Microsoft’s PowerToys team is working on a dock feature for Windows 11 that would function as a customizable menu bar similar to what you’d find on macOS or Linux systems. The team calls it the Command Palette Dock.
The dock is designed to sit along any edge of your screen (top, bottom, left, or right) and lets you pin extensions for quick access to tools and system information.
You can organize these extensions in three zones: start, center, and end, and drag them around freely. The dock supports visual customization, including background colors, styling options, and theme adjustments for Windows 11.
This builds on PowerToys’ existing Command Palette launcher that Microsoft released last year, which works like macOS Spotlight for quickly accessing commands, applications, and development tools.
The dock extends this functionality by keeping useful information and controls visible at all times without needing to open the full Command Palette.
The default setup resembles a traditional menu bar running across the top of the display. Users can pin system monitoring data like RAM usage and CPU temperatures, along with app shortcuts and other extensions already available in PowerToys.
These extensions work with the dock without requiring any code modifications.
Microsoft senior product manager Niels Laute explains the goal is providing quick awareness for information users want to monitor while working. Active resource monitoring is highlighted as one of the team’s preferred use cases.
The feature remains in the early proof-of-concept stage. Microsoft hasn’t committed to shipping it yet and is currently gathering feedback through GitHub to determine whether Windows users actually want this functionality.
Developers interested in testing it can compile a dedicated branch from the PowerToys GitHub repository using Visual Studio, though it’s not available in the standard PowerToys release.
If user feedback proves positive, the dock could appear as an official PowerToys feature within the coming weeks or months.
