaller Taskbar is a small feature. However, it also reflects a broader reality for the operating system in 2026. Users still want modern design, but they also want efficiency, density, and control over how the desktop works.

For years, Windows 11 leaned heavily into spacing, animations, and touch-friendly layouts. Now, Microsoft seems more willing to admit that productivity users want options, not oversized interface elements.