In this guide, we’re going to explore the steps to make the icons in your taskbar smaller. This is a handy feature for optimizing space and fitting more icons into the same area, though it might not work exactly as you’d expect. While Microsoft hasn’t allowed users to move the taskbar to the top of the screen yet, it’s adding new customization options to make taskbar icons smaller.
This feature is currently in the testing phase. Unlike what you might expect, it doesn’t let you choose from different icon sizes or adjust the taskbar’s height. Instead, it’s designed to shrink the icons to save space and allow more to fit on the taskbar. Now, let’s get into the steps to enable this feature.
How to Make Taskbar Icons Smaller in Windows 11
It’s important to note that this feature is currently under development and available to testers in the Beta Channel of the Windows Insider Program. If you’re on the latest preview build but don’t see the option in Settings, you can enable it when it becomes available.
Here’s how:
1. Open the Start menu and search for Settings.
2. In the Settings app, navigate to the Personalization section.
3. From Personalization, open the Taskbar settings.
4. Scroll down and click on Taskbar Behaviors at the bottom of the taskbar settings page.
5. Look for the option labeled Show Smaller Taskbar Buttons. By default, it will be set to Never. Change it to Always to enable smaller icons.
The size of the taskbar itself will remain the same. Another option is to use smaller icons only when the taskbar is full. This allows for a flexible approach to managing space.
And that’s it! That’s how you can make icons smaller on the taskbar in Windows 11. Let me know in the comments what you think about this feature. Is it something you’ve been waiting for?
