Personalization Always or Never Combine Taskbar buttons and Hide Labels in Windows 11


  • Staff
Taskbar_banner.png

This tutorial will show you how to always, when the taskbar is full, or never combine taskbar buttons and hide labels for your account in Windows 11.

The taskbar in Windows 11 shows the Start menu, Search, Task View, Widgets, Chat, File Explorer, Microsoft Edge, and Microsoft Store buttons (icons) aligned to the center by default.

If you have more than one display connected to your PC, then you can show the taskbar on all displays instead of just on the main display.

The main taskbar is the taskbar with the clock and system tray icons on it, and is on your main display. Taskbars that show on other displays not set as your main display do have the clock (if turned on), but does not show the system tray icons on them.

Starting with Windows 11 build 23466, Microsoft brings you an early version of one of the most requested features for Windows 11, never combined mode. In never combined mode, you’ll be able to see each window of your applications on the taskbar individually, as well as their corresponding labels.

The Combine Taskbar buttons and hide labels and Combine Taskbar buttons and hide labels on other taskbars settings only applies to the taskbar buttons of currently open windows.

If you turn on Show labels on Taskbar pins, it will override the Combine Taskbar buttons and hide labels and Combine Taskbar buttons and hide labels on other taskbars settings to hide labels.

This feature is beginning to roll out, so not all Insiders in the Dev Channel will see it right away.


Contents

  • Option One: Enable or Disable Never Combined Mode on Taskbar in Settings
  • Option Two: Enable or Disable Never Combined Mode on Taskbar using BAT file
  • Option Three: Enable or Disable Never Combined Mode on Other Taskbars in Settings
  • Option Four: Enable or Disable Never Combined Mode on Other Taskbars using BAT file


EXAMPLE: Always or Never combine taskbar buttons and hide labels

always_combine_taskbar.png

never_combine_taskbar.png





Option One

Enable or Disable Never Combined Mode on Taskbar in Settings


1 Open Settings (WIn+I).

2 Click/tap on Personalization on the left side, and click/tap on Taskbar on the right side. (see screenshot below)


never_combine_taskbar-1.png

3 Click/tap on Taskbar behaviors on the right side to expand it open. (see screenshot below step 4)

4 Select Always (default), When Taskbar is full, or Never for what you want in the Combine Taskbar buttons and hide labels drop menu. (see screenshot below)

never_combine_taskbar-2.png

5 You can now close Settings if you like.




Option Two

Enable or Disable Never Combined Mode on Taskbar using BAT file


1 Do step 2 (Always), step 3 (When Taskbar is full), or step 4 (Never) below for what you want.

2 Always Combine Taskbar buttons and Hide Labels

This is the default setting.


A) Click/tap on the Download button below to download the file below, and go to step 5 below.

Always_combine_taskbar_buttons_and_hide_labels.bat​


(Content of BAT file for reference)
Code: 
REG ADD "HKCU\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\Advanced" /V TaskbarGlomLevel /T REG_DWORD /D 0 /F

taskkill /f /im explorer.exe
start explorer.exe

3 When Taskbar is full Combined Taskbar buttons and Hide Labels

A) Click/tap on the Download button below to download the file below, and go to step 4 below.

When_Taskbar_is_full_combine_taskbar_buttons_and_hide_labels.bat​


(Content of BAT file for reference)
Code: 
REG ADD "HKCU\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\Advanced" /V TaskbarGlomLevel /T REG_DWORD /D 1 /F

taskkill /f /im explorer.exe
start explorer.exe

4 Never Combine Taskbar buttons and Hide Labels

A) Click/tap on the Download button below to download the file below, and go to step 4 below.

Never_combine_taskbar_buttons_and_hide_labels.bat​


(Content of BAT file for reference)
Code: 
REG ADD "HKCU\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\Advanced" /V TaskbarGlomLevel /T REG_DWORD /D 2 /F

taskkill /f /im explorer.exe
start explorer.exe

5 Save the .bat file to your desktop.

6 Unblock the .bat file.

7 Run the .bat file.

8 You will now notice your screen flicker and a command prompt quickly open and close as the explorer process is restarted to apply the registry changes.

9 You can now delete the downloaded .bat file if you like.




Option Three

Enable or Disable Never Combined Mode on Other Taskbars in Settings


1 Open Settings (WIn+I).

2 Click/tap on Personalization on the left side, and click/tap on Taskbar on the right side. (see screenshot below)


never_combine_taskbar-1.png

3 Click/tap on Taskbar behaviors on the right side to expand it open. (see screenshot below step 4)

4 Select Always (default), When Taskbar is full, or Never for what you want in the Combine Taskbar buttons and hide labels on other taskbars drop menu. (see screenshot below)

never_combine_taskbar-3.png

5 You can now close Settings if you like.




Option Four

Enable or Disable Never Combined Mode on Other Taskbars using BAT file


1 Do step 2 (Always), step 3 (When Taskbar is full), or step 4 (Never) below for what you want.


 2. Always Combine Taskbar buttons and Hide Labels on Other Taskbars

This is the default setting.


A) Click/tap on the Download button below to download the file below, and go to step 5 below.

Always_combine_taskbar_buttons_and_hide_labels_on_other_taskbars.bat​


(Content of BAT file for reference)
Code: 
REG ADD "HKCU\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\Advanced" /V MMTaskbarGlomLevel /T REG_DWORD /D 0 /F

taskkill /f /im explorer.exe
start explorer.exe


 3. When Taskbar is full Combine Taskbar buttons and Hide Labels on Other Taskbars

A) Click/tap on the Download button below to download the file below, and go to step 4 below.

When_Taskbar_is_full_combine_taskbar_buttons_and_hide_labels_on_other_taskbars.bat​


(Content of BAT file for reference)
Code: 
REG ADD "HKCU\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\Advanced" /V MMTaskbarGlomLevel /T REG_DWORD /D 1 /F

taskkill /f /im explorer.exe
start explorer.exe


 4. Never Combine Taskbar buttons and Hide Labels on Other Taskbars

A) Click/tap on the Download button below to download the file below, and go to step 4 below.

Never_combine_taskbar_buttons_and_hide_labels_on_other_taskbars.bat​


(Content of BAT file for reference)
Code: 
REG ADD "HKCU\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\Advanced" /V MMTaskbarGlomLevel /T REG_DWORD /D 2 /F

taskkill /f /im explorer.exe
start explorer.exe

5 Save the .bat file to your desktop.

6 Unblock the .bat file.

7 Run the .bat file.

8 You will now notice your screen flicker and a command prompt quickly open and close as the explorer process is restarted to apply the registry changes.

9 You can now delete the downloaded .bat file if you like.


That's it,
Shawn Brink


Related Tutorials

 

Attachments

  • Taskbar.png
    Taskbar.png
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  • Always_combine_taskbar_buttons_and_hide_labels.bat
    349 bytes · Views: 9
  • Never_combine_taskbar_buttons_and_hide_labels.bat
    349 bytes · Views: 7
  • When_Taskbar_is_full_combine_taskbar_buttons_and_hide_labels.bat
    349 bytes · Views: 8
  • Always_combine_taskbar_buttons_and_hide_labels_on_other_taskbars.bat
    349 bytes · Views: 13
  • Never_combine_taskbar_buttons_and_hide_labels_on_other_taskbars.bat
    349 bytes · Views: 7
  • When_Taskbar_is_full_combine_taskbar_buttons_and_hide_labels_on_other_taskbars.bat
    349 bytes · Views: 7
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