How to enable Overflow menu in Taskbar on Windows 11

Here are the steps to try an early preview of Taskbar Overflow on Windows 11.

Windows 11 22H2 Taskbar Overflow
Windows 11 22H2 Taskbar Overflow

On Windows 11 22H2, you can now enable an early preview of the new Taskbar Overflow feature expected to arrive with the first “moment” update in October.

The Overflow feature has been designed to make switching and launching apps easier when you don’t have a lot of space in the Taskbar. While in the mode, the Taskbar will offer an entry point to an overflow menu that allows viewing the apps in one space. 

The Overflow menu supports existing behaviors, including support for pinned apps, jump lists, and an extended interface. After invoking overflow, the menu will quietly dismiss once you click outside of it or navigate to an application.

If you want to start using the Taskbar Overflow before it’s officially available, you can use a third-party tool known as “ViVeTool” created by Rafael Rivera and Lucas on GitHub to enable the new experience on your computer.

This guide will teach you the steps to turn on the Taskbar Overflow feature on Windows 11 22H2.

Enable Taskbar Overflow on Windows 11

To enable the Overflow menu in Taskbar on Windows 11, use these steps:

  1. Open GitHub website.

  2. Download the ViveTool-vx.x.x.zip file to enable the Tasks Overflow.

  3. Double-click the zip folder to open it with File Explorer.

  4. Click the Extract all button.

    Extract ViveTool files

  5. Click the Extract button.

  6. Copy the path to the folder.

  7. Open Start.

  8. Search for Command Prompt, right-click the top result, and select the Run as administrator option.

  9. Type the following command to navigate to the ViveTool folder and press Enter:

    cd c:\folder\path\ViveTool-v0.3.1

    In the command, remember to change the path to the folder with your path.

  10. Type the following command to enable the Taskbar Overflow on Windows 11 and press Enter:

    vivetool /enable /id:35620393
    vivetool /enable /id:35620394
  11. Restart the computer.

Once you complete the steps, the Overflow menu will activate automatically when the number of pins exceeds the number of items the Taskbar shows.

Taskbar Overflow menu
Taskbar Overflow menu

If you change your mind, you can revert the changes with the same instructions, but on step No. 10, make sure to use these commands: vivetool /disable /id:35620393 and vivetool /disable /id:35620394 and then restart the device.

About the author

Mauro Huculak is a Windows How-To Expert who started Pureinfotech in 2010 as an independent online publication. He has also been a Windows Central contributor for nearly a decade. Mauro has over 15 years of experience writing comprehensive guides and creating professional videos about Windows and software, including Android and Linux. Before becoming a technology writer, he was an IT administrator for seven years. In total, Mauro has over 21 years of combined experience in technology. Throughout his career, he achieved different professional certifications from Microsoft (MSCA), Cisco (CCNP), VMware (VCP), and CompTIA (A+ and Network+), and he has been recognized as a Microsoft MVP for many years. You can follow him on X (Twitter), YouTube, LinkedIn and About.me. Email him at [email protected].