You can move the Windows 11 taskbar to the top, left or right through Settings if Microsoft’s Taskbar position option has reached your PC. As of September 24, 2026, Microsoft documents this feature for Windows 11 versions 24H2 and 25H2 through KB5120998 or a later cumulative update, and for version 26H1 through KB5124006 or later. Open Settings > Personalization > Taskbar > Taskbar behaviors, select Taskbar position, and choose Bottom, Top, Left or Right. Because Microsoft is enabling the feature gradually, the option may not appear immediately on every updated device.
Move the taskbar through Windows Settings
When the native setting is available, you can change the taskbar’s screen edge without installing a third-party taskbar utility or editing the Windows registry.
- Right-click an empty area of the taskbar. If you right-click an application icon instead, Windows may display that application’s jump list or shortcut menu.
- Select Taskbar settings. You can also open Settings, choose Personalization, and then select Taskbar.
- Open Taskbar behaviors. On updated systems, this section may already be expanded.
- Find the Taskbar position menu.
- Select Bottom, Top, Left or Right.
Windows moves the taskbar to the selected edge. Start, notifications, tooltips, system-tray menus and other taskbar flyouts should open relative to its new location. To restore the standard Windows 11 arrangement, return to the same menu and select Bottom.
Taskbar position is different from Taskbar alignment. Position moves the complete taskbar to another edge of the display. Alignment changes where the Start button and application icons appear within a horizontal taskbar. Selecting Left under Taskbar alignment therefore does not create a vertical taskbar; it only places the icons toward the left end of a taskbar that remains at the top or bottom.
Which Windows 11 versions support alternate positions
The native setting is not limited to Windows 11 version 26H1. Microsoft first documented it in a public preview update for versions 24H2 and 25H2 on August 27, 2026, and then documented it for version 26H1 in a separate preview update released on September 22, 2026.
| Windows version | Documented update | Operating system build |
|---|---|---|
| Windows 11 version 24H2 | KB5120998 or a later cumulative update that includes its changes | 26100.9278 or later |
| Windows 11 version 25H2 | KB5120998 or a later cumulative update that includes its changes | 26200.9278 or later |
| Windows 11 version 26H1 | KB5124006 or a later cumulative update that includes its changes | 28000.3086 or later |
The build number alone does not guarantee that the menu is visible. Microsoft describes the taskbar change as a gradual rollout, meaning an update can contain the necessary components before the feature is enabled on every eligible computer. Two PCs running the same Windows version and build may temporarily show different options.
You do not need to upgrade from version 24H2 or 25H2 to version 26H1 merely to obtain this feature. Each supported Windows branch receives the setting through its own cumulative updates. Install updates intended for the Windows version already offered to your device rather than trying to force a different release.
Limitations of top and vertical taskbars
Most taskbar customization options are designed to work in every position, including the option to never combine taskbar buttons. However, Microsoft has documented several exceptions and work-in-progress features that may affect whether an alternate layout suits your needs.
- Search box: The full Search box is supported only when the taskbar is at the top or bottom. A taskbar on the left or right may use a more compact Search control instead.
- Smaller taskbar: Microsoft’s smaller taskbar option is currently supported only in the top and bottom positions.
- Automatic hiding: In Microsoft’s initial May 2026 preview, automatic hiding was not supported when the taskbar was in an alternate position.
- Tablet-optimised taskbar: The initial preview also lacked support for the tablet-optimised taskbar in alternate positions.
- Touch gestures: Microsoft said touch gestures for the new positions were still being developed during the initial preview.
- Multiple monitors: Microsoft was still evaluating the ability to choose a different taskbar position for each monitor. The available setting may therefore apply one position across the desktop rather than providing independent controls for every display.
- Dragging the taskbar: Microsoft was evaluating drag-and-drop positioning, but the documented method is to choose the screen edge in Settings. Do not expect to move the taskbar simply by dragging it as you could in some older versions of Windows.
The automatic hiding, touch, tablet and multiple-monitor notes came from the initial preview implementation. Microsoft may revise these details as the feature develops, so check the behaviour on your updated PC if one of these capabilities is essential to your workflow.
What to do when Taskbar position is missing
If the menu is absent, first confirm your Windows version and update status rather than assuming your PC is incompatible.
- Check the version and build. Press Windows key + R, type winver, and press Enter. Alternatively, open Settings > System > About and read the information under Windows specifications.
- Compare the result with the supported builds. Version 24H2 should be on build 26100.9278 or later, version 25H2 on build 26200.9278 or later, and version 26H1 on build 28000.3086 or later. A later cumulative update normally includes changes from earlier updates for the same Windows version.
- Install available Windows updates. Open Settings > Windows Update, select Check for updates, install the updates offered to your device, and restart if prompted.
- Check Optional updates. Preview updates may appear under Windows Update > Advanced options > Optional updates. You do not necessarily need the original preview package if a newer cumulative update for your Windows version already includes its changes.
- Consider enabling earlier feature delivery. In Windows Update, turn on Get the latest updates as soon as they’re available if you want Microsoft to prioritise your device for available non-security improvements and gradual feature rollouts. The switch does not override compatibility safeguards or guarantee immediate delivery.
- Wait for the rollout. If your version and build are eligible but the menu is still absent, install later updates as they become available. Gradually released features can take additional time to reach individual devices.
On a work or school computer, an administrator may control optional updates, preview releases and the early-access switch. Contact your organisation’s information technology department before changing update policies or attempting manual installation.
If you use software that replaces or modifies the Windows taskbar, temporarily disable it according to the developer’s instructions and check Settings again. Such software may present its own controls or interfere with the standard taskbar interface.
Avoid using an old registry workaround merely because the Settings option has not arrived. Microsoft’s supported method is the Taskbar position menu, and registry instructions written for earlier Windows 11 builds may no longer correspond to the current taskbar. Waiting for the supported rollout is generally safer than forcing an undocumented configuration.
