Why Do Windows Taskbar Icons Group Together?
By default, Windows 10 combines multiple windows from the same application into a single taskbar icon. For example, if you have three separate Word documents open, they will all collapse into one Microsoft Word button on the taskbar to save space.
While this keeps the taskbar tidy, it requires an extra click to see your open windows, which can slow down your workflow if you constantly switch between multiple documents. You can change this setting so that every window has its own distinct, labelled button.
How to Stop Taskbar Icon Grouping in Windows 10
You can easily separate your taskbar icons through the Windows Settings menu.
- Right-click on any empty space on your Taskbar.
- Select Taskbar settings from the context menu that appears.
- In the Settings window, scroll down until you see the section labelled Combine taskbar buttons.
- Click the dropdown menu under this heading. You will see three options:
- Always, hide labels (The default behaviour)
- When taskbar is full
- Never
- Select Never to completely disable grouping.
As soon as you select “Never”, your taskbar will instantly expand. Every open window will now display its own separate button alongside the title of the document or webpage, making it much easier to jump directly to the window you need.