As a platform, Home windows 11 performs host to an enormous library of third-party software program utilities, starting from decades-old legacy applications to brand-new purposes created with trendy design ideas in thoughts.
One specific Home windows app style that I’ve at all times been a giant fan of is what I will affectionately name system tray flyouts. These light-weight instruments add extra or supplemental functionalities to the working system, typically dwelling as applet icons proper throughout the Home windows system tray space of the taskbar.
Listed here are ten taskbar flyout apps that I’ve personally made nice use of over time, and that I typically reinstall the second I arrange any new Home windows 11 pill, laptop computer, or desktop laptop.
Fluent Flyouts
Fluent Flyouts is a free and open-source (FOSS) assortment of modernized system flyouts for Home windows 11. On the time of writing, the package deal accommodates devoted flyouts for each a calendar and a clock. Sooner or later, the developer plans on introducing each a notification flyout and a battery flyout into the combo, the latter of which relies on work carried out on the older Fireplace Flyouts utility.
For anybody sad with Microsoft’s determination to merge numerous system flyouts right into a single, consolidated Fast Settings panel, Fluent Flyouts rectifies this gripe whereas additionally including in a sprinkling of additional performance and a singular “GlowUI” interface that builds on prime of Fluent 2 Design System ideas.
Battery Flyout
Essentially the most elegant technique to hold tabs in your battery standing
If you happen to’re sad with Home windows 11’s lack of a devoted flyout slider for controlling energy profiles, then Battery Flyout is right here to save lots of the day. Along with bringing again Home windows 10’s handy entry to energy profiles, it additionally supplies a glanceable battery life graph, the choice to show your battery proportion proper in your taskbar, in addition to battery standing particulars for all of your different battery-powered PC peripherals. Battery Flyout provides glorious consideration to element, and it may be bought for a small single-time charge from the Microsoft Retailer.
EarTrumpet
A basic quantity management device
So far as system tray flyout apps are involved, maybe none are as iconic or revered as EarTrumpet. This free and light-weight utility makes it fast and handy to regulate not solely your system’s fundamental quantity, but additionally the amount of all of your working apps, your linked headphones or earbuds, and extra.
As of late, Home windows 11 does ship with its personal native quantity mixer inside Fast Settings, however EarTrumpet stands as a reliable third-party various. For people who look again upon the app with a deeply ingrained sense of nostalgia, it is arduous to withstand giving it a obtain even in 2026.
Ink Workspace
A digital artist’s finest good friend
If you happen to personal an energetic digital stylus in your Home windows 11 PC, then Ink Workspace is a no brainer obtain. This free flyout serves as a type of pen launcher, offering fast entry shortcuts to numerous actions, purposes, and up to date information.
For anybody utilizing a Home windows pill or a two-in-one convertible for note-taking, sketching, drawing, or picture modifying, Ink Workspace is the best companion. As an added bonus, it revives Microsoft’s now-defunct Reside Tile aesthetic, whereas adapting it to feel and look proper at house on Home windows 11.
Monitorian
Make multi-monitor brightness management a breeze
If you happen to depend on a multi-monitor setup to get work down, or in the event you steadily dock your PC into an exterior show when sitting at a desk, then Monitorian is a useful device to have at your disposal. This utility provides devoted sliders for controlling brightness ranges on all linked screens proper from inside a single flyout, primarily appearing as a common brightness management panel.
This software-based resolution is definitely extra handy than counting on the finicky interfaces and mushy buttons discovered on most exterior screens, although its performance is contingent in your panel supporting the DDC/CI normal. Whereas Monitorian is free to obtain and set up, an non-obligatory paid subscription tier is offered, which unlocks command-line instruments, customizable scorching keys, the flexibility to regulate greater than 4 screens, and different perks.
Management audio playback proper out of your System Tray
Media Flyout is the multimedia supervisor interface Microsoft ought to’ve constructed proper from the start. In contrast to Home windows 11’s anemic default providing, which obfuscates a bare-bones set of playback controls above the Fast Settings pane, Media Flyout is full-featured.
The app, which may be bought for a small one-time charge, provides attractive album art work accenting, an inventory of concurrent audio streams that may be shortly jumped between, shuffle and loop buttons, and different miscellaneous niceties.
FluentFlyout
A full suite of contemporary PC flyouts
FluentFlyout is an open-source suite for Home windows 11 that unlocks a spread of helpful flyouts which might be all themed to match the overall aesthetic of the working system. Most notably, there is a media playback flyout with tons of configuration choices, in addition to an experimental ‘up subsequent’ flyout choice.
Further flyouts for Caps Lock, Num Lock, and Scroll Lock may also be enabled, all of which feel and look polished when in movement. A paid subscription tier can be obtainable for FluentFlyout, which unlocks a media playback taskbar widget, additional personalization choices, an audio visualizer, and extra.
Enter Switcher
Swap between video sign sources with a single click on
If in case you have a multi-monitor PC setup, Enter Switcher makes switching between enter sources an absolute breeze. For a small one-time charge, the app unlocks a cleverly simplistic flyout with choices to change between USB Sort-C, DisplayPort, and HDMI. The app additionally contains keyboard shortcuts, which is a pleasant contact. As with Monitorian, nevertheless, DDC/CI monitor performance is required to get began with Enter Switcher.
Twinkle Tray
Supreme for anybody utilizing a secondary show
Monitorian is not the one multi-display brightness flyout price trying out. Twinkle Tray provides a lot of the identical performance as the previous throughout all DDC/CI screens, however does so with a barely extra trendy person interface design. It is a disgrace that WIndows lacks the native capacity to regulate a number of display brightness ranges proper out of the field, however with free choices like Twinkle Tray and Monitorian available on the market, it is arduous to complain.
Calendar Flyout
Convey again Home windows 10’s Agenda View
Microsoft could have simply delayed its upcoming Agenda View function for the Home windows 11 calendar flyout (through Home windows Central), however that does not imply it’s important to sit round ready for it to formally launch. If you happen to beloved the flexibility to view and handle your calendar occasions proper from a system tray flyout in Home windows 10, you then’ll love Calendar Flyout.
The free app embraces trendy design tips, it features a correct ‘At the moment’ part underneath the principle calendar itself, and it additionally contains choices to show seconds on display, so as to add a quantity to the entrance of every week, and so as to add various time zones.
