Microsoft has teased a Windows 11 floating taskbar

Microsoft has shown off a floating Windows 11 taskbar. Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella revealed what looks like a concept UI during his keynote presentation at Microsoft Ignite yesterday. Twitter users were quick to spot the unusual taskbar, with its system tray and widgets appearing at the top of the desktop.

The floating Windows 11 taskbar was shown on a Surface Studio device, suggesting that it could be some form of concept that Microsoft is considering for touch devices. Microsoft already does some custom work with its new Surface Studio 2 Plus, which changes the size of the taskbar icons when you move the display.

Some Windows 11 testers previously claimed they were able to access this more rounded floating taskbar in August, but Microsoft simply dismissed it as a bug at the time. “There are a few bugs like this that change the UI in various ways,” explained Brandon LeBlanc, a senior program manager at Microsoft. “It’s not something we’re doing any A/B testing on.”

Microsoft has been testing experimental features in Windows 11 throughout 2022, with many not expected to ship in updates to the OS. It’s entirely possible this is simply a concept that Microsoft doesn’t intend to ship, but it’s still surprising to see such a thing appear in an official keynote video.

We reached out to Microsoft for comment but the company didn’t respond in time for publication.