How do you restore the taskbar pop up arrow for the desktop items list?

In Windows 10, the arrow in the taskbar's system tray allowed you to expand and view hidden icons. In Windows 11, this feature has been redesigned. Microsoft introduced a new "overflow menu" for system tray icons, which may look different or behave differently depending on your taskbar settings and update version.

Here are a few things to check:

Right-click the taskbar and select Taskbar settings. Make sure “Other system tray icons” are enabled.

If you're using a group policy or registry tweak to manage taskbar behavior, it might be overriding the default layout.

Some builds of Windows 11 temporarily removed or altered this feature, but recent updates have restored it—make sure your system is fully updated.

If you're using a third-party taskbar customization tool, it may interfere with the default icon behavior.

If none of these help, let me know your exact Windows 11 build number (you can find it by typing winver in the Start menu), and I’ll dig deeper for you.

And if this answer helps, feel free to hit “Accept Answer” so others can benefit too 😊