How to Change Which Taskbar Shows Apps on Multiple Screens in Windows 11

What is the Taskbar?

The taskbar is the bar usually at the bottom of your screen. It has important icons like the Start menu, Search, Task View (a feature to see all open windows), Widgets, Chat, File Explorer, and your web browser. By default, these icons are centered on the taskbar.

Multiple Displays and Taskbars

Windows 11 lets you show a taskbar on each screen when you have multiple monitors connected. This helps you keep track of all your open apps and programs across all your screens, making your workspace feel more organized and easier to manage.

• Main display: This is where the clock and special icons appear 🖥️ on the taskbar.
• Other displays: They can also show taskbars, but these usually don’t have the clock or corner icons.

You can choose exactly how the taskbar shows your apps on multiple screens.

How to Choose Where Your Taskbar Shows Apps

When you use multiple screens in Windows 11, you can choose exactly where your apps show up on the taskbars. You have three main options: see apps on all taskbars, only on your main taskbar, or just on the taskbar where the app is currently open.

• All taskbars: Apps you pinned or opened appear on every taskbar on all screens.
• Main taskbar and taskbar where the app is open: Pinned apps only show on the main taskbar. Open apps show on the main taskbar and also on the screen where the app is open.
• Taskbar where the app is open: Pinned apps only show on the main taskbar. Open apps only show on the screen where the app is open.

—

Option 1Change Taskbar App Display Using ⚙️ Windows Settings

1. Press Windows key + I to open Settings.
2. Click Personalization on the left menu, then select Taskbar on the right.
3. Scroll down and click on Taskbar behaviors to expand it.
4. Find the dropdown next to When using multiple displays, show my taskbar apps on.
5. Choose one of the three options mentioned above:
   
   All taskbars, Main taskbar and taskbar where window is open, or Taskbar where window is open.
   
6. Close Settings when done.

You can easily change where 🖥️ your taskbar apps appear in Windows 11 through ⚙️ the Settings app. Just open Settings, go to Personalization, then Taskbar, expand Taskbar behaviors, and select your preferred option from the dropdown menu for multiple displays.

You can easily change where 🖥️ your taskbar apps appear in Windows 11 through ⚙️ the Settings app. Just open Settings, go to Personalization, then Taskbar, expand Taskbar behaviors, and select your preferred option from the dropdown menu for multiple displays.

—

Option 2Change Taskbar App Display Using a Batch File

If you prefer, you can use a small script (a batch file) to change these settings quickly without navigating through menus. I’ve provided three options below, each tailored to one of 🖥️ the taskbar app display methods.

Show apps on All taskbars:

REG ADD "HKCU\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\Advanced" /V MMTaskbarEnabled /T REG_DWORD /D 1 /F
REG ADD "HKCU\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\Advanced" /V MMTaskbarMode /T REG_DWORD /D 0 /F

taskkill /f /im explorer.exe
start explorer.exe

Show pinned apps on main taskbar, open apps on main and open window taskbar:

REG ADD "HKCU\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\Advanced" /V MMTaskbarEnabled /T REG_DWORD /D 1 /F
REG ADD "HKCU\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\Advanced" /V MMTaskbarMode /T REG_DWORD /D 1 /F

taskkill /f /im explorer.exe
start explorer.exe

Show pinned apps on main taskbar, open apps only on taskbar where window is open:

A fast way to show pinned apps only on your main taskbar, while open apps appear only on their own screen's taskbar, is by using a simple batch script. You can create this by pasting a code into Notepad and saving it as a .bat file.




Open Notepad on your PC.
Copy one of the code blocks and paste it into Notepad.
Save the file with a .bat extension, like change_taskbar.bat. Make sure "Save as type" is set to "All files".
Right-click the saved file and choose Run as administrator.
Your taskbar will restart, and the new setting will apply.



---

Summary

• Multiple Display Options: You can pick how and where taskbar apps show when using more than one screen.
• Easy Settings: Change this anytime in the Windows Settings under Personalization > Taskbar.
• Quick Changes with Scripts: Use batch files to switch settings fast if you prefer.
• Better Workflow: Adjusting taskbar behavior helps keep your workspace organized and easy to use.
• Consistent Look: Make sure your taskbars look and act the way you want on all screens.

When using multiple monitors in Windows 11, you have several options for how taskbar apps are displayed across your screens. You can easily adjust these settings in Windows Settings under Personalization > Taskbar, or use quick batch files to switch between preferred arrangements.