How to Add or Remove Windows Terminal Shield Icon

Method 1Easy Settings Adjustment

You can easily add or remove the admin shield icon on the Windows Terminal title bar using Windows Terminal's built-in settings. This simple adjustment lets you quickly see if your Windows Terminal is running with administrator permissions, making the admin shield icon ideal for everyday users who want a visual cue.

1. Open Windows Terminal. Find it in your Start Menu ⊞ and open it.

   

2. Go to Settings ⚙️. Click the small dropdown arrow next to the tabs at the top of the window. Then, choose Settings from the menu. You can also press Ctrl + , (the Control key and the comma key together) to open Settings ⚙️.

   

3. Find Appearance. In the Settings window, click on Appearance in the list on the left side.

   

4. The Shield Icon setting controls the display of an administrator shield icon in the Windows Terminal title bar. Locate the "Display a shield in the title bar when Windows Terminal is running as Administrator" option. Click the switch next to this option to toggle it On (which shows the shield icon) or Off (which hides it). Turning the shield icon On confirms that Windows Terminal is running with administrator rights, while turning it Off provides a cleaner title bar appearance.

   

5. Save Changes. Close the Settings tab. Your changes are saved automatically.

Method 2Using the Registry Editor

1. Open Registry Editor. Press Windows key + R to open the Run box. Type regedit and press Enter. You may see a prompt asking for permission; click Yes.

2. Go to the right folder. In the Registry Editor, look for the folder structure on the left. Navigate to this location: HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\Terminal\Settings

   If you don't see a folder named Settings inside the Windows\Terminal folder, you can create it. Right-click on the Windows\Terminal folder, select New, and then choose Key. Name this new key Settings.

3. Create a new setting. With the Settings folder selected, right-click in the empty space on the right side. Choose New, and then select DWORD (32-bit) Value.

4. Name the setting. When asked for a name, type ShowAdminShield exactly. Make sure the spelling and capitalization are correct.

5. Set the value. Double-click on the ShowAdminShield value you just created. A small window will appear. In the Value data field, do the following:

   • To show the shield icon when running as administrator, enter 1.
   • To hide the shield icon when running as administrator, enter 0.

   Click OK when you are finished.

   To change the Admin shield icon later, return to the **Admin shield icon setting** and change the number from 1 to 0, or 0 to 1. Setting the number to 1 displays the icon when Windows Terminal runs as an administrator, while 0 hides it.

6. Close and restart. Close the Registry Editor. Then, close all Windows Terminal windows and open it again. The change should now be active.

Method 3Using PowerShell

You can toggle the Windows Terminal shield icon on or off using PowerShell commands, which is useful for applying the setting to multiple computers or if you prefer command-line tools. PowerShell allows you to directly change the registry value responsible for showing the administrator shield.

1. Open PowerShell. Click the Start button, type PowerShell, and press Enter. If you might need special permissions, right-click on PowerShell in the search results and select "Run as administrator." However, for this specific setting, administrator rights are usually not needed.

2. Enter the command. Type one of the following commands into the PowerShell window and press Enter. These commands change the same registry setting as in Method 2.

   To show the shield icon:

   ⬛PowerShell

   Copy

   Set-ItemProperty -Path "HKCU:\Software\Microsoft\Windows\Terminal\Settings" -Name "ShowAdminShield" -Value 1 -Type DWord

   To hide the shield icon:

   ⬛PowerShell

   Copy

   Set-ItemProperty -Path "HKCU:\Software\Microsoft\Windows\Terminal\Settings" -Name "ShowAdminShield" -Value 0 -Type DWord

   Explanation: This command tells PowerShell to set a specific property (Set-ItemProperty) at a certain location (-Path) with a new data value (-Name) and type (-Value).

3. Restart Windows Terminal. Close all open Windows Terminal windows and then open it again. Your chosen setting should now be applied.

   You can copy and paste specific PowerShell commands directly into the Windows Terminal to avoid typing mistakes when adding or removing the admin shield icon from the Windows Terminal title bar. This prevents errors and ensures the command for modifying the title bar's admin shield icon executes correctly.

Summary

The Windows Terminal shield icon is a visual indicator that shows when the application is running with administrator rights. You can control its appearance through the Terminal's own settings, or by making changes in the Windows Registry using tools like the Registry Editor or PowerShell.