How To Use the New Windows 11 24H2 June Update with Small Taskbar Buttons and Updated Start Menu in Build 26100.4482 (RP)

If you’ve already downloaded the latest Windows 11 24H2 update (build 26100.4482), you probably noticed some changes. Some are visual tweaks, others actually aim to improve how things work under the hood. Honestly, it’s kind of a mixed bag — some features are cool, some still need polishing, and a few are downright perplexing. If you’re bouncing around trying to get everything tuned, here’s a rundown of what you can expect and how to make sense of it all.

Enhanced App Defaults for Browsers

First, they’ve tweaked how default browsers work, especially in Europe. Basically, you can now assign more link types and file associations to your new favorite browser on the Settings > Apps > Default Apps menu. It’s supposed to make switching easier, so when you pick a new default, it handles *more* than just the homepage. Pretty useful if you hate opening settings every time. Keep in mind, sometimes it might take a restart or to log out and back in to get everything working smoothly. On some setups, it’s kinda finicky the first time, but after a reboot, it usually sticks.

Smaller Taskbar Buttons

The big visual change here is the option for smaller taskbar buttons. You can toggle this under Settings > Personalization > Taskbar > Taskbar behaviors. Why bother? If you’re feeling cramped and want to squeeze a few more icons in, this is your ticket. Usually, it’s set to ‘when taskbar is full’ by default, but switching to ‘always’ shrinks the icons. Not sure why it works this way, but on some machines, it’s a little laggy or doesn’t switch immediately — kind of weird, but it’s there. Expect a snappier look if you don’t mind the smaller icons.

Method to Try: Adjust the Taskbar Size

• Right-click on the taskbar and select Taskbar Settings.
• Scroll down to Taskbar behaviors.
• Find Taskbar size and toggle between the options.
• Reboot if changes don’t apply instantly, because Windows sometimes just refuses to refresh immediately.

Quick Settings Accessibility Boosts

Noticed the Quick Settings menu looks a bit cleaner. It also now shows some brief descriptions for accessibility options like Magnifier and Narrator, making it easier for folks who aren’t super familiar with their features. Again, it’s a simple tweak, but it helps avoid that ‘wait, what does that icon really do?’ moment. Sometimes, clicking around feels much more intuitive now.

Notification Icons Get a Redesign

Apps like Teams or Discord that notify you usually show a little badge. With this update, they get a full red pill beneath the icon — kinda more obvious, but it’s not perfect. Expect a cleaner look, but sometimes, the notification badges glitch or don’t clear when they should. It’s a small visual change, but it can make urgent alerts pop more.

File Sharing Gets Some Nifty Features

If you’re into sharing links or images, there’s now a visual preview when you share stuff via the Windows Share menu. Also, you can pick how much to compress images (original, low, medium, high) when sharing — which helps cut down on file size if you’re short on upload bandwidth. It’s a bit of a niche thing, but handy. You’ll find these options in the share panel itself, usually when you right-click a file or share a webpage.

Backup and PC Migration

There’s a new PC to PC migration feature in Settings > Accounts > Backup, but don’t get your hopes up just yet. On some devices, it’s still flaky, and the migration flow isn’t fully baked. Basically, it’s meant to clone settings and files over to a new PC, but right now, it might just crash or not recognize your other machine. Still, it’s a work in progress — hopefully, it gets smoother soon.

Better File Extraction in File Explorer

This update finally packs a punch for those who deal with archive files — extraction is noticeably faster, especially on large RAR or 7zip files. It’s a subtle thing, but if you’re copying dozens of gigabytes, it’s appreciated. Expect less hanging around waiting for files to extract, which is always a nice upgrade.

Core App Updates: Paint, Snipping Tool, Notepad

Paint now has a new dialog for features, which is pretty straightforward but makes it less confusing to find tools. The Snipping Tool introduces a ‘perfect screenshot’ option — basically, knocks out cropping and editing steps, which is surprisingly handy. Notepad’s getting a facelift too, with formatting options that actually make it useful for quick drafts or code snippets.

Boosts in AI and Search

If you’re running a device with AI tech or the new Copilot Plus, there’s now an AI writing feature that helps generate or rewrite text on the fly. Not sure how reliable it is in real-world use, but it’s there. Search got a few reliability fixes, so it’s less likely to hang or crash when you look for stuff in the Start menu or File Explorer.

Wrap-up

This update tries to fix some long-standing annoyances while adding a few visual bells and whistles. Not everything is perfect yet, and some features might be buggy or more visual polish than actual improvement. Still, for the usual Windows fans, there’s enough here to poke around and get a feel for how things could evolve.