Learn About Windhawk: Free Windows Mod Tool Unlocks Tons of New Features

Windows 11 has a lot of features, but it also has some quirks. You can easily fix some of those issues—and take advantage of new features and mods—with third-party tools like Windhawk.

Table of Contents

• 1. Windows 11 Start Menu Styler
• 2. Taskbar height and icon size
• 3. Vertical Taskbar for Windows 11
• 4. Chrome/Edge Scroll Tabs With Mouse Wheel
• 5. Taskbar Labels for Windows 11
• 6. Task Bar Volume Control
• 7. Middle Click to Close on the Taskbar

1. Windows 11 Start Menu Styler

While you can customize the default Windows 11 Start menu, there are very few options. With the Windows 11 Start Menu Styler mod , you can personalize it by applying different themes. You can remove the Recommended section , add a translucent effect, or even restore Windows 10's Metro-style tile menu, giving you more control over the look of the Start menu.

To install the mod, you will first need to install Windhawk. Once that is done, go to the Explorer tab in the upper right corner of Windhawk, click Details for the Windows 11 Start Menu Styler mod, and finally click Install .

Once installed, open the Settings tab and explore all the pre-made themes in the Theme drop-down list . Click Save settings to apply the changes.

2. Taskbar height and icon size

By default, Windows 11 shrinks taskbar icons to 24x24 instead of the standard 32x32 size, which can make them look blurry or too small.

Using the Taskbar height and icon size mod , you can change the icon size, adjusting the height and width of the taskbar to more specific dimensions. While the mod doesn't offer many customization options, you can tweak the look of the taskbar. To adjust the settings, open the Settings tab , then change the height, width, and icon size of the taskbar.

Note : Be aware that some games with anti-cheat systems may not function properly when Windhawk mods are running. It is best to try installing a few mods and see how your favorite games react before activating too many mods at once.

3. Vertical Taskbar for Windows 11

If you want to add the missing vertical taskbar option in Windows 11, Windhawk has a very handy Vertical Taskbar for Windows 11 mod. This mod allows you to place the taskbar on the left or right side of the screen.

You can choose the taskbar position for your primary and secondary displays separately in the Settings tab. You can also adjust the width of the taskbar, making it thinner or wider to better suit your setup.

4. Chrome/Edge Scroll Tabs With Mouse Wheel

If you have a habit of opening a lot of tabs at any given time, switching between them frequently can be a pain. The Chrome/Edge Scroll Tabs with Mouse Wheel mod lets you switch between open tabs in Google Chrome, Edge, Opera, and Brave. All you have to do is hover over the tab bar and scroll with your mouse wheel to switch between any open tabs.

After installing the mod, open the Settings tab, enable the Reverse Scrolling Direction and Horizontal scrolling options to start using this feature.

5. Taskbar Labels for Windows 11

Windows 11 only gives you two options for taskbar buttons: Combine and hide labels or ungroup and show labels. Taskbar Labels for Windows 11 adds a third option - allowing you to ungroup taskbar buttons while hiding labels or show labels while keeping the combined buttons intact.

In addition to labels, you can use this option to customize the width of the taskbar, the running indicator of the app (shown if the app is open), and the style of the progress indicator to center or left align. You can even set a fixed appearance for the app icon, change the font size, and more.

6. Task Bar Volume Control

By default, you can scroll over the speaker icon on the taskbar to adjust the system volume level. But that's not always convenient. The Task Bar Volume Control mod converts your taskbar into a volume control slider, allowing you to adjust the system volume by scrolling over the taskbar or system tray.

To avoid unwanted changes, you can also configure the settings to only change the volume when holding down the Ctrl key .

7. Middle Click to Close on the Taskbar

Mod Middle Click to Close on the Taskbar helps to close applications faster by middle clicking on their icons on the taskbar. You can configure to close all windows or just the active window from the settings. To force close an unresponsive application, just press Ctrl + middle click , this will terminate the application process, similar to doing it in Task Manager.

In addition to these features, there are many other mods you can try with Windhawk. You should try out the different options and see which ones improve your Windows experience.