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

Multiple Displays and Taskbars

Showing a taskbar on each screen helps track open apps across monitors. Multiple displays make workspaces feel organized and manageable.

• 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.

App presentation across multiple screens requires choosing a specific taskbar layout.

How to Choose Where Your Taskbar Shows Apps

Multiple screens in Windows 11 offer three main choices for app placement on taskbars. Apps can appear on all taskbars, only the main taskbar, or solely on the taskbar 🖥️ where the active window sits.

• 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.

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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.

Taskbar app locations change through the Settings app. Navigate to Personalization > Taskbar, expand Taskbar behaviors, and select the preferred option from the dropdown menu for multiple displays.

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Option 2Change Taskbar App Display Using a Batch File

A batch file (a small script that automates tasks) bypasses the menu clicks entirely. Three scripts below handle each distinct taskbar app display method.

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:

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

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

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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.

Multiple monitors in Windows 11 provide several display methods for taskbar apps. Windows Settings under Personalization › Taskbar manages these preferences, or batch files apply the changes instantly.