The Consolidated Clutter
Windows 11 introduced a heavily redesigned Taskbar that prioritized a clean, minimalist aesthetic over raw functionality. By default, Windows automatically groups multiple open windows of the same application (like five separate Word documents or three File Explorer windows) into a single, stacked icon on the taskbar. To access a specific document, you have to hover over the icon and wait for a thumbnail preview to pop up. While this saves horizontal space, it significantly slows down power users who rely on muscle memory and single-click access to jump between specific, labelled windows.
Ungrouping the Taskbar
To restore single-click window access and stop Windows 11 from automatically grouping taskbar icons, you must change the taskbar behaviors in the Personalization settings.
Right-click on any empty, blank space on your Taskbar (do not click an icon) and select Taskbar settings. A new window will open. Scroll down the list of options and click on Taskbar behaviors to expand the section. Look for the dropdown menu explicitly labelled Combine taskbar buttons and hide labels. By default, this is set to “Always.” Click the dropdown menu and change it to Never. Instantly, your taskbar will expand, showing each individual open window as its own distinct button, complete with text labels describing the window’s contents.