How to the Change Size of Taskbar Icons in Windows 11

What’s New?

Windows 11 offers new ways to manage your taskbar icon size, letting them automatically get smaller when you have many apps open, or you can choose to keep them small all the time.

• When taskbar is full (default): Icons get smaller only when there’s no more space.
• Never: Icons stay the original size no matter what.
• Always: Icons are small all the time.

How to Change Taskbar Icon Size Using Settings

Changing your taskbar icon size in Windows 11 is simple using the Settings app; you just need to find the ‘Show smaller taskbar buttons’ option to make them smaller.

1. ⚙️ Open Settings by pressing Win + I on your keyboard.
2. Click on Personalization on the left side, then select Taskbar on the right.
3. Scroll down and click Taskbar behaviors to expand it.
4. Find the drop-down menu labeled Show smaller taskbar buttons. Choose one of these:

   • Always – icons stay small all the time.
   • Never – icons stay the original size.
   • When taskbar is full – icons shrink only when taskbar runs out of space.
5. Close Settings. Your changes will apply right away.

Open Taskbar Settings directly

Change Taskbar Icon Size Using the Registry (Advanced)

Advanced users can change the taskbar icon size in Windows 11 by editing the Registry, which lets you set icons to always appear smaller with a simple code change.

This method lets you set the icon size by adding a small code change:

Always show smaller icons:

reg add "HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\Advanced" /v IconSizePreference /t REG_DWORD /d 0 /f

Never show smaller icons:

reg add "HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\Advanced" /v IconSizePreference /t REG_DWORD /d 1 /f

Show smaller icons only when taskbar is full (default):

reg add "HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\Advanced" /v IconSizePreference /t REG_DWORD /d 2 /f

How to edit the Registry manually:

1. Press Win + R, type regedit, and press Enter to open Registry Editor.
2. Navigate to: HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\Advanced
3. Find IconSizePreference on the right. If it doesn’t exist, right-click and create a new DWORD (32-bit) Value with that name.
4. Double-click IconSizePreference and set the value to:

   • 0 for always small
   • 1 for never small
   • 2 for small only when full
5. Click OK and close Registry Editor.
6. Sign out and back in, or 🔄 restart your PC to see the changes.

To edit the Registry manually for taskbar icon size in Windows 11, first open the Registry Editor by pressing ⊞ Win+R, typing regedit, and hitting Enter.

Change Taskbar Icon Size for All or Specific Users (Using Local Group Policy Editor)

Windows 11 Pro, Enterprise, and Education users can change the taskbar icon size for everyone or just certain people by using the Local Group Policy Editor.

1. Open the Local Group Policy Editor:

   • Press Win + R, type gpedit.msc, and press Enter.
2. To apply for all users: Go to Computer Configuration > Administrative Templates > ⊞ Start Menu and Taskbar
3. To apply for specific users: Go to User Configuration > Administrative Templates > ⊞ Start Menu and Taskbar
4. In the right pane, double-click Configure Taskbar Small Button Behavior.
5. Choose one of the following:

   • Not Configured: lets users choose their own size (default).
   • Enabled: then pick “Always”, “Never”, or “When taskbar is full” from the dropdown.
6. Click OK.
7. 🔄 Restart your PC or sign out and sign back in to apply changes.

Summary

Windows 11 gives you several ways to adjust your taskbar icon size, offering simple options in Settings and more advanced control through the Registry or Group Policy Editor to keep icons normal, always small, or small when needed.

• You have choices: Use Settings for simple changes, or Registry/Group Policy for advanced control.
• Flexible options: Keep icons normal size, always small, or only small when 🖥️ the taskbar is crowded.
• User-friendly: Easy to do with just a few clicks in Settings.
• Save screen space: Smaller icons help fit more apps on 🖥️ your taskbar.
• Customize your PC: Make your Windows 11 look and work the way you like.

Enjoy your personalized taskbar!