How to pin more than 3 contacts to the taskbar on Windows 10 Fall Creators Update

How-to
By Zac Bowden
last updated

Do you want to pin more than just three contacts to your taskbar? No problem. Here's how to do it.

The Windows 10 Fall Creators Update introduces a new feature called My People, that allows you to pin your favorite contacts directly to the taskbar for quick and easy access to instant messaging services, email, contact details and more. Unfortunately, Microsoft imposed a limit of just three contacts that can be pinned to the taskbar, which just isn't enough for some people.

If you're one of those people longing for more pinable contacts, you've come to the right place. The three-people limit isn't fixed and can be adjusted via a simple Registry edit. As always, fiddling around with the Registry can be dangerous, so you should proceed with caution if you're not already familiar with the Windows Registry.

Step No. 1: Open the Windows Registry

First, you need to open the Windows Registry to be able to edit the values necessary to increase the number of people you can pin to the taskbar.

  1. Right-click on the Windows Start button.
  1. Select Run.
  2. In the Run dialog box, type "regedit."

  1. Select OK.

Step No. 2: Unlock more pinable contact spaces

Now that you're in the Windows Registry, you need to navigate to the folder that lets you change a number of people you can pin to the taskbar.

  1. Navigate to:Computer\HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\Advanced\People
  2. In the People folder, right click and select "New > DWORD (32-bit) value."

  1. Name the DWORD, "TaskbarCapacity."

  1. Double-click the newly created DWORD.
  2. Set its "Value data" to 10.

  1. Select OK.
  2. Restart your computer.

You should now be able to pin up to 10 contacts to the contacts area on the taskbar. We haven't tried increasing the value data past 10, so we're not sure if it's possible to continue pushing a number of people you can pin. If you give it a go, make sure to let us know in the comments.

It's likely Microsoft imposed the original limit of three people because most screens aren't big enough to accommodate more, and pinning more than three can make the user's taskbar feel cluttered. If you're someone with a big monitor with more space, pinning more than three people may make sense.

Zac Bowden
Zac Bowden
Senior Editor

Zac Bowden is a Senior Editor at Windows Central. Bringing you exclusive coverage into the world of Windows on PCs, tablets, phones, and more. Also an avid collector of rare Microsoft prototype devices! Keep in touch on Twitter and Threads