By
Delia
/ Last
update
February 17, 2022
The taskbar has been one of the most controversial changes in Windows 11. The good news is that Microsoft has heard the feedback and is working on fixing and improving these issues. In fact, Microsoft has been working on support for taskbar drag-and-drop functionality for almost six months. And with the Windows 11 Build 22557 Dev preview, we can finally see how it's actually progressing. For now, the new drag-and-drop feature for the taskbar isn't quite the same as Windows 10, but it should be especially useful when there are multiple apps running or you have multiple monitors.
Windows 11 Taskbar now supports drag-and-drop
Starting with Windows 11 Build 22557, it is now possible to drag and drop files such as images or text between application windows. To get started, simply select and hold a file that is fixed on the desktop or File Explorer and drag it toward an open application in the taskbar by hovering over the icon.
This will bring their window to the foreground and the application can copy what you dragged. For example, you can drag a picture from the desktop and drop it onto the Outlook attachment screen by hovering over the Outlook icon in the taskbar.
In addition, drag-and-drop support also unlocks new customization features. You can customize your taskbar by dragging an application from the All Apps list in the Start menu and dropping it on the taskbar to create a quick shortcut. Likewise, you can drag an app on top of another to create a folder. You can add more apps to a folder, rearrange apps within a folder, and remove apps from a folder.
Microsoft is currently testing this feature in a preview version of the Dev Channel, an early release that allows users to test new features before rolling them out to customers worldwide.
Other improvements to the taskbar
As part of its efforts to improve the taskbar, Microsoft has also introduced support for a new privacy feature that will notify users when a window is shared. This can be achieved through a new visual indication that will appear on the application icon indicating which window is being shared during a Microsoft Teams session.
You may have noticed that Microsoft released a big update for Windows 11 stable in February 2022 that supports some taskbar features and more. Microsoft is likely to push drag-and-drop support and other changes to Windows 11 version 21H2 through an upcoming cumulative update.