How-To

How to Enable End Task Option on Windows 11 Taskbar

By Brian Burgess

Published June 22, 2023

Windows 11 now has a feature that lets you end unresponsive apps from the taskbar. Here’s how to set it up and use it on your PC.

Microsoft continues to add and test new features for its upcoming Windows 11 updates. If you’re a member of the Insider Program, you’ll get to use new features before they’re rolled out to all users.

One of the new features you can try is the End Task option. This gives you the ability to terminate unresponsive apps without opening Task Manager. Instead, you can right-click a task and terminate the app from the Taskbar.

If you are running Windows 11 with an Insider build 23466 or higher, here’s how to enable the new feature.

How to Enable End Task Feature for Windows 11 Taskbars

Currently, to use the feature, you need to do some configurations as the process isn’t straightforward. You can’t just update Windows 11 and start using the End Task in Taskbar feature. You’ll need to enable Developer Mode and turn the feature on from there.

To enable the End Task option on the Taskbar:

1. Right-click the Start menu and select Settings.
2. Select the Privacy & Security option from the left panel.
3. Under the Security section on the right, click the For developers option.
4. Toggle on the Developer Mode option.
5. Click the Yes button when the verification window appears.
6. Close out of Settings and restart Windows 11.
7. Once your PC reboots, re-open Settings and select System > For developers.
8. Scroll down the list on the right and toggle on the End Task switch.
9. Once you complete the steps, you can right-click an app from the Taskbar and select End Task from the context menu that appears.

End Apps and Tasks Easily on Windows 11

The new End Task feature on the Windows 11 Taskbar is simple to use and saves time, especially if you have an unresponsive or frozen app to close. You no longer need to open Task Manager, navigate to the app, and end it there. It’s important to note that you will still have the context menu options you’re used to like Close window and Pin to taskbar.

Microsoft didn’t make moving the taskbar on Windows 11 easy. So, if you have a second monitor, find out how to move the taskbar to a second monitor. And if you are looking for more ways to improve the taskbar, check out how to ungroup the taskbar using Stardock’s Start11.

Also, to provide quick access, you might want to pin Gmail to the taskbar or learn to pin files, folders, or drives to the taskbar. If you rely on the system clock and want to make it more useful, you can show seconds to the taskbar clock.