windows 11 build 26300.8289 in the Experimental channel includes four undisclosed changes, in addition to the Windows Update improvements announced by Microsoft. These updates were identified by Windows Central and leaker @PhantomOfEarth.
They include a long-requested taskbar repositioning feature and a modernized Run dialog that has remained largely unchanged for nearly 30 years.
Mobile taskbar and Run dialog redesigned in Windows 11
The most notable update is the initial support for moving the taskbar. New options now appear in the taskbar context menu, allowing users to position the bar on the top, left, or right of the screen. When Windows 11 was released, the ability to dock the taskbar to any position other than the bottom was removed, despite it being a frequently requested feature.
The Run dialog box is getting its first major visual update in about 30 years. The new design follows Fluent Design principles, with rounded corners, semi-transparent elements, updated spacing, and support for light and dark themes. The text field is now larger and the interface displays recent commands, along with matching apps and paths as you type.
(Credit: Mauro Huculak)
Microsoft will make the new Run dialog box optional. You can enable it via Settings, then System, Advanced, by turning on a dedicated switch for the Run dialog. The new design is currently available in the Experimental channel without needing to flip the switch.
New login animation and storage volume drive toggle
The animated dots that appear during login, logout, shutdown, and restart are replaced with a solid spinning icon. This new animation matches the one used during the boot process. Marcus Ash, head of Windows design and research at Microsoft, confirmed on X that the change is intended to create more consistency across most use cases with rotating icons.
You can find a small but useful update in Settings under Storage, Disks and Volumes. The option to resize a volume now offers an option to switch between megabytes and gigabytes, making it easier to resize volumes measured in gigabytes.
None of the four features are currently available to regular Windows users. Its inclusion in the build suggests active development before broader testing.
