Unlike Windows 10, Windows 11 is not equipped with a dedicated tablet mode, so Microsoft decided to improve the desktop user experience to better support tablets. The company previously adopted Windows 8.
In recent Windows, 11 preview builds, Microsoft made some improvements and key changes to the taskbar to better support the taskbar on tablets or 2-in-1 devices.
For example, Microsoft created a new minimized taskbar interface that was designed to take up less space when users aren’t using it. This is especially useful on tablets with small screens, as it gives more space for apps to run on the device.
Like Android or iOS, users can swipe up from the taskbar to expand it and launch pinned apps. When users swipe up from the bottom of the tablet’s desktop, a wider taskbar appears with large icons to help tablet users tap icons easily.
But there is a problem with this new feature that makes the system tray feature in Windows 11 harder to use. Because to better support this new tablet-optimized taskbar, Microsoft removed the ability to drag and drop app icons in or around the system tray to sort or hide/show.
With the rollout of Windows 11 Build 22610, Microsoft has now removed the “tablet-optimized” taskbar, citing feedback from early testers. It looks like the company received a ton of negative reviews because the tablet-optimized taskbar ended up causing usability issues on tablets.
Microsoft has made it clear that the feature won’t be returning anytime soon, which means it won’t be rolling out with Windows 11’s Anniversary Update. However, while the tablet-optimized taskbar has been pulled from the preview, users still can’t reorder app icons by dragging and dropping them in or around the system tray.
In other words, if the user wants to reorder the icons in the systray, or when the icons are outside the systray, the only option is to use the Settings app and manually toggle all icons on/off. In an article in the Feedback Hub, Microsoft previously confirmed that the drag-and-drop feature of the system tray was removed for a tablet-optimized taskbar.
“We will continue to monitor this feedback, but with the update, we made in Build 22563 for the new tablet-optimized taskbar, we no longer support dragging icons in the system tray. Instead, users should use Settings > Personalize > Taskbar > System Tray section to manage these icons,” Microsoft said.