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On Windows 11 build 26340.9577 (Experimental 26H2) or later, some Insider users can change taskbar previews in Settings > Personalization > Taskbar by choosing List or Thumbnail under Show taskbar previews as. This is a build-specific feature reported by independent Windows how-to sources, not a confirmed setting on every Windows 11 PC. If the option is missing, the older registry workaround is not a reliable substitute on newer builds.
Change the preview style in Settings
On builds reported to include the selector, use these steps:
- Press Windows key + I to open Settings.
- Select Personalization, then Taskbar.
- Under Taskbar behaviors, find Show taskbar previews as.
- Choose List to see text entries or Thumbnail to see image previews.
The setting and path are reported for Windows 11 build 26340.9577, Experimental 26H2, or later. Microsoft’s general taskbar support page does not document this selector, so its availability should not be assumed for standard releases or other builds. Microsoft’s taskbar customization guidance describes other taskbar options, not this preview-mode switch.
If “Show taskbar previews as” is missing
First check your Windows version and build in Settings > System > About. The reported selector is tied to an Experimental 26H2 Insider build; the available evidence does not establish that it has reached every Windows 11 installation. Microsoft’s reviewed taskbar and policy documentation likewise does not document a general list-versus-thumbnail control. That is a limit of those documents, not proof that no newer control exists.
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Do not confuse this option with taskbar layout settings or Task View. Those features change how the taskbar or open windows are accessed; they do not necessarily change the hover preview for an app button.
Why the old NumThumbnails registry workaround may not help
Older Windows 10 and early Windows 11 instructions used a NumThumbnails value under HKEY_CURRENT_USERSOFTWAREMicrosoftWindowsCurrentVersionExplorerTaskband to force list behavior after a threshold. In a 2025 Microsoft Q&A thread, a moderator said: “As of the latest builds, this method no longer works, and no official replacement setting has been provided.” That answer concerns the older method; it does not address the later reported Experimental 26H2 Settings selector.
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A separate community tutorial associates the new Experimental 26H2 feature with TaskbarPreviewMode under HKEY_CURRENT_USERSoftwareMicrosoftWindowsCurrentVersionExplorerAdvanced, using 0 for thumbnails and 1 for list. This is not established as a universally supported registry fix. If the Settings selector is present, use it rather than editing the registry; if it is absent, do not assume either registry value will enable the feature on your build.
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- List: Text entries can make it easier to identify several open windows by name.
- Thumbnail: Image previews let you recognize open windows visually.
The sources establish these practical differences but do not provide measured performance benefits for either mode.
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