Top 3 Ways to Enable or Disable Taskbar Thumbnail Preview on Windows 11

There are reasons you might want to enable or disable the taskbar thumbnail preview on Windows 11. If you intend to see a preview of open windows without opening them, quickly switch to a different window by hovering over its thumbnail, or view a window’s activity without minimizing it, then enabling previews is necessary.

On the other hand, if the previews distract or annoy you, your computer’s performance is affected by the previews, the taskbar is too small, and the previews take up too much space, or you’re using a touchscreen device, and the previews are hard to control, then disabling previews might be a good idea.

1. Use System Advanced Setting

The System Advanced Settings in Windows 11 lets you configure various system settings, including the Taskbar Thumbnail Preview. To enable or disable Taskbar Thumbnail Preview using System Advanced Settings, follow these steps:

1. Press the Win + I keys once to start the Windows Settings menu, and click About under System.
   
2. Under Device specifications, click the Advanced System Settings link.
   
3. When the System Properties window opens, open the Advanced tab and click Settings in the Performance section.
   
4. Click the Visual effects tab and find the following settings:
   • Enable peek
   • Show thumbnails instead of icons
     
5. To activate the Taskbar thumbnail previews, check the boxes.
6. While to deactivate it, uncheck the boxes.
7. Finally, click Apply and OK to save the settings.
   

2. Using the Group Policy Editor

The Group Policy Editor permits administrators to configure certain settings on Windows computers. The taskbar thumbnail preview is one of the settings you can configure using the Group Policy Editor. To enable or disable taskbar thumbnail preview using the Group Policy Editor, you need to follow these steps:

1. Hold the Windows + R keys at once to open the Run dialog, type gpedit.msc in the text field, and hit Enter.
   
2. Then, go to the following path:
   User Configuration/Administrative Templates/Start Menu and Taskbar
   
3. Click on the Standard tab and double-click on Turn off taskbar thumbnails.
   
4. Then, click Enabled to deactivate it or Disabled to activate it, and hit Apply and OK to save the changes.
   

3. Use Registry Editor

Using Registry Editor allows you to modify the Windows registry, which is a database that stores configuration settings for Windows and its applications. You can use the Registry Editor to enable or disable Taskbar Thumbnail Preview by editing the following value:

1. Hold the Windows + R keys down at once to start the Run dialog, type regedit, and click OK to launch Registry Editor.
   
2. Click Yes when the User Account Control prompts you.
3. When the Registry Editor opens, go to the following path:
   HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\Advanced
4. Then, right-click on a blank space, click New, then DWORD (32-bit) Value.
   
5. Name the new value ExtendedUIHoverTime.
   
6. Once you have created the value, double-click, click the Decimal option, and enter the delay time in the Value data field.
   
7. Note that 1000 represents every second you intend to delay.
8. Finally, click the OK button to save changes and close the Registry Editor.
   

In summary, we explored the top 3 ways to enable or disable taskbar thumbnail preview on Windows 11. Whether you favour a clean and straightforward desktop or find value in the convenience of thumbnail previews, Windows 11 grants you the flexibility to adapt to your preferences.

Whether your goal is reducing distractions or boosting your multitasking prowess, the capability to manage Taskbar Thumbnail Previews empowers you to steer your Windows 11 experience. Always ensure your drivers and operating system are up-to-date and without error.