The Overcrowded Taskbar
Windows 11 features a redesigned, centred taskbar that aims for a clean, minimal aesthetic. However, the operating system has a habit of automatically adding icons for recently opened applications to the taskbar, even if you never explicitly pinned them. This behaviour is often tied to the “Recommended” section in the Start Menu and to app installers that silently add taskbar shortcuts during setup. Over time, your carefully curated row of pinned applications becomes cluttered with icons for programs you used once — a PDF reader you opened for a single document, a video conferencing tool from a one-off meeting, or a system utility you ran briefly for troubleshooting.
Locking Down Your Taskbar Shortcuts
To stop Windows 11 from automatically adding recently opened applications to your taskbar, you need to adjust the Start Menu settings and review your taskbar preferences.
Open Settings (Win + I). In the left-hand sidebar, click on Personalisation. Select Start from the available options. You will see a toggle labelled Show recently opened items in Start, Jump Lists, and File Explorer. Turn this switch off. This prevents recently used applications from surfacing prominently and being suggested as taskbar additions. Next, navigate to Personalisation > Taskbar. Expand the Taskbar behaviours section at the bottom. If you see an option labelled Show recently opened items in taskbar or similar, ensure it is toggled off. For apps that were added by their installers, right-click each unwanted icon on the taskbar and select Unpin from taskbar. With these settings configured, only the applications you deliberately pin will appear, and Windows will stop silently populating your taskbar with transient shortcuts.