The Windows 10 taskbar offers a limited selection of customization options, most of which are available through Settings > Personalization > Taskbar (or right-clicking an empty space on the taskbar or the Task View button and clicking Settings). A faint line appears underneath the icon for a running program, and the program with the current focus has a subtle but noticeable transparent shadow to identify it.
When you close that program, the button vanishes as well, unless you pinned it to the taskbar. The Windows 10 taskbar continues to serve the same basic functions as its progenitors-launching programs, switching between programs, and providing notifications-with only subtle changes in functionality.Įvery running program with a user interface has a corresponding taskbar button. In the years since, it has slowly evolved without changing its basic shape.
The taskbar made its first appearance in Windows 95. The taskbar is that strip of real estate along one screen edge (bottom by default) that contains, from left to right, the Start button, the search box, the Task View button, program buttons, notification icons, icons for people, and a clock.