Don’t like the centered Start menu and Taskbar in Windows 11? Follow these steps to move the Start menu and taskbar icons to the left side.
Windows 11 brings a lot of new changes to the table. These changes include both visual and under the hood stuff. Apart from the noticeable visual changes, Microsoft also added many new and exciting features like Dynamic Refresh Rate, Snap Layouts, the ability to run Android apps natively, reduced Windows update size, etc. All in all, Windows 11 is a pretty eventful upgrade as long as your system meets the Windows 11 requirements.
One of the first things almost anyone notices when they see Windows 11 is the centered Taskbar. i.e., the Start menu and the Taskbar icons are centered. The new centered Taskbar looks refreshing and goes well with the redesigned Start menu. I like the centered Taskbar. On Windows 10, I’ve been using a third-party app to center taskbar icons. In Windows 11, I don’t have to do that; it is built-in.
However, not everyone likes the centered Taskbar. The reason is that it messes with the muscle memory and looks awkward. Thankfully, Microsoft thought of that and has given an option to move the Start menu and Taskbar icons to the left side. So, if you don’t like the centered Taskbar in Windows 11, you need to change a single option, and the Start menu and icons will be moved to the left side.
In this quick and straightforward guide, let me show you the steps to move the Start menu and Taskbar icons to the left side in Windows 11.
Move the Start menu and taskbar icons to left
Follow these steps to move the Taskbar icons and Start menu to the left side in Windows 10.
- Open Settings with the “Windows key + I” shortcut.
- Select “Personalization” on the sidebar.
- Select “Taskbar” on the right panel.
- Click on the “Taskbar behaviors” option.
- Select “Left” from the “Taskbar alignment” dropdown menu.
- Close the Settings app.
- With that, the Start menu and taskbar icons are moved to the left side.
Below are the same steps in a bit more detail.
First, we need to open the Windows 11 Settings app. To do that, press the “Windows key + I” keyboard shortcut. After opening the Settings app, select “Personalization” on the sidebar. Next, select the “Taskbar” option on the right panel. You will generally find this option somewhere at the bottom of the main page.
Now, click on the “Taskbar behaviors” option to expand it. Next, select “Left” from the “Taskbar alignment” dropdown menu. The settings are automatically saved as soon as a change is made. So, you can safely close the Settings app.
That is all. As soon as you select the “Left” option, the Start menu and the Taskbar icons will be moved to the left side. With that, the balance is restored in the universe.
If you ever want to center the taskbar icons, select “Center” from the “Taskbar alignment” dropdown menu, and you are good to go.
I hope that helps.
If you are stuck or need some help, comment below, and I will try to help as much as possible.
