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Taskbar Groups, published by PikeNote in version 0.2.2.0, is a lightweight Windows utility designed to reduce taskbar clutter by letting users gather multiple application shortcuts into collapsible, custom-named groups. Instead of pinning every program individually, the software creates a single toolbar icon that expands on click to reveal a tidy grid of related shortcuts; typical use cases include bundling development tools, separating work-from-play applications, consolidating Adobe or Office suites, or giving a family PC a cleaner launch surface for children. The application operates by generating a small folder structure inside the user’s profile, populating it with transparent-icon shortcuts, and then guiding Windows into treating that folder as a new taskbar toolbar; no administrative rights are required, and the entire footprint stays under a few megabytes, so system performance remains unaffected. Because each group is simply a folder, items can be dragged in or out at any time, renamed, re-ordered, or backed up for quick migration to another machine, making the approach equally attractive to power users who constantly reinstall and to office administrators who need identical setups across desks. The only published release to date is 0.2.2.0, indicating that the project is still in an early but stable state, yet it already supports light and dark icon packs, customizable column counts, and optional label visibility. Taskbar Groups therefore falls squarely into the desktop-enhancement category, offering a pragmatic middle ground between Windows 11’s new combined taskbar buttons and the discontinued Fences model of icon grouping. The software is available for free on get.nero.com, with downloads provided via trusted Windows package sources (e.g., winget), always delivering the latest version, and supporting batch installation of multiple applications.
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