How to add the VPN status icon on your Windows 11 taskbar

The feature is optional, and you can turn it off, but better don't.

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Key notes

  • The feature should already be live, as of today.
  • You can quickly turn it off, via Quick Settings, but better don't.
  • Microsoft will add a bunch of other Privacy features soon.
windows 11 vpn status icon

Among the big announcements at the Microsoft Build 2023 Conference, the Redmond tech giant has released a feature that lets you add a glanceable VPN status icon on your Windows 11 taskbar.

The much-requested feature is finally here, with Microsoft saying it should go live today, on the 24th of May.

It seems that the tech giant is releasing a lot of updates for Privacy settings, security issues, and accessibility features, and the glanceable VPN icon on the Windows 11 taskbar feature is a great way to know that you are secure and safe on your PC.

The VPN icon appears just on top of your Wi-Fi connection icon with a locker-shield-shaped form; when it is on, and you can check it out by looking at your Wi-Fi icon, it means everything is ok.

How to add the glanceable VPN icon on your Windows 11 taskbar

Truth is, you don’t really have to do anything to turn your VPN icon on, other than just making sure you are connected to a secure network with a recognizable VPN.

If you are already on such a network, the VPN icon will turn on automatically, as in the picture below.windows 11 vpn status icon

You should know that this feature is an option, so you can easily disable it by accessing Quick Settings and turning it off.

But it’s good to know that sometimes Quick Settings can experience issues, and it might not always work. If that’s the case, make sure you update your Windows to the latest version.

Besides the VPN icon on your taskbar, Microsoft is also releasing other features for better protection of your PC. For example, the new app privacy settings will give you the ability to allow or block access to presence sensor information.

You can now be able to easily enable and disable presence-sensing features like wake on approach/lock on leave.

Starting in June, you will also get an alert on your Start menu when your account needs attention, making it even easier to ensure your information and PC are protected.

What do you think about the Windows 11 VPN status icon and the other features? Are they helpful or not? Let us know in the comments section below.

More about the topics: privacy, Windows 11