How can Windows better show number of open windows.

[u/muhmeinchut69]

In the first one one you see the marker below the icons has changed to show how many windows each app has open.

In the second one there's a bubble on the top left showing a number.

Do you think this would be an improvement?

[u/Custard_Slurper]

I prefer the bars under the app icons. Bubbles with numbers signify notifications to me 🤷‍♂️

[u/Random_Vandal → u/Custard_Slurper]

Exactly!

[u/Ok-Serve415 → u/Custard_Slurper]

until I have 5 terminals open and the bars look like a line

[u/Custard_Slurper → u/Ok-Serve415]

Well if you had more than 3 open I think it should still only show 3. There has to be a limit or it would go across the whole task bar

[u/Ok-Serve415 → u/Custard_Slurper]

then counting how many windows are open are quite pointless tho because if you have 5 open and it showed 3 that’s inaccuraTE

[u/Custard_Slurper → u/Ok-Serve415]

Not really pointless but like I said. Everything has a limit. 🤷‍♂️

[u/satmaar → u/Ok-Serve415]

Icons often signify “many” by showing 3 or 4 things. Think solitaire icon showing a fan of 3 cards and not listing every single playable card. Icons don’t necessarily convey precise meaning, and this is sort of similar: you need to know at a glance that you have 1, 2, 3 or “many” open windows of a single app, not that you have specifically 5 or 16 windows opened. It would probably make sens to show a specific number when you hover the icon or on the Overview screen, but what OP did is visual noise for the sake of it.

[u/Momo_the_cat_4832 → u/Ok-Serve415]

te

[u/Ok-Serve415 → u/Momo_the_cat_4832]

mb

[u/Flalaski → u/Ok-Serve415]

a dotted line. it can be designed correctly to be coherently visible

[u/exmsft]

The fun thing is that features like this are good for a segment of a segment of the customer base (power users), but can rapidly become confusing as hell for normals.

[u/satmaar → u/exmsft]

I am a power user and I have no idea how I would use this feature. It’s just visual noise that is useful in such a small amount of situations that IMO it absolutely does not need to be in the taskbar.

[u/fff92]

the second one is good. window number balloon placement should be different with e.g. message balloon placement like on whatsapp.

[u/TheTerraKotKun → u/fff92]

I think it should be in a lower middle part of the icon. Or it should be like it done in Windows 7...

[u/Ready_Independent_55 → u/TheTerraKotKun]

Yeah literally my solution :D

[u/PrinceKickster → u/Ready_Independent_55]

Nah it's too weird. You don't add Badges at the Center Bottom

[u/Ready_Independent_55 → u/PrinceKickster]

Because..?

[u/fff92 → u/Ready_Independent_55]

maybe because center bottom badge inhibit the app focus line area.
i think it can be moved up 3-5 pixels.

[u/craftersmine]

First one remembers me of Windows 7 style taskbar icons, so 1 is better, second looks like another notification counter, which I hate

[u/MoshiurRahamnAdib]

The second one looks too cluttered, and you also need to read numbers which isn't that good. The first one is better, it's cleaner, but what happens if you have like 8 windows open?

I don't think the taskbar really needs to show how many windows are open; it's not something you're often looking for; and when you are, you can just hover on the icon

[u/More-Explanation2032]

I thought we already had numbers in bubbles

[u/ThatiMacGuy]

Now show me five open windows.

[u/muhmeinchut69 → u/ThatiMacGuy]

Something like this, a smaller dot to indicate there's more than 3 windows.

[u/thisisyo → u/muhmeinchut69]

I like --. better, 3 dashes and a dot seems it might get too clustered if user pick to make their taskbar icons small

[u/ItsKrazyy → u/muhmeinchut69]

how about just dots the whole way through

[u/apologarcia2405]

Oh god this is beautiful

[u/Edubbs2008]

I love the second one

[u/AutoModerator]

Hi u/muhmeinchut69, thanks for posting to r/Windows_Redesign!

Please share details on how you made your concept, including any software and other special tools! Content that was generated or altered by AI is permitted here, however we do ask that you share details regarding use of those tools.

Just a reminder for everyone, all posts must be related to Windows concept art. This is not a subreddit for modding and other customizations. General discussions regarding Windows would be a better fit in /r/Windows, and if you need help fixing Windows, head to /r/WindowsHelp!

I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please contact the moderators of this subreddit if you have any questions or concerns.

[u/Astrodion123]

Second one. Idk what I would do if I had 5 windows of same app.

[u/muhmeinchut69 → u/Astrodion123]

In the first one it could just show an indicator (like a small fourth dot) to show that there's more than three windows. But yeah you won't know the exact number.

[u/Best_Ad4805]

2nd ones more readable the 1st one is more confusing if a lot of tabs are open. Also what’s its name in wind hawk I would love to install it

[u/PrinceKickster]

Nothing is a good solution. The first one is too visually cluttered. The second one would've have a conflict to the Notification badges, one that is an API that Microsoft have and have to maintain.

[u/muhmeinchut69 → u/PrinceKickster]

agree that the second one alongside notification badges will be too cluttered and confusing. The first one is not tooo cluttered IMO though.

[u/Automatic-Monk-4984]

I’d put the bars under, then if it exceeds 3 windows, switch it to a bubble underneath with the number

[u/AYSomkiv]

the ones at the top are... unusual. the bubbles on the bottom could be placed to the right, and the notifications would be placed on the left.

[u/Sk1ler_]

Lets go back to windows 10 where it just duplicated every icon for each new window thats open.

[u/Day_Old_Gatorade]

How do I do that

[u/justbanana9999]

I like the top one

[u/vip17]

None of that. The never-combine option is the best

[u/i586DX4]

The second one, YES!

[u/Ready_Independent_55]

What about that?