Learn how to change the taskbar preview that appears when you hover over an icon from thumbnail to list or list to thumbnail in Windows 11.
By default, when you mouse over an app icon, Windows 11 automatically shows the app’s thumbnail, if it open. For example, if you mouse over the browser icon on the taskbar right now, you can will see a thumbnail of if what’s in the browser. This allows you to quickly see what’s going in the app before opening it. However, with a recent update, Microsoft added the ability to change the thumbnail preview mode from thumbnail to list and vice-versa. This is especially useful for those who don’t want to see thumbnails, or want to improve the system performance a teeny-tiny bit. So, without further ado, let me show you the steps to change the taskbar preview mode between thumbnail and list using the Settings app. Let’s get started.
Before You Start
- You should be using Windows 11 build 26340.9577 (v26H2) or higher to follow the below steps.
Steps to Change the Taskbar Preview Mode in Windows Using Settings
Whether you want to show the taskbar preview as thumbnail or list, you can make this change using the Settings app. No need for any registry or group policy edits. So, to start off, launch the Settings app by pressing the “Windows key + I” shortcut. You can also right-click the Start icon on the taskbar and select “Settings”.
Once the Settings app opens, click “Personalization” on the sidebar, then scroll down the right page, and click the “Taskbar” option.
Now, scroll down to the “Show taskbar previews as” option. Next, select “Thumbnail” from the dropdown to show thumbnails and “List” to show the preview as a list.
That is all. It is that simple to change the taskbar preview mode to thumbnail or list in Windows 11. Write down any questions or comments you have below. I’ll respond as quickly as possible.
Thank you, Vamsi.
