How to Hide or Show the Taskbar in Windows

Windows can automatically hide the Taskbar to provide more vertical space. When auto-hide is enabled, move the pointer to the Taskbar edge—or swipe inward from that edge on a touchscreen—to reveal it temporarily. Turning on auto-hide does not conceal your activity: open apps still appear in Task View, Alt + Tab, and other system interfaces.

Hide or show the Taskbar in Windows 11

1. Right-click an empty area of the Taskbar and select Taskbar settings.
2. Expand Taskbar behaviors.
3. Select Automatically hide the taskbar to hide it, or clear the option to keep it visible.

To reveal a hidden Taskbar temporarily, move the pointer to the bottom edge of the screen. If you moved the Taskbar using a customized shell, use that edge instead.

Hide or show the Taskbar in Windows 10

1. Right-click an empty area of the Taskbar and select Taskbar settings.

   

2. Switch Automatically hide the taskbar in desktop mode to On. If you use tablet mode, configure its separate auto-hide switch as well.

   

3. To keep the Taskbar visible again, return to the same page and switch auto-hide to Off.

   

Windows 10 reached the end of standard support on October 14, 2025. The setting remains available on existing installations, but use a supported Windows release when the hardware permits.

Hide or show the Taskbar in Windows 7 or 8

1. Right-click an empty area of the Taskbar and choose Properties.

   

2. On the Taskbar tab, select Auto-hide the taskbar and click Apply or OK.

   

3. Move the pointer to the Taskbar edge whenever you need it.

   

4. To restore the permanent Taskbar, clear Auto-hide the taskbar.

   

Legacy Windows XP steps

Windows XP is unsupported and should not be connected to the internet. On an offline legacy PC, right-click the Taskbar and select Properties.

Select or clear Auto-hide the taskbar, then choose OK.

If the hidden Taskbar will not reappear

• Press the Windows key to open Start.
• Move the pointer to each display edge and check secondary monitors.
• Press Ctrl + Shift + Esc, select Windows Explorer, and choose Restart.
• Dismiss a flashing application or notification that is holding the Taskbar open.
• Restart the PC if Explorer does not recover.

For persistent problems, see how to fix Taskbar auto-hide. To free space without hiding the entire bar, review ways to maximize Windows 10 display space or manage notification-area icons.