A familiar Windows XP feature could be making a comeback in Windows 11, giving users another way to navigate multiple open windows.
A newly discovered Windows 11 setting offers a compact list of window titles as an alternative to taskbar thumbnail previews, resembling functionality found in Microsoft’s decades-old operating system. The same experimental builds also contain controls that could let users locate or manage their Android phones directly from Windows.
Both features remain hidden in experimental Windows 11 builds, and Microsoft has not announced a public release. The discoveries nevertheless offer a glimpse of how the company could simplify everyday PC tasks.
Windows 11 tests a taskbar feature similar to Windows XP
According to an Oct. 7 report from Windows Latest, the publication tested a setting called “Show taskbar previews as” in experimental builds of Windows 11.
The setting offers two display options:
- Thumbnail: Shows visual previews of open windows from the taskbar.
- List: Displays a compact list of window titles instead of thumbnail images.
The option appears under Settings > Personalization > Taskbar when enabled, but it remains hidden by default in the experimental builds.
The feature resembles functionality found in Windows XP, which grouped multiple windows from the same application under a single taskbar button. Clicking the grouped button displayed a list of open windows, each identified by its title.
Windows 11’s experimental implementation works differently. When List is selected, hovering over an application icon displays window titles rather than visual previews. Thumbnail remains the default option.
For people who regularly work with multiple browser windows, documents, or applications, the list view could make it easier to identify a specific window without sorting through visual previews. It could also reduce the amount of visual information displayed when navigating applications during screen sharing, although window titles themselves may still reveal sensitive information.
The experiment follows Microsoft’s broader efforts to improve Windows customization. TechRepublic previously reported that Windows 11 is testing additional taskbar and Start menu controls, including options for taskbar positioning and layout.
Microsoft also tests Android phone controls in Windows 11
The taskbar experiment isn’t the only change discovered in the Windows Insider builds.
Windows Latest also identified a Mobile devices tile in Windows 11 Quick Settings, potentially allowing users to manage basic smartphone functions without opening the Phone Link application.
The experimental feature provides controls for a linked Android phone, including:
- Play sound: Rings a connected Android phone to help locate it.
- Do Not Disturb: Allows users to enable or disable the phone’s Do Not Disturb mode.
- Volume: Controls the phone’s ringer.
The controls appear in the Quick Settings panel, which users can open with the Windows key + A keyboard shortcut.
Windows Latest tested the feature using an Android phone but could not confirm whether the same controls work with an iPhone.
The discovery builds on Microsoft’s efforts to connect smartphones more closely with Windows PCs. TechRepublic previously covered Windows 11’s expanded cross-device features, including improvements that let users resume certain activities on their computers from supported Android phones.
Those previously announced capabilities are separate from the experimental Mobile devices controls, but they demonstrate Microsoft’s broader efforts to make Windows and Android devices work together.
The newly discovered Quick Settings controls could simplify basic phone management by placing frequently used functions alongside existing Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, and system controls.
Rather than opening a separate application, users could potentially ring a misplaced phone or adjust its settings directly from the Windows interface.
When will these Windows 11 features become available?
Microsoft has not announced a public release date for either feature.
Windows Latest tested the taskbar list view and Mobile devices controls in Windows 11 Experimental build 26340.9596. The features were hidden by default and were not included in Microsoft’s published release notes for the relevant experimental builds.
According to the report, the features could be activated using ViveTool, a third-party utility that exposes hidden Windows functionality.
Windows Latest recommended testing them only on a test PC because hidden experimental functionality can be buggy. The report did not identify specific stability problems caused by either feature.
Their presence in testing does not guarantee that Microsoft will release them to all Windows 11 users. The company could modify the features, delay their introduction, or abandon them before a broader rollout.
Users running standard Windows 11 releases should not expect to find these settings in their menus yet. As TechRepublic previously outlined, Windows 11’s 26H2 update uses an enablement-package approach, allowing certain features already present on supported devices to be activated through an update.
However, Microsoft has not confirmed whether either newly discovered feature will arrive through Windows 11 26H2 or a future update.
What the changes could mean for Windows users
Although neither feature represents a major Windows redesign, both could address common frustrations.
For users who frequently switch between applications, a text-based taskbar list could provide a simpler way to navigate open windows. The Android controls could also reduce the need to switch between Windows and a separate phone-management application.
For organizations managing Windows PCs, the developments raise several practical considerations:
- User productivity: A list-based taskbar could make multitasking easier for employees working with numerous windows.
- Device integration: More accessible smartphone controls could simplify workflows for employees who regularly use both Windows PCs and Android devices.
- Deployment planning: IT administrators should wait for official availability and management documentation before considering either experimental feature for production environments.
Neither feature currently requires organizations to change their Windows deployment plans. Administrators should evaluate the risks before enabling hidden experimental functionality on production devices.
For now, the developments offer a glimpse of how Microsoft could refine Windows 11 without dramatically changing the operating system. Whether these experiments eventually reach everyday users remains uncertain, but the Windows XP-style interface suggests that some older ideas may still have a place in modern Windows.
Also read: For more ways to get the most out of Microsoft’s operating system, explore nine overlooked Windows 11 features that can improve productivity, security, and everyday PC use.