The Windows 11 taskbar is one of the most productive features of the new operating system: sleek, minimalist, and visually distinct. Still, it may only need a few improvements. For example, by default, you can’t move the taskbar to the position you need, or even replace its size. But you don’t have to live with it as it is: there are tactics to play around with your settings to set up the taskbar exactly how you need it.
The Windows 11 taskbar comes with a lot of buttons that you’ll (probably) never use. On the left edge, there’s the Widgets button that loves to display updates and announcements. On the right, there’s the new Microsoft Copilot button that you may not find useful. And in the middle, next to the Home icon, is a big, old search bar. Thankfully, Microsoft was forced to remove the Chat button in the Windows 11 2023 update, so there’s some consolation. But I’m amazed at how much the taskbar improves when you remove all those unnecessary features. It becomes minimal, sublime, and much more sensible.
To hide features you don’t want, right-click on any empty domain on the taskbar and move to the taskbar settings. On the Taskbar Items menu, be sure to turn off the Widgets, Task View, and Copilot features. From the Search menu, select the Hide option.
Windows 11 doesn’t yet include drag-and-drop functionality on the Windows 10 taskbar, which allows you to simply drag an app icon to dock it to the taskbar. To fix the problem, go to the Start menu, right-click on the app. of your choice, and then click the Pin to Taskbar button. You can pin any app that is recently open by right-clicking on the app icon and opting for the Pin to taskbar option.
Is Windows 10 taskbar design missing?Microsoft allows you to override the alignment of taskbar icons. Right-click on the taskbar, move to Taskbar Settings, and from Taskbar Behaviors, the Left option of the Taskbar Alignment feature.
Windows 11 has a separate segment that allows you to customize the taskbar habit. Right-click the taskbar, click the Taskbar Settings button, and click the Taskbar Behaviors segment.
If you have a touchscreen computer or a small-screen device, you may need to hide the taskbar to get more screen real estate. If so, turn on Automatically hide taskbar. The taskbar will now only appear when you move your cursor to the bottom of the screen or when you swipe up from the taskbar area.
Similarly, you can turn off badges on taskbar icons through the Show badges in taskbar apps feature. If you don’t like flashing icons on the taskbar, turn off Show Flashes in Taskbar apps.
If you have multiple monitors, use the Show My Taskbar feature on all screens to turn the taskbar on or off on all your monitors.
Microsoft has docked the taskbar to the bottom of the screen and won’t let you move it around whether you want to or not. It is to be placed on the left or right side of the screen, but you can move it to the top of the screen with the help of a registry hack.
Open Start> Registry Editor and enter the following location in the most sensitive bar:
HKEY_CURRENT_USERSoftwareMicrosoftWindowsCurrentVersionExplorerStuckRects3
In the StuckRects3 folder, double-click the Settings file. This will open the Edit Binary Value window where you’ll see an array filled with s. Go to the second row and look for the fifth row from the left. By default, it says “03”.
Place the cursor to the right (end) of this array, press Backspace once, and replace “01”. Click the OK button and exit the Registry Editor application.
Then, open the Task Manager app and restart Windows Explorer.
Another great replacement on the Windows 11 taskbar is the fact that you can’t easily resize it, regardless of whether you need it to be bigger or smaller. But again, while there isn’t a settings menu where you can replace this, you can do so through a registry hack.
Go to Home > Registry Editor and enter the following location:
HKEY_CURRENT_USERSoftwareMicrosoftWindowsCurrentVersionExplorerAdvanced
Right-click on the blank area and New> DWORD Value (32-bit). A new access will be added to the back of the Advanced folder. Rename it to TaskbarSi.
Double-click the Taskbar If file. In the Value Information field, enter “0” if you have a smaller taskbar and “2” if you have a larger one (“1” is the default). Click the OK button.
Restart your PC or restart Windows Explorer from the Task Manager. You’ll see your taskbar appear in its new size.
If you’ve tried all the customizations and you’re still not satisfied, we have one last recommendation for you: Ditch the whole enterprise and go back to the Windows 10 taskbar. Or, at least, bring back some of the Windows 10 elements.
You can use a free and open-source app called ExplorerPatcher to repair the entire Windows 10 taskbar and Start menu. Just install the app and it will immediately take you back to the good old days. The most productive component of the app is that you can move to settings and customize each and every component of the taskbar. For example, you can return to the apps view from Windows 10, keeping the Windows 11 formula tray and drop-down menus.
Customization is key here, as it will even allow you to return to the menus of the Windows 8 era. We’ve talked about ExplorerPatcher in much more detail in our dedicated guide, so be sure to follow the commands there for a while. The best taskbar settings.