The Windows 11 taskbar, just like previous iterations of the Windows operating system, displays open and pinned apps icon on the taskbar so that users can quickly open and switch between running apps.
With default installation settings, Windows 11 taskbar displays only the app icons. Although most users are happy with the default settings, many would like to see labels alongside icons on the taskbar.
Luckily, the recent versions of Windows 11 offer an option to show app labels on the taskbar.
NOTE: When the Windows 11 taskbar is configured to display app labels, app buttons use a considerable amount of space on the taskbar (compared to app icons). Because of this, when you have a few apps open, the Windows logo icon (also called Start menu button) might be moved from the default center position to the left of the taskbar, but the Start menu will appear at the center of the screen (unless the Start menu is configured to appear on the left side of the screen).
Turn on app labels in taskbar on a Windows 11 PC
Here is how to configure the taskbar settings to show app labels on the taskbar.
Step 1: Perform a right-click on an empty spot on the taskbar and then click Taskbar settings to open the Taskbar page of the Settings app.
Step 2: Here, click Taskbar behaviors to see available options.
Step 3: Finally, select the ‘Never’ option from the drop-down next to Combine taskbar buttons and hide labels. That’s all you need to do.
The Windows 11 taskbar will now display app labels on the taskbar.
Should I turn on app labels on the Windows 11 taskbar?
Like most users, I do not like seeing app labels on the taskbar. First, it takes up a good amount of space on the taskbar. Second, once turned on, the app buttons (most app buttons) display the name of the file open in the app instead of the app name, which I do not find helpful!
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