Windows 11 Insider Build 25197 Brings Back Tablet-Optimized Taskbar

Microsoft has released today the Windows 11 Insider build 25197 for testers in the Dev Channel. This new build brings back the tablet-optimized taskbar that Microsoft had removed in a recent flight.

“We’re re-introducing the touch-optimized taskbar that’s designed to make you feel more confident and comfortable using your device as a tablet. Your taskbar will automatically transition to this optimized version when you disconnect or fold back the keyboard on your 2-in-1 device,” the Windows Insider team explained.

The tablet-optimized taskbar is only available on Windows 11 tablets, and users can switch between the collapsed and expanded state by swiping up and down on the bottom of their device. Microsoft is rolling out this new feature to a subset of Insiders today, and it will be monitoring feedback before pushing it to more testers.

This build also brings new animated icons and illustrations in the navigation bar of the Settings app. “We continue growing our motion design principles to transform these familiar interactions from something purely functional to something that is also delightful,” the Windows Insider team explained.

Microsoft is also introducing System Tray updates in this build, with a new rounded focus and hover treatment on all icons in the lower right corner of the screen. The team emphasized that it’s currently not possible to drag and drop and rearrange system tray items with this change, but this will change in a future build.

Lastly, Microsoft is rolling out two app updates to all Dev Channel Insiders today: The Calculator app is getting ARM64 support, while the Media Player app is getting a new shortcut for editing videos in Clipchamp. That’s it for today’s build, which also brings the usual series of bug fixes. For once, there’s no new flight for Insiders on the Beta channel today.