Windows 11 has a reported Settings option for switching taskbar app previews between thumbnails and a list, but it is tied to an Insider build rather than confirmed for every PC. On systems with the option, open Settings > Personalization > Taskbar and select List or Thumbnail under Show taskbar previews as. If the control is missing, check your Windows build; the older registry workaround is reported not to work on newer builds.
Check whether your Windows 11 build has the preview selector
Independent Windows how-to sources report the setting in Windows 11 build 26340.9577, identified as Experimental 26H2 for Insiders. The available evidence does not establish that the control is included in every Windows 11 release, so treat it as build-specific rather than a universal setting. Microsoft’s general taskbar support page does not currently document this preview-mode switch: Microsoft’s Windows 11 taskbar customization guidance.
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To check your version, open Settings > System > About and look at Windows specifications. If the selector is not present, verify whether your PC is on the applicable Insider build before trying other changes.
Switch between List and Thumbnail in Settings
- Press Windows key + I to open Settings.
- Select Personalization > Taskbar.
- Expand or inspect Taskbar behaviors and find Show taskbar previews as.
- Choose List for text entries or Thumbnail for image previews.
This path and label are reported for the Experimental 26H2 build noted above by independent sources, not documented on Microsoft’s general taskbar page. If the setting is absent, the instructions do not apply to your current build.
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What the two preview modes change
- List: Shows text entries for open windows, which can make it easier to identify several windows by name.
- Thumbnail: Shows visual previews of open windows.
The available sources describe these modes but do not establish a measured speed or performance advantage for either one.
Why the older NumThumbnails registry tweak may fail
Older Windows 10 and early Windows 11 instructions often used a NumThumbnails value under HKEY_CURRENT_USERSOFTWAREMicrosoftWindowsCurrentVersionExplorerTaskband to influence when taskbar previews became a list. In a 2025 Microsoft Q&A thread about that method, a moderator said: “As of the latest builds, this method no longer works, and no official replacement setting has been provided.” That answer predates the later report of the Experimental 26H2 Settings selector, so it does not establish that the newer selector is unavailable.
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Do not assume this older registry value will change preview mode on a current Windows 11 build. A separate independent tutorial reports a TaskbarPreviewMode value under HKEY_CURRENT_USERSoftwareMicrosoftWindowsCurrentVersionExplorerAdvanced, with 0 for thumbnails and 1 for list, in connection with the Experimental 26H2 feature. That is not established as a universally supported registry fix; use the Settings control when it is available.
Do these 3 things before closing this tab:
1Fix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitches2Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problems3Scan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minuteKeep preview mode separate from other taskbar features
Taskbar preview mode concerns the app-window previews shown from taskbar buttons. It is not the same as changing taskbar layout or opening Task View. Microsoft’s taskbar guide covers other customization features, while its ADMX Taskbar policy reference documents management policies; neither reviewed page identifies a general list-versus-thumbnail selector or policy. That is a limit of the reviewed documentation, not proof that no newly published control exists.
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