Share this article
Latest news
With KB5043178 to Release Preview Channel, Microsoft advises Windows 11 users to plug in when the battery is low
Copilot in Outlook will generate personalized themes for you to customize the app
Microsoft will raise the price of its 365 Suite to include AI capabilities
Death Stranding Director’s Cut is now Xbox X|S at a huge discount
Outlook will let users create custom account icons so they can tell their accounts apart easier
More than 2 years later, Windows 11’s taskbar is getting new thumbnails and animations
The feature is hidden, but it can be uncovered via ViveTool.
2 min. read
Published onFebruary 9, 2024
published onFebruary 9, 2024
Share this article
Read our disclosure page to find out how can you help Windows Report sustain the editorial teamRead more
Earlier this week, Microsoft released the26052build to the Dev and Canary channels, effectively allowing Insiders to switch between the channels at will, temporarily.
The build is quite huge and introduced dozens of new features includinga new audio mic test, enhancements forhearing-impaired Windows users,and Sudo commands, but it also introduced several undocumented and hidden features, such as the newSpeak for me feature, and a surprise, new thumbnails and animations to the Windows 11’s taskbar.
Spotted by Windows enthusiast and insider,@PhantomOfEarth, the new thumbnails follow the Windows 11 theme, and they seem rather slick. It also adds animation to the taskbar, in feature reminiscent of Apple’s MacOS.
However, the features are hidden for now, and for good reason, because they look unfinished and glitchy. Users can still enable them via a special command through the third-party app, ViveTool, with this special command (credit to the spotter,@PhantomOfEarth):
vivetool /enable /id:29532725
If you don’t know your way around ViveTool, then we advise you not to try to enable this feature, even if you are enlisted in the Windows Insider Program. However, if you do want to give it a try, then we havethis comprehensive guidethat will help you understand the process step-by-step.
You can also wait for Microsoft to release them, as the new thumbnails and animations on Windows 11’s taskbar will be released to the Insider channels first in a few weeks.
More about the topics:Windows 11,Windows Update
Flavius Floare
Tech Journalist
Flavius is a writer and a media content producer with a particular interest in technology, gaming, media, film and storytelling.
He’s always curious and ready to take on everything new in the tech world, covering Microsoft’s products on a daily basis. The passion for gaming and hardware feeds his journalistic approach, making him a great researcher and news writer that’s always ready to bring you the bleeding edge!
User forum
0 messages
Sort by:LatestOldestMost Votes
Comment*
Name*
Email*
Commenting as.Not you?
Save information for future comments
Comment
Δ
Flavius Floare
Tech Journalist
Flavius is a writer and a media content producer with a particular interest in technology, gaming, media, film and storytelling.
