Windows 11 update brings back welcome features to Task Manager and Widgets TechRadar
Windows 11 update brings back welcome features to Task Manager and Widgets TechRadar Skip to main content TechRadar is supported by its audience. When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. Here's why you can trust us. Windows 11 update brings back welcome features to Task Manager and Widgets By Daryl Baxter published 3 October 2022 Right-click rejoice! (Image credit: TechRadar) Audio player loading… Windows 11 finally brings back the ability to right-click on the Taskbar to enable Task Manager, without having to press CTRL + ALT + DELETE, alongside some widget improvements that had been announced previously. This is part of the Insider Program, where users can sign up to try out new features that could arrive in an upcoming Windows 11 release on a PC. Build 25211 (opens in new tab) brings both of these improvements to users signed up to this, alongside the ability for Snipping Tool to automatically save screenshots. For widgets, a new setting can switch off the gesture to hover over the side of a display to make the widget pane appear, alongside two separate icons where you can make the widget pane full-screen, or add any new widgets to it. While the first major update to Windows 11 is available for users to download, Microsoft is still listening to feedback from its users. Yet it does ask the question of why this small but useful feature for Task Manager was removed in the first place. Was its removal even warranted (Image credit: TechRadar) Since its release in October 2021, if you needed to forcibly close an app, you could access Task Manager by solely pressing CTRL + ALT + DELETE, and you would see the above menu. Yet in Windows 10 and previous releases, right-clicking on the Taskbar to enable Task Manager was available. This lone method has always felt cumbersome to me, and a relic of the look from Windows 8 as well. From the full-screen look to the thick borders, it's never made sense why this menu, and method, was still around in Windows 11. While this menu is still present in this insider build, the function to right-click on the Taskbar to make the Task Manager appear is very welcome, as it makes it much simpler and quicker to close an app that may be freezing up for you. It's another effort by Microsoft to make the Taskbar more manageable for users, especially as it's had a mixed reception since it debuted alongside Windows 11 in 2021. However, this, combined with widget and Snipping Tool improvements could see an appearance in the upcoming 'Moments' update, and for Task Manager, it can't come soon enough. Daryl BaxterSoftware & Downloads WriterDaryl had been freelancing for 3 years before joining TechRadar, now reporting on everything software-related. In his spare time he's written a book, 'The Making of Tomb Raider', alongside podcasting and usually found playing games old and new on his PC and MacBook Pro. If you have a story about an updated app, one that's about to launch, or just anything Software-related, drop him a line. See more Operating systems news TechRadar Newsletter Sign up to get breaking news, reviews, opinion, analysis and more, plus the hottest tech deals! Thank you for signing up to TechRadar. You will receive a verification email shortly. There was a problem. Please refresh the page and try again. MOST POPULARMOST SHARED1You may not have to sell a body part to afford the Nvidia RTX 4090 after all2One of the world's most popular programming languages is coming to Linux3The iPhone 14 Pro is made of the wrong stuff; the Pixel 7 proves that to me4Apple October launches: the new devices we might see this month5Google's AI editing tricks are making Photoshop irrelevant for most people1We finally know what 'Wi-Fi' stands for - and it's not what you think2Best laptops for designers and coders 3The iPhone 14 Pro is made of the wrong stuff; the Pixel 7 proves that to me4Miofive 4K Dash Cam review5Logitech's latest webcam and headset want to relieve your work day frustrations Technology Magazines (opens in new tab)● (opens in new tab)The best tech tutorials and in-depth reviewsFrom$12.99 (opens in new tab)View (opens in new tab)