Pinning apps to the Windows 11 taskbar is getting easier

Back at the end of August, Microsoft released a new Beta version with code KB5041881 for Windows Insiders. This update included several interesting improvements and new features, but one flew under the radar because it wasn’t mentioned in any release notes.

While Windows 11 already lets you pin apps to the taskbar by dragging-and-dropping icons from the Desktop or the Start menu, Microsoft is testing a new option: dragging-and-dropping from search results.




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According to Windows Latest, you can now search for an app — via the search box or the Start menu — and then drag the app directly from the search results to the taskbar to pin it. When you do, you’ll see a “Link” tooltip that indicates pinning is allowed.

Prior to this change, if you wanted to pin an app from the search results, you’d have to right-click on it and select Pin to taskbar.

Several other goodies are included in the KB5041881 update, including a “Sign out” button directly on the Start menu, a new option to disable enhanced mouse pointer precision, a new Gamepad keyboard layout for the on-screen keyboard, and UX changes to Desktop Spotlight. Get more details in Microsoft’s release notes.

Further reading: Windows 11’s taskbar hides a secret feature for pros