Microsoft adds dynamic content to Windows 10 taskbar

Microsoft said the latest Windows 10 Insider Preview (build 21286) introduced dynamic content to the taskbar yesterday. But don't worry. You can personalize your content or turn it off entirely.

The Windows Insider Blog dynamic content feed is on the right side of the taskbar next to the hidden icon arrow. When you hover over the box, you'll see a dynamic feed of content like news, weather, sports, or other content from over 4,500 global brands. Otherwise, the content will remain hidden and you will be able to see the current state of the weather, which can be seen within the bounds of the taskbar (or other content of your choice).

The background behind this new feature is to provide a way to access your content without having to load and switch apps. Clicking on the content in the taskbar pane also loads a streamlined reading view, so you can use it quickly and get back to what you did before.

The content you see can be personalized with “additional options” that allow you to see more or less of a particular type of story and will affect the new content you see over time. You can limit the tracking of third parties and advertisers through the Microsoft Privacy Dashboard, and you can turn off the dynamic content feature entirely by simply right-clicking on the taskbar.

Microsoft will be adding this dynamic content feature elsewhere within the operating system, and the Edge browser has been named one of the first to be considered. Of course, how widespread the feature is will depend on how positive feedback from Windows Insiders will be over the next few days and weeks.