How to Change Where On-Screen Indicators Appear in Windows 11

Option 1Changing Indicator Positions Through ⚙️ Windows Settings

You can easily adjust where on-screen indicators appear by changing your system's preferences. You do not need to change any complicated files or settings. Everything is directly available in your system's preferences.

Step-by-Step Guide:

1. ⚙️ Open Settings: The fastest way to ⚙️ open Settings is to press the Windows key + I on your keyboard at the same time. This will open the main Settings window.
2. Go to Notifications: In ⚙️ the Settings window, look for System on the left side. Click on it. Then, on the right side, find and click on Notifications.
3. Choose Your Indicator Position: Scroll down in the Notifications settings to find the section for on-screen indicators. There, you’ll see a drop-down menu labeled “Position of on-screen indicators” or a similar phrase. Click this menu. You will see a few options:
   

   • Bottom center: This is the default spot where they have always shown up.
   • Top left: This moves the indicators to the top-left corner of your screen.
   • Top center: This places the indicators in the middle of the top edge of your screen.

   For more advanced control over where on-screen indicators appear in Windows 11, you can use the Registry Editor. Press the Windows key + R to open the Run box, type regedit, and press Enter. You’ll need to navigate to a specific key within the Registry Editor to make your changes.

4. Close Settings: Once you have picked your preferred spot, you can close ⚙️ the Settings window. Your choice is saved automatically.
   

Option 2Changing Indicator Positions Using the Registry Editor (For Advanced Users)

Registry Editor provides an alternative to Windows 11 Settings for system control. This method modifies Windows' internal database, allowing finer control over system settings. Because the Registry Editor is powerful, you must be careful when making changes to the database.

Step-by-Step Guide:

1. Open Registry Editor: Press the Windows key + R on your keyboard to open the Run box. Type regedit into the box and press Enter, or click OK. A User Account Control (UAC) prompt might appear, asking if you want to allow the app to make changes; click Yes.
2. Go to the Correct Key: In the Registry Editor window, you need to go to a specific location. In the Registry Editor’s address bar at the top, carefully type or paste this path and press Enter:

   🗝️Registry

   Copy

   HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\SystemSettings\ConfirmatorPosition

   ⚠️Warning

   If the ConfirmatorPosition key does not exist, you might need to create it. To do this, 🖱️ right-click on the SystemSettings key, select New > Key, and name it ConfirmatorPosition.
3. Change the Position Index Value: Once you are in the ConfirmatorPosition folder (or key), look in the right-hand section. You should see an item named PositionIndex. If it’s not there, right-click in the empty space in the right section, select New > DWORD (32-bit) Value, and name it PositionIndex.

   Double-click on the PositionIndex value to edit it. You will see a “Value data” field. This is where you enter a number to tell Windows where to put the indicators:

   • 00000001 (Decimal 1): For Bottom center (the default).
   • 00000002 (Decimal 2): For Top left.
   • 00000003 (Decimal 3): For Top center.

   The Windows Registry editor requires you to enter the number that matches your desired position for the on-screen indicator. Ensure that "Base" is set to "Hexadecimal," which is its default setting. Click OK when you have finished making the change.

4. Close Registry Editor: You can now close the Registry Editor window. The change should happen after you 🔄 restart your computer, or sometimes right away. To be sure, it’s usually best to restart your computer.
   
5. Test the Changes: After restarting (if you chose to), try changing your volume or brightness with your keyboard. You should see the indicators appear in the new location you selected.

Summary

Changing where on-screen indicators like volume and brightness appear in Windows 11 is straightforward. The simplest method is through ⚙️ the Settings app, found under System > Notifications. If you need more control or the setting isn’t available, you can use the Registry Editor to adjust the indicator position, but always back up your registry first.