Microsoft fights back iPad, Windows 11 to finally get tablet-friendly taskbar

For years Microsoft has been trying to bridge the gap between desktops and tablets with its operating systems. Windows 8 was launched with tablet-friendly features which made it seem like Windows had finally achieved its target. Although good on paper, it eventually failed to make a mark in the world of tablets giving the likes of Apple iPads a free run in the markets. However, it looks like Microsoft hasn’t given up.

The tech giant is testing a tablet-friendly taskbar to take on the Apple iPad. Microsoft had even introduced a mini taskbar in February and it even scheduled its rollout. However, Microsoft pulled it back for further refinement.

It is a collapsible task bar for tablets which gets hidden at the edge of the display when not in use, showing just the battery percentage and time.

According to Windows Central, the feature was discovered in the Windows 11 build 25197 rolled out to the users in the Windows Insider Program. The Windows changelog mentioned, “We’re re-introducing the touch-optimized taskbar that’s designed to make you feel more confident and comfortable using your device as a tablet. Your taskbar will automatically transition to this optimized version when you disconnect or fold back the keyboard on your 2-in-1 device. This feature only works on devices that can be used as tablets. It does not work on laptops or desktop PCs.”

The option to enable tablet mode can be found in Settings listed as ‘’optimize taskbar for touch interactions when this device is used as a tablet’.

Microsoft is also beginning to roll out several subtle changes and improvements even for non-touch PC users. The changes include new animations in the Settings app as well as bug fixes for various apps such as Widgets, Task Manager, Settings, File Explorer and more.

Although the tablet feature has only been introduced in the preview build of Windows 11 as of now, you can expect the public rollout as soon as the testing phase ends, which can be expected soon.