How to Customize the Windows 11 and Windows 10 Taskbar

The Windows taskbar can be simplified into a compact app launcher or expanded into a detailed view of every open window. Most supported controls are in Settings > Personalization > Taskbar; right-clicking an empty area of the taskbar and choosing Taskbar settings opens the same page.

Windows 11 and Windows 10 do not offer identical options, so check your version before following older instructions. Press Windows + R, enter winver, and select OK if you are unsure.

Pin, unpin and reorder apps

To keep an app on the taskbar, open Start or Search, right-click the app and choose Pin to taskbar. If the app is already running, right-click its taskbar icon and choose the same command. To remove a shortcut without uninstalling the program, right-click it and choose Unpin from taskbar.

Drag pinned icons left or right to put frequently used tools in a predictable order. Right-click an app to open its jump list, which may contain recent files and app-specific shortcuts. Windows keyboard shortcuts Windows + 1 through Windows + 9 open or switch to the corresponding pinned app.

Show only the taskbar items you use

In Windows 11, open Settings > Personalization > Taskbar and use Taskbar items to configure:

• Search: choose a search box, icon and label, icon only, or Hide. You can still press Windows + S or open Start and type.
• Task view: show or hide its button. The Windows + Tab shortcut continues to open Task View and virtual desktops.
• Widgets: remove the taskbar button if you do not use it. Windows + W still opens the Widgets board.

Hiding a button does not uninstall its feature. For help organizing separate workspaces, see how to use Task View and virtual desktops.

Change icon alignment and taskbar position

Expand Taskbar behaviors and set Taskbar alignment to Center or Left. The setting moves Start and app icons; system-tray controls remain at the opposite end.

On the standard Windows 11 taskbar interface documented by Microsoft, the taskbar remains at the bottom. Microsoft began testing top, left and right positions in 2026 and announced a broader rollout beginning in the fall. If your fully updated PC has a Taskbar position menu under Taskbar behaviors, use that supported control. If the menu is absent, the feature has not reached that installation; avoid registry substitutions that can break after an update.

Windows 10 handles this differently. Unlock the taskbar, then drag it to an edge, or select Left, Top, Right or Bottom under Taskbar location on screen. Windows 10's standard free support ended on October 14, 2025, so consider moving a compatible PC to a supported Windows release.

Group windows or show labels

Under Taskbar behaviors, look for Combine taskbar buttons and hide labels. Depending on the Windows build, the choices include:

• Always: each app uses one icon; hover or select it to choose among open windows.
• When taskbar is full: show separate labeled windows until space runs out.
• Never: keep supported windows as separate labeled buttons.

Showing labels is useful when several documents, browser profiles or File Explorer windows are open. Combining buttons leaves more room for pinned apps.

Use smaller buttons when available

Recent Windows 11 releases can expose Show smaller taskbar buttons under Taskbar behaviors. Choose Always, Never or When the taskbar is full if the control appears. Availability can vary during a phased Windows rollout, and some builds reduce only the icons while newer versions can also use a shorter taskbar.

Windows 10 has a separate Use small taskbar buttons switch. It can also resize an unlocked taskbar by dragging its border. Do not apply Windows 10 registry instructions to Windows 11; the two taskbars use different implementations.

Control system-tray icons

The system tray is the area containing the clock, network, volume, battery and background-app icons. In Windows 11 Taskbar settings:

1. Open System tray icons to configure controls such as the pen menu, touch keyboard and virtual touchpad.
2. Open Other system tray icons to choose which background apps appear directly and whether the hidden-icon menu is available.
3. Drag an app icon between the visible tray and the overflow menu when Windows permits it.

Privacy indicators for the camera, microphone and location appear when those resources are in use and should not be hidden as decorative clutter. Press Windows + A for Quick Settings and Windows + N for notifications and the calendar.

Auto-hide, badges and Show desktop

Expand Taskbar behaviors to control these everyday options:

• Automatically hide the taskbar: reclaim screen space; move the pointer to the taskbar edge to reveal it.
• Show badges on taskbar apps: display counts or status indicators on supported icons.
• Show flashing on taskbar apps: allow an app icon to request attention.
• Select the far corner of the taskbar to show the desktop: click the narrow area at the far end, or press Windows + D.

If auto-hide stops working, close menus that are holding taskbar focus, check for an attention badge, restart Windows Explorer from Task Manager, and install pending Windows updates before changing the registry.

Configure multiple monitors

Under Taskbar behaviors, enable Show my taskbar on all displays. Then choose whether open app buttons appear on all taskbars, on the main taskbar and the display containing the window, or only on the display where the window is open. The available wording depends on the Windows version.

For a focused walkthrough, see TipsMake's guide to taskbar apps on multiple monitors.

Change the taskbar color

Open Settings > Personalization > Colors. To apply an accent color to Start and the taskbar, Windows may require Dark mode or a Custom color mode with the Windows mode set to Dark. Choose an accent color, then enable Show accent color on Start and taskbar.

Built-in settings do not provide full transparency controls. If you use a customization utility, download it from a trusted store or its verified publisher and confirm compatibility after major Windows updates. TipsMake's TranslucentTB guide explains one optional approach.

A practical minimal setup

For a clean but functional Windows 11 taskbar, pin only daily apps, hide the Search box and use Windows + S, hide Task View while keeping Windows + Tab, disable Widgets if unused, and keep network, sound and security-related tray indicators visible. Then choose auto-hide only if the extra screen space is worth the additional pointer movement.

Use Microsoft's current taskbar reference to check option names for your installed Windows build, because taskbar features can arrive gradually through updates.