If you connect multiple monitors to your Windows 11 computer , you can decide where application icons are displayed on the taskbar. The primary monitor will display the taskbar with a clock and special icons. Other display modes also show the taskbar, and you can adjust the display of applications across different monitors. Below is a guide on how to change the application position on the taskbar across multiple monitors.
How to choose where to display applications on the multi-monitor Taskbar
Step 1:
First, open Settings on your computer, then select Personalization on the left side of the interface. Next, look to the side and select Taskbar to adjust the settings.
Step 2:
Next, click on Taskbar behaviors , then scroll down and select "When using multiple displays, show my taskbar apps on" . There are three options to adjust:
- All taskbars: The apps you've pinned or have open will appear on every taskbar across all screens.
- Main taskbar and taskbar where the app is open: Pinned apps only appear on the main taskbar. Open apps appear on the main taskbar and also on the screen where the app is currently open.
- Taskbar where the app is open: Pinned apps only appear on the main taskbar. Open apps only appear on the screen where the app is currently open.
If these options are grayed out, check the box labeled "Show my taskbar on all displays is turned on".
Change the application's display position on the multi-monitor taskbar via a batch file.
Below are three options you can use. Each option will change the settings to one of the ways the taskbar displays applications on the screen.
Display the app on all taskbars:
REG ADD HKCUSoftwareMicrosoftWindowsCurrentVersionExplorerAdvanced /V MMTaskbarEnabled /T REG_DWORD /D 1 /F REG ADD HKCUSoftwareMicrosoftWindowsCurrentVersionExplorerAdvanced /V MMTaskbarMode /T REG_DWORD /D 0 /F taskkill /f /im explorer.exe start explorer.exeDisplay pinned apps on the main taskbar, open apps on the main taskbar, and open window taskbars:
REG ADD HKCUSoftwareMicrosoftWindowsCurrentVersionExplorerAdvanced /V MMTaskbarEnabled /T REG_DWORD /D 1 /F REG ADD HKCUSoftwareMicrosoftWindowsCurrentVersionExplorerAdvanced /V MMTaskbarMode /T REG_DWORD /D 1 /F taskkill /f /im explorer.exe start explorer.exeDisplay pinned apps on the main taskbar, only open the app on the taskbar where the window is currently open:
REG ADD HKCUSoftwareMicrosoftWindowsCurrentVersionExplorerAdvanced /V MMTaskbarEnabled /T REG_DWORD /D 1 /F REG ADD HKCUSoftwareMicrosoftWindowsCurrentVersionExplorerAdvanced /V MMTaskbarMode /T REG_DWORD /D 2 /F taskkill /f /im explorer.exe start explorer.exeOpen Notepad on your computer, copy one of the code blocks above, and paste it into Notepad. Then save the file with the .bat extension and save it as "All files".
Right-click the saved file and select "Run as administrator". Your taskbar will restart and the new settings will be applied.