The Windows taskbar is the central hub for all kinds of apps and files on your Windows desktop. It comes with a bunch of apps configured by default. However, you don’t have to stick to predefined apps or icons. Among a host of things Windows lets you change, from hiding your taskbar to even centering it in Windows 10, you can also pin new taskbar shortcuts to it.
In the following, we’ll look at the different ways to pin new app shortcuts to your taskbar on a Windows PC. Let’s start.
How to Pin Shortcuts to Your Windows Taskbar
So there’s not just one way to go about it. But don’t panic because we will cover all the methods one by one. So let’s start with desktop shortcuts.
1. Pin shortcuts by dragging and dropping from the desktop
When you are on your PC desktop, you can simply drag the icon of the application you want to add to the taskbar and then drop it there. That’s it. Do this and your taskbar will have a new shortcut.
2. Via the Start menu
Alternatively, if the app you want to add to the taskbar isn’t on the desktop, using the Start menu is your best bet. Here’s how you can start:
press the windows key and click on All Apps to see a full list of all apps on your Windows. Then right-click on the app you want to add, select Afterand click on Pin to taskbar.
Your taskbar will get a new shortcut as soon as you do.
3. Via File Explorer
File Explorer is the default graphical application used to access and manage files in Windows. All you have to do is open File Explorer, locate the file you want to pin to the taskbar, right-click on it, and select Pin to taskbar.
That’s it – your app will be pinned to the taskbar.
4. How to Pin Running Programs
In some cases, you may already be running the processes you want to pin in the background. In such cases, it is better to right-click on the application icon in the taskbar and select Pin to taskbar from the list of available options. The new shortcut will be pinned to the taskbar.
5. Pin websites to your taskbar
Besides the methods discussed above, Windows also lets you add entire websites as a shortcut to your taskbar settings. Although the specifics may be different for different browsers, the general structure and the process of performing the tasks are quite similar. Here is an example of using Microsoft Edge:
Microsoft Edge
If you are on Microsoft Edge, follow the steps below:
- Click on the Settings menu (three dots) in the upper right corner and select Applications > Install this site as an application.
- Click on Install to confirm the installation.
- Then check the radio box to Pin to taskbarand click on Allow.
That’s it; your new Progressive Web App (PWA) will now have an icon on the taskbar. You can follow a similar method for other browsers.
Pin shortcuts to the taskbar in Windows
These are all the different ways to add new shortcuts to your taskbar in Windows. Microsoft has made tons of Taskbar improvements over the years, so you can expect them to follow a similar trend and keep improving Taskbar settings. Meanwhile, you can make sure you’re managing your taskbar settings like a pro.
