The innovative team behind PowerToys is currently delving into an intriguing new feature aimed at transforming the Windows desktop experience. This proposed enhancement introduces a menu bar that elegantly spans the top of the display, providing users with glanceable system information, music controls, and more. Microsoft envisions this concept as an optional user interface dock, seamlessly integrated into the Command Palette feature within PowerToys.
Feature Overview
When activated, this dock can be conveniently pinned to any edge of the screen—top, left, right, or even bottom. Users will have the flexibility to pin existing extensions from PowerToys without requiring any code modifications. According to Niels Laute, a senior software engineer at Microsoft, “The dock can be enabled from Command Palette settings and pinned to any edge of the screen.” He further elaborates, “You’d be able to pin your favorite extensions to the dock for instant access, without opening Command Palette or interrupting your workflow. The goal is quick awareness for the things you want to keep an eye on, such as active resource monitoring.”
This feature is reminiscent of a Linux distribution, running along the top of the display, allowing users to pin vital information such as RAM usage, CPU temperatures, and app shortcuts. As the team continues to refine this feature, they are eager to gauge user interest. If it resonates well with the community, it is likely to be rolled out as an official feature in the coming weeks or months. Users are encouraged to share their feedback with Microsoft to help shape its development.
For those eager to get a head start, developers can compile a dedicated branch where this feature is currently being tested, although it has yet to be included in the mainline PowerToys release.
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