You must be using the Taskbar regularly on your Windows 10 computer and the most you can do is pin app icons on it or hide the bar automatically. Well, why fix something pristine, right? However, you can now use the Taskbar to perform certain actions to save time and easy access to other functions. This is possible with the Programmable Taskbar, which is only available if you are running Windows 10 build 20161 or higher.
With the new Programmable Taskbar, you can further personalize your Windows experience by changing the Taskbar functions for your usage and needs. Microsoft makes it clear that the Programmable Taskbar experience is designed for new account users and first-timers to Windows. This means that it will not greatly affect existing users.
What else does the Programmable Taskbar let you do? We’ll discuss what this means for you, whether you should disable it, and how to do it if you want.
Let’s start.
Understanding the Programmable Taskbar
As stated earlier, the primary purpose of the Taskbar is to host various application shortcuts. Some are more permanent, like the Start button. Meanwhile, Mail and browser apps can be removed and swapped. You can make the most of the capabilities of cloud computing and go beyond fiddling with app icons.
Let’s say you connect your Android smartphone to your laptop using the Your Phone app. Windows will detect it and immediately add your Phone app icon to the Taskbar. When you disconnect your phone from the computer, the Your Phone icon will disappear as you no longer need it. When you launch a connected game, you can have the same experience in many other apps, such as Xbox Games or Steam.
This way you have a cleaner and less cluttered Taskbar so you can focus on the things that need your immediate attention, such as browser notifications. Since the cloud service runs the programmable taskbar, you must allow Windows to collect data on behalf of ‘individual default features, monitoring diagnostic data and user feedback’.
While the dynamic nature of the taskbar is fine, I foresee a problem. You may not like it when the system automatically changes the behavior of your computer or even your mobile phone. I am very comfortable with displaying icons in a particular place. Things can get weird when they disappear and reappear whenever they want. It will also replace the keyboard shortcuts I carefully set using PowerToys.
You can enjoy the clean, bloatware-free experience, especially if you plan to make the most of it. However, if you have problems with Microsoft taking control of the Taskbar by reading data and transferring it to cloud servers, we will tell you how to turn it off.
Programmable Taskbar Experience
Microsoft notes that the experience is limited to ‘new account creation or first sign-in scenarios’ only. The update promises that the behavior of the Taskbar for current account holders will not be changed. However, I am not convinced as the same policy may or may be changed in the future. I would feel more comfortable with the feature disabled. Fortunately, there is a trick.
Disable Programmable Taskbar
You can turn off the programmable taskbar in two ways, and both are somewhat technical in nature, so roll up your sleeves. The first includes the Registry Editor, which can be used by all Windows users. The latter requires Group Policy Editor, which is only available to users running Windows 10 Pro and Enterprise editions. Otherwise, you’re out of luck.
Registry editor
I recommend backing up the Registry files before making any changes. If you don’t know what changes to make, there may be a problem and system-level files can trigger your computer.
Stage 1: Search for and open Registry Editor from the start menu. A popup will ask for administrator rights. Let me.
Step 2: Navigate to the folder structure below.
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\CloudContent
If the folder specified in the hierarchy is missing, you can create a new folder. Right click on the parent folder to create a new one.
Stage 3: To create a new key and name it ‘DisableCloudOptimizedContent’, right click to select New > DWORD (32-bit) Value in the right window pane.
Step 4: Double click the newly created file and change the default value data digit to 1.
Restart your computer to apply the changes. Then check if these changes were applied successfully.
Group Policy Editor
Stage 1: Search for Group Policy Editor from the start menu and open it.
Step 2: Navigate to the folder structure below.
Computer Configuration > Administrative Templates > Windows Components > Cloud Content
Stage 3: In the right window pane, open ‘Turn off cloud-optimized content’ and select Enabled to disable this policy. Click Apply to save the changes and restart your computer.
take control
Now that you know what the programmable taskbar does and how to disable it, you can act accordingly on your computer. Of course, you may disagree with the way Microsoft wants to change things up with the Taskbar. Knowledgeable users who know what they are doing and want to stay away from this feature. Not every change is for the better. Fortunately, there are ways to check for these updates, and you can choose to allow or disable them using one of the methods above. Still, a programmable Taskbar is a great idea.
Next: Want to see internet speed directly inside the Taskbar? Click on the link below to find out how you can always check your bandwidth.
