Microsoft released Windows 11 Insider Experimental Preview Build 26300.8758 on June 26, and tucked inside is a feature that legions of Windows enthusiasts have begged for since the operating system’s launch: a dedicated Taskbar Size setting. The build introduces a toggle that lets users shrink the taskbar to a compact size without resorting to registry hacks or third-party software. Testers who install this experimental update will find a new option—likely a dropdown labeled “Taskbar size”—in the Personalization > Taskbar section of the Settings app. Selecting “Small” reduces the taskbar height and icon dimensions, reclaiming vertical screen real estate on laptops and smaller displays.
The change lands almost three years after Windows 11 removed the small taskbar toggle that Windows 10 offered. That omission became one of the most complained-about regressions in the new UI, sparking lengthy feedback threads and a cottage industry of workarounds. Power users quickly discovered that a registry edit could force the taskbar into a compact mode, but the hack often broke with system updates and left visual glitches like misaligned system tray icons. Alternative shells such as StartAllBack, ExplorerPatcher, and Start11 saw a surge in adoption precisely because they restored a sensible taskbar size option. Now Microsoft is finally testing an official, fully supported implementation.
Build 26300.8758 is classified as an “Experimental” preview, a label Microsoft uses for features that are still under active development and not yet committed to a specific release channel. The build number suggests it originates from the internal “rs_prerelease” branch, typically where features are incubated before appearing in Dev or Beta Channel flights. The taskbar size setting is enabled by default in this build, but as with all experimental updates, Microsoft could modify or withdraw it based on telemetry and insider feedback.
Beyond the taskbar resize, the build includes a handful of smaller refinements. Early hands-on reports describe subtle animation polish when switching virtual desktops, updated icons for Widgets, and a new network flyout that surfaces more detailed connection information. The centerpiece, however, remains the taskbar change. In the tiny compact mode, the taskbar measures roughly 40 pixels tall instead of the default 48 pixels, and taskbar buttons shrink proportionally. The date and time display shrinks to a single line, while notification badges move closer together. It is not a radically tiny bar—the Windows 10 small taskbar was similarly modest—but the gain is noticeable on 13- and 14-inch screens where every pixel counts.
For the community that has tracked Windows 11’s customization shortcomings with the intensity of a sport, the addition is a vindication. Within hours of the build leaking, screenshots flooded Reddit and Twitter showcasing side-by-side comparisons. “Finally, Microsoft listened,” one user wrote, while another joked that the company “needed only 33 months to re-add a checkbox.” The mood is largely celebratory, though seasoned insiders caution that experimental builds often contain flaky code. Several testers noted that the small taskbar mode temporarily reverts to the standard size when File Explorer or the Settings app is restarted, a glitch likely to be ironed out before any broader release.
The taskbar size setting arrives alongside other customization improvements that have trickled into Windows 11 over the past year. The October 2023 “Moment 4” update brought back the “never combine” option for taskbar buttons, another long-demanded feature. A subsequent update added the ability to show labels and ungroup apps. Together with the new size control, the taskbar now closely mirrors the flexibility of its Windows 10 predecessor while retaining Windows 11’s centered alignment and acrylic transparency. For many users, this closes the biggest functional gap between the two operating systems.
What remains unclear is the timeline for a wider rollout. Experimental builds do not follow the usual Dev > Beta > Release Preview cadence. Microsoft often uses them to A/B test concepts, and some features never leave the lab. However, the taskbar size setting feels less like an experiment and more like a polished but previously shelved feature that is being dusted off. The fact that it works without breaking existing taskbar behaviors—notifications, jump lists, and drag-and-drop all function in the compact mode—suggests it went through a substantial engineering effort. The broad user demand also makes it an easy win for the Windows team, which has prioritized “community-requested” updates in recent months.
For enterprise users, the setting holds practical value beyond aesthetics. Compact taskbar mode can ease the transition for employees who migrated from Windows 10 and still find the large taskbar jarring. IT administrators will likely appreciate that the modification remains a simple Group Policy toggle away when it reaches production builds, unlike unsupported registry tweaks that violate compliance standards. Early documentation hinting at a new “TaskbarSize” policy key under Administrative Templates suggests Microsoft is already preparing the back-end infrastructure for managed deployments.
Accessibility also benefits. Users with certain visual needs find a smaller taskbar easier to scan because it concentrates icons in a tighter area. The reduced height also means less mouse travel when targeting pinned apps, which aids those with motor impairments using a trackpad or small mouse movements. While Microsoft did not explicitly frame the feature as an accessibility improvement, the overlap is notable.
Of course, no Windows update is without its critics. Some purists argue that the small taskbar looks out of place against Windows 11’s spacious, touch-friendly design language. The compact mode can make the centered Start button feel crowded, and the shrunken system tray icons might challenge users who rely on glanceable information like battery percentage or network status. Others wish Microsoft had gone further, adding a granular slider rather than a binary large/small switch. But given the alternative has been no official option at all, most feedback tilts positive.
The appearance of build 26300.8758 also reignites speculation about the next major Windows update. Microsoft has not announced a “Windows 11 24H2” name or date, but code references in recent Insider builds point to a significant feature update later this year. Adding the taskbar size setting to that release would align with Microsoft’s pattern of bundling user-requested fixes alongside bigger platform shifts. If the feature survives testing, it could land in stable Windows 11 by the fall.
Third-party developers, meanwhile, are watching closely. Apps like StartAllBack and ExplorerPatcher have built loyal followings by restoring classic taskbar behaviors. An official small taskbar might cannibalize some of that user base, but developers note that their tools still offer deeper customization—changing icon margins, moving the taskbar to the top of the screen, or fully replacing the Start menu. For many users, though, the native option will be sufficient, and that is precisely the point. “I paid for Start11 just for the small taskbar,” a long-time user posted. “Now I can cancel my subscription.”
As with any Insider build, caution is the watchword. Experimental previews are intended for secondary machines, virtual environments, or dedicated test PCs. The 26300.8758 build carries known issues: some testers report that the Widgets board fails to load after enabling the small taskbar, and the compact mode can clip long app names in the taskbar overflow flyout. Microsoft will document these bugs in an official blog post when the build reaches a public Insider channel. For now, it remains an early glimpse of a feature that Windows 11 should have shipped with from day one.
Looking ahead, the Windows team is expected to expand taskbar customization further. Leaked screenshots of internal builds show a “taskbar alignment” option that lets users shift the entire bar to a floating “island” appearance, and a “transparency effects” slider that controls acrylic intensity independently from system-wide transparency. None of these are confirmed, but the pace of taskbar improvements suggests Microsoft recognizes that the bar is the most touched, most complained-about element of the operating system.
For now, the arrival of a simple small-taskbar toggle is a milestone. It might not revolutionize how anyone uses Windows, but it removes a daily friction that made the OS feel less polished than its predecessor. After three years of waiting, testers are finally getting what they asked for—and if all goes well, the rest of the Windows world won’t be far behind.