In Windows 11, taskbar icons are grouped by default to offer a clean and streamlined experience. However, not everyone is a fan of this feature as it can make switching between multiple windows of the same application more cumbersome. If you’re one of those looking for a way to display each window separately on the taskbar, here’s how you can ungroup taskbar icons in Windows 11.

1. Use the Registry Editor

The Windows Registry Editor is a powerful tool that allows you to make system-level changes to your Windows installation. To ungroup taskbar items using the Registry Editor:

– Press Win + R, type “regedit” and press Enter.

– Navigate to “HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Policies\Explorer”

– Right-click on “Explorer” and choose New > DWORD (32-bit) Value. Name this new value “NoTaskGrouping”.

– Double-click on NoTaskGrouping and set its value to “1”.

– Restart your computer for the changes to take effect.

2. Use Group Policy Editor

If you’re using Windows 11 Pro or Enterprise, you can use the Local Group Policy Editor:

– Press Win + R, type “gpedit.msc” and press Enter.

– Navigate to User Configuration > Administrative Templates > Start Menu and Taskbar.

– Locate and open the setting named “Prevent grouping of taskbar items”.

– Change the setting to Enabled and click OK.

– Log off or restart your computer.

3. Third-party Software

There are third-party applications available that allow you greater control over how your taskbar behaves:

– Download and install a third-party utility like StartIsBack or Classic Shell.

– Access the application settings and look for options relating to the taskbar.

– Usually, there will be an option like “Ungroup taskbar icons” or “Never combine taskbar icons,” which you should select.

4. Creating Shortcuts

As a more manual solution, you can create separate shortcuts for instances of the same program:

– Right-click on your desktop, go to New > Shortcut.

– Link the new shortcut directly to the executable of your application.

– Duplicate this shortcut for as many windows as you like.

– Each of these shortcuts can be pinned separately to the taskbar as individual instances.

Remember that grouping also has its advantages such as reducing clutter, so weigh your options before making these changes. Always back up your registry before making changes in case you need to revert them. And be aware that Microsoft could alter or remove these settings in future updates, which may require different steps or methods altogether.