Taskbar Groups is a popular, free, open-source utility that lets you bundle multiple application shortcuts into a single mini-folder icon on your Windows 10 or Windows 11 taskbar. Because Microsoft removed native flexible toolbar groupings in newer Windows versions, this community tool has become essential for creating a clean, professional, and clutter-free desktop workspace. Step-by-Step Guide to Using Taskbar Groups
Follow these sequential steps to clean up your taskbar layout:
Download the tool: Navigate to the official repository page on GitHub – tjackenpacken/taskbar-groups. Go to the latest release section, expand “Assets”, and download the taskbar-groups.zip file.
Extract the files: Right-click the downloaded .zip folder and choose Extract All. Move the extracted folder to a permanent location on your drive (like C:\Program Files or a dedicated software folder) so you do not break the file shortcuts later.
Run as Administrator: Inside the extracted folder, right-click TaskbarGroups.exe and select Run as administrator to ensure it has proper system permissions.
Create a new group: Click the Add taskbar group button in the app interface.
Name and configure your folder: Type a descriptive name for your group (e.g., “Browsers”, “Work”, or “Gaming”). You can set the group width to control how many application icons display per row (for example, setting the width to “2” creates a neat, double-row vertical layout).
Add shortcuts: Click the Add new shortcut button. Browse and select the .exe files or existing desktop shortcuts you want inside this specific group. You can use the built-in arrows to reorder them.
Assign an Icon: Click Change group icon to select an image or a default system icon file so you can easily spot your folder on the taskbar.
Save and Pin: Click Save to finalize your configuration. The software will automatically generate a shortcut in its own Shortcuts folder. Left-click your newly created group in the main app layout to reveal it in Windows Explorer. Right-click that highlighted group shortcut file, click Show more options, and choose Pin to taskbar.
Watch this step-by-step visual walkthrough to see the entire extraction and setup process in action: How to Create a Groups on Taskbar in Windows DO IT / mostafa ahmed YouTube · Jul 2, 2025 Key Configuration Benefits & Use Cases
Workflow Category Stacking: Group your digital real estate by task theme. For example, build a “Creative” group containing Photoshop, Premiere, and Illustrator, or a “Productivity” group for Word, Excel, and Outlook.
Layout Adaptability: Change the aesthetic look of the pop-up menus by tweaking the application’s built-in light, dark, or custom color profiles and opacity sliders.
Zero System Bloat: The software operates entirely as a lightweight, portable application. It does not run continuous heavy background processes or consume noticeable CPU and RAM, keeping your system quick and responsive. Built-in Alternatives to Consider
If you prefer not to use third-party tools, Microsoft provides a couple of native window-management tools: Organize Your Taskbar Icons in Folders – Windows 10
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