How to Disable Taskbar Icon Grouping on Windows

You can use the Registry hack in this post to get rid of groups of icons on the Windows 11 Taskbar. Here, we’ll show you step-by-step how to Disable Taskbar Icon Grouping on Windows. Windows 10 was the first version of Windows to let you group icons on the taskbar. Some people don’t like this feature and want their taskbars to work like the old tab system. Icon grouping is a feature of Windows 10 that was added this year. Once it is turned on, it can put all instances of an application under a single icon on the Taskbar. By moving your mouse over the icon, you can see and choose from the open instances.

On Windows 10, you can ungroup icons by using Settings, the Registry Editor, the Local Group Policy Editor, or the Notification Area Icons. But you can’t turn off grouping and use Taskbar to see more than one window from the same app. Icons in Windows 11’s taskbar can now be grouped together, which has gotten mixed reviews. Many people like the old taskbar without groups of icons, and Windows 11 now has a way to get it back. What if you like the icons but not the way they are grouped? Let’s look at how to Disable Taskbar Icon Grouping on Windows.

What is taskbar icon grouping?

Windows added a new feature called “icon grouping,” which lets you put icons together. When this feature is turned on, all instances of an app, no matter how many windows you have open, will be grouped together under a single icon in the taskbar. You could see and choose one of the open instances by moving your mouse over the icon. The idea behind this feature was to make it easier for people who usually have more than one window open on their desktop to manage the taskbar and keep it in order.

In Windows, you can now group all of your taskbar icons together. In the old version of the OS, however, you could turn this feature off by choosing Never Combine in the taskbar settings. This option has been taken out of Windows 11, so you no longer have the option to stop your taskbar icons from grouping together. Thanks to some workarounds, you can now disable this option and get a taskbar that looks like it did in Windows 10.

Why You Might Want to Disable Taskbar Icon Grouping?

1. Ease of Access: If you turn off icon grouping, it can be easier to switch between open programs and windows and get to them. Each open app has its own icon on the taskbar, so you can click on the one you want without having to move your mouse over a group of icons and choose from a menu that pops up.
2. Clarity: Some users find it easier to see what’s going on when each open program has its own icon. When grouping is turned on, it is possible for multiple windows of the same application to be grouped into a single icon. This can make it harder to find and switch between them, especially if you have a lot of windows open.
3. Workflow efficiency: Having a separate icon for each app can make it easier for people to use multiple apps at the same time. It lets you manage and switch between open programs in a more direct and easy way.
4. Preference: Whether you like icon grouping or not comes down to your own personal taste. Some users find it helpful to group icons, especially when they have many windows of the same program open. This saves space on the taskbar. But some people like the ease and simplicity of having separate icons for each open program.

How to Disable Taskbar Icon Grouping on Windows

Using the Settings app

1. Open the Settings app by pressing Windows + I keys.
2. Click on Personalization.
3. In the left pane, select Taskbar.
4. In the right pane, under Taskbar behaviors, uncheck the box next to Combine taskbar buttons.
5. Click Apply and then OK.

Using Registry Editor

1. Open Registry Editor by pressing Windows + R keys and typing regedit.
2. Navigate to the following key:Computer\HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\Taskbar
3. Right-click on the Taskbar key and select New > DWORD (32-bit) Value.
4. Name the new value CombineTaskbarButtons.
5. Double-click on the CombineTaskbarButtons value and set its value data to 0.
6. Click OK.

Using StartAllBack

1. Install StartAllBack on your PC from its official website.
2. After installation, StartAllBack automatically adjusts your system, including moving taskbar icons to the left and restoring the Windows 10 start menu.
3. To separate taskbar icons in Windows 11 then Click Taskbar on the left panel.
4. In the dropdown menu next to Combine taskbar buttons, select “Never” under Tweak behavior and superpowers.
5. Icons on your taskbar will now be individually labeled and can have their size adjusted by moving the taskbar’s edges.
6. To revert to the original taskbar, choose the Use enhanced classic taskbar slider and turn it Off.
7. To disable the StartAllBack-configured taskbar, turn off the slider and click Restart now or restart your computer for the changes to take effect.

What are the benefits of disabling taskbar icon grouping?

1. Improved Visibility: When taskbar icon grouping is disabled, each open application or window is represented by its own individual icon on the taskbar. This can make it easier to see at a glance which applications are currently running, especially if you have many open windows from the same application.
2. Quick Access: You can directly click on the individual icons to switch between open windows or applications without the need to hover over a grouped icon and then select from a list. This can save you time and reduce the number of clicks required to access specific windows.
3. Reduced Mouse Movement: Without icon grouping, you don’t need to move your mouse cursor as much to switch between open windows since each window has its own dedicated icon. This can be particularly helpful for users who prefer to minimize hand movement or have physical limitations.
4. Efficient Multitasking: Icon grouping can sometimes make it challenging to manage multiple instances of the same application, such as multiple web browser windows or file explorer windows. Disabling grouping can make it more straightforward to handle such scenarios.
5. Customization: You have more control over the arrangement and order of icons on the taskbar when grouping is disabled. You can rearrange icons to suit your workflow and easily organize them based on your preferences.

Conclusion

The ability to combine or group windows on the taskbar was added to Windows with Windows XP. But Windows Vista was the first time that this option was set as the default. The same is true for Windows 10; this option is turned on by default and is one of the first things that experienced users turn off. Basically, this option puts all of the instances of the same app on the taskbar under one button. On the other hand, every desktop app that is running has its own square taskbar space.

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