Home windows 11 is lastly getting a function I’ve been keenly awaiting because the OS was launched – sure, a ‘by no means mix’ possibility is coming to the taskbar. Oh, a joyous and rapturous day certainly (ahem).

That is one among many modifications introduced forth with a brand new preview construct (23466) within the Dev channel, and it has been beforehand speculated about in quite a few leaks.

Turning on ‘by no means mix’ mode for the taskbar signifies that apps are at all times stored as particular person entries on the bar, even when a number of copies of the identical utility are open on the identical time.

With a number of cases of apps, by default Home windows 11 stacks them up – combines them, so to talk – into one entry on the taskbar. By no means mixed, because the title suggests, means this doesn’t occur, and so they all keep separate – and you’ll see the labels on these particular person cases (telling you which of them internet web page is at the moment lively, for instance, in a browser window).

Not all testers will see this straightaway, Microsoft informs us, because it’s a gradual rollout. So even should you’re a Home windows Insider hanging out within the Dev channel, it could nonetheless be a while earlier than you obtain the choice.

Happiness is a non-combining taskbar

The introduction of the by no means mixed possibility for the taskbar is an enormous one for me, as the dearth of this function is just about the most important cause why I’ve not upgraded to Home windows 11 but. (There are different niggles, too, however let’s not stray off-topic).

That most likely sounds a bit overblown, however critically, stacking up apps on the taskbar is a deal-breaker so far as I’m involved. I hate this fashion of working – it really bugs me – so I used to be fairly mystified when Home windows 11 turned up with out by no means mix (because it’s recognized in Home windows 10 – I’m unsure why it’s now ‘mixed’ in Home windows 11, however it doesn’t actually matter).

It’s by no means a good suggestion to take away selection so far as I’m involved, however Microsoft didn’t do that out of some arbitrary want, we had been informed. The chatter from the standard insider sources prompt that including what looks as if a easy little bit of performance on the face of it was truly a fairly advanced situation round how the interface of the most recent OS was constructed from the bottom up.

I’m unsure how far I purchase into that, however I can settle for the fundamental premise. I simply can’t perceive why it has taken so very lengthy for Microsoft to introduce this for Home windows 11 – clearly, it was fairly far down no matter interface precedence lists had been drawn up internally. 

However hey, it’s right here now, if solely in testing. Hopefully, Microsoft will handle to push this alteration by way of within the large replace on the finish of the 12 months (23H2). In any case, the groundwork ought to’ve been the onerous bit right here, so honing the function shouldn’t be that a lot of a process. I hope.

Then I can fireplace up that Home windows 11 improve, lastly, and get with the OS occasions. This feels a bit extra like a urgent want following the announcement that Home windows 10 gained’t get any extra options in any respect (save minor tweaks – there’ll be no 23H2 replace for the older working system, as you could recall).