How to Add or Remove Xbox Mode in Task View on Windows 11

This tutorial will show you how to turn on or off Xbox Mode in Task View on Windows 11. Task View is the screen that shows all your open windows when you press a keyboard shortcut.

What Is Xbox Mode?

Xbox Mode is a new feature in Windows 11. It gives you a full-screen gaming experience like an Xbox console. Instead of seeing your desktop and other windows, Xbox Mode shows only your games and game apps. This helps you focus on playing without distractions.

Xbox Mode works on laptops, desktops, and tablets. You can enter Xbox Mode from the Xbox app, Game Bar settings, or by pressing Win + F11. For more information, see Full screen experience expands to more Windows 11 PC form factors

Why Use Xbox Mode?

Xbox Mode gives you a clean, simple interface designed for controllers. When you want to play games with a controller, Xbox Mode removes clutter from your screen. You can easily switch between your games and apps by pressing the Xbox button on your controller. When you finish gaming, you can exit Xbox Mode and return to your normal desktop.

By default, Xbox Mode appears in Task View. Task View is what you see when you press Alt + Tab or click the Task View button. However, you can turn this off if you don’t want to see it there.

How to Add or Remove Xbox Mode in Task View

Option One: Using Settings

To add Xbox Mode to Task View using Settings, press Win + I to open Settings, navigate to Gaming > Xbox mode, then toggle ‘Show Xbox mode in Task View’ to On.

1. Open Settings by pressing Win + I.
2. Click Gaming on the left side.
3. Click Xbox mode on the right side.
   

4. Look for the option Show Xbox mode in Task View. Switch it On to show Xbox Mode in Task View, or switch it Off to hide it.
   

5. You can now close Settings.

Option Two: Using Registry Editor

⚠️ This step requires admin privileges.

You can also change this setting using the Registry Editor or Windows Terminal. The Registry is where Windows stores advanced settings.

To add Xbox Mode to Task View, look for this registry path:

HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\GameBar

Find the value:

“ShowOnDesktopSwitcher” and change the value to 1

To remove Xbox Mode from Task View, change the value to:

“ShowOnDesktopSwitcher” change the value to 0

The first setting (00000001) shows Xbox Mode in Task View by default. The second setting (00000000) hides it.

Terminal command:

Enable:

reg add "HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\GamingConfiguration" /v ShowOnDesktopSwitcher /t REG_DWORD /d 1 /f

Disable:

reg add "HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\GamingConfiguration" /v ShowOnDesktopSwitcher /t REG_DWORD /d 0 /f

Summary

What does this do? This setting controls whether Xbox Mode appears in your Task View screen. Task View shows all your open windows and apps when you press Alt + Tab.

Why would you use this? If you use Xbox Mode often, keeping it in Task View makes it easy to access. If you don’t use Xbox Mode, hiding it keeps Task View cleaner.

How do you do it? You can turn this setting on or off in Settings under Gaming > Xbox mode. Advanced users can also edit the Windows Registry directly using Registry Editor or Windows Terminal. Both methods work the same way. Choose whichever method is easier for you.