The Windows taskbar has been a crucial part of the UI in Microsoft’s operating systems since Windows 98. The taskbar has seen a lot of changes in functionality and appearance with every new operating system release. The latest Windows 11 centers the taskbar icons in the middle of itself, similar to macOS, which is by far one of the biggest visual changes in the history of Microsoft’s OS. This article will look at various ways you can customize your Windows taskbar.
While some users liked the taskbar changes introduced with Windows 11, other longtime Windows users still prefer the old style. Fortunately, you can customize the taskbar in Windows 11, 10, and even the older versions of the OS with the help of existing settings or third-party applications.
Pin Gaming Sites to the Windows Taskbar
It’s possible to pin important online services, like PayPal, which do not have desktop apps, to the Windows taskbar, thanks to the capabilities of Chrome and Edge. Many sites can be pinned this way, so if (for example) you’re a keen gamer, you might pin a game or gambling website to the site. It will save you time and energy every time you want to play; you can just pull the casino site up, log in, and you’re away (forget having to use your search engine every time).
This works well with online gaming sites like Bovada real money casino, which offers popular desktop- and mobile-friendly casino games. Gamers who frequent online slots or participate in poker tournaments will especially find this feature very useful. Pinning your favorite game or installing its page as an app via Chrome will make gaming online more seamless, saving a lot of time that would be otherwise spent on browsing through the casino website pages.
If you frequent one blackjack table more than the others, or prefer just one type of game section, you can add more than one game to your taskbar for fast access with the steps we’re going to outline a little further on in this article. This works with every web app game.
How to move the taskbar in Windows 11
The earlier versions of Windows 11 removed the ability to move the entire taskbar to the right, left, or top of the screen by dragging. So, if you have installed the latest updates in your OS, you’ll have to look for the Taskbar Settings menu.
Right-click on the Windows 11 taskbar; this will open up a popup menu. Now look for the Taskbar Settings option in the newly opened menu. Click on the Taskbar Settings option and it will lead you to a bigger settings menu with several personalization options.
In this screen, go to the bottom and expand the Taskbar behaviors subsection. Now look for Taskbar alignment and select the position of your choice from the drop-down menu. Choosing Left will return the taskbar alignment to how it was in Windows 10.
Pin Your Most Used Apps
The Windows taskbar is very versatile; it allows users to personalize a lot more options than just the orientation of apps. As mentioned above, you can pin your favorite apps to the toolbar for easy access, and remove the existing pins.
To pin your favorite apps to the Windows taskbar:
Select Start, select the arrow next to All Apps, right-click the app, then select More > Pin to taskbar.
Alternatively, you can pin the app of your choice if you already have it open: right-click the app icon in the taskbar, then select the Pin to taskbar option.
To remove any pinned app from the Windows taskbar, right-click the pinned app icon and choose Unpin from taskbar.
Pin Web Apps, Websites & more to the Windows Taskbar
Another way you can customize your Windows taskbar is by pinning your most frequented website. This can be anything, such as a news blog, a gaming website, or a web app like Google Docs.
PayPal, web-based crypto wallets, and online casino gaming sites are some of notable examples of web-based applications that don’t have a native desktop program. Pinning these sites and web apps can save a lot of time and improve your work productivity.
To pin a web app to the Windows taskbar (via Google Chrome):
First, open the site in your browser (Google Chrome in this case), and click the three vertical dots on the top right of the browser. Once the browser menu is opened, look for the Save and share option.
Select Create shortcut. This will open a pop-up menu, which will ask you to name your shortcut, confirm it, and click Create. Once pinned, clicking on the site icon will automatically open the site link in a new tab in your browser, unless you choose “Open as a new window” while in the shortcut creation. In that case, the link will open in a new separate window.
To pin a web app to the Windows taskbar (via Microsoft Edge)
To pin any site from Microsoft Edge to the Windows taskbar, open the site in a new tab, and click on horizontal dots in the top right of your browser (or Alt + F on the keyboard). Now settings menu for Edge will open, so look for “More tools.” This will expand the settings options further, so now click “Pin to Taskbar.”
Customize Using Third Party Applications
Despite the several customization options provided by Windows 11 for its taskbar, there are still limits to it. If you want to further customize the Windows taskbar beyond what the OS offers, you can use third-party applications.
Several third-party developers have designed programs specifically to add additional features to the Windows taskbar. Programs like TaskbarX let you customize the taskbar according to your needs, with features like multi-monitor support, transparency settings, animation effects, and much more.