As if one Taskbar was not enough, Windows 11 may end up with two. Microsoft tests in Edge the ability to detach the sidebar from the browser window and attach it to the desktop of the operating system.
The novelty is contained in compilation 114.0.1891.0 of Microsoft Edge Canary, experimental version of the browser. When available, the function can be activated by clicking on the “Detach from Edge” button, which, in practice, makes the sidebar leave the browser window and be fixed to the Desktop.
In the sidebar, users can access the Bing chatbot and other Microsoft ecosystem tools with one click.
Too many shortcuts?
Many users may find Edge’s desktop sidebar overkill — and it almost is, actually. Microsoft’s intention seems to be to give more prominence to programs in its own ecosystem and the highlight, as always, is on Bing – but it can now be accessed through the Start Menu.
Edge’s sidebar functions can easily be replaced by shortcuts on the traditional Taskbar or even the Start Menu, but in a much less invasive way. The user would be able to keep the screen with more space for content, but without compromising the usability of the operating system — and even better: without looking like a kludge.
Feature no one asked for
In addition to not bringing anything absolutely new to the Windows experience, the sidebar also highlights an important pendency of the operating system: the ability to relocate the Taskbar to other areas of the screen. In Windows 11, Microsoft has not implemented the customization feature natively and the section is completely fixed at the bottom of the display – to change that, just resorting to third-party applications.
At the time the operating system was released, this was one of the main criticisms. The successor to Windows 10 has already completed its first year of existence and has recently received a major update, but it has not yet met this community demand.
Still in experimentation
Edge’s detachable sidebar is still in testing and may not make it past this stage if it turns out to be a bad idea. Microsoft should closely watch the adoption of the tool and, if it sees that it has not been well received by the community, it may abandon the idea.
For now, there is no forecast for the launch of the novelty. Generally, Edge Canary is two builds ahead of the stable version of the browser, so there’s at least two months until the feature appears to everyone.
Source: Neowin
