How to Enable or Disable Hide Badges on Taskbar Apps with Focus Session in Windows 11
Hide badges on Taskbar apps with Focus Session in Windows 11 lets you turn off the red notification dots and alert counts on your taskbar icons. Focus Session is a built-in timer tool added to Windows 11 in May 2022 that helps you work in timed blocks.
Hiding these badges stops visual clutter and prevents pop-ups from pulling your attention away from your current work. You can turn this feature on or off inside the Clock app whenever you start a focus session.
Go to Settings System Focus and toggle the “Hide badges on taskbar apps” option. Checking the box hides badges during Focus Sessions, while unchecking it keeps them visible. This reduces distractions by removing notification counts from app icons.
Prerequisites
- You must be using Windows 11.
- Ensure your system is updated to the latest version via Windows Update .
- You need a user account with standard permissions to change these settings.
How to Manage Taskbar Badges via Settings
You can turn on hide taskbar badges through the main Windows 11 Settings app to keep your screen clean during a Focus Session. Open Settings, pick System, and click Focus to find the toggle for hide taskbar badges. Check this box to stop app alert dots from showing up on your taskbar , or uncheck it if you want to see them again.
Open the Settings app and navigate to the Focus menu by clicking ‘System’ on the left side, then selecting ‘Focus’.
3. Locate the option labeled Hide badges on taskbar apps.
4. Check the box to hide them, or uncheck it to keep them visible.
Advanced Method: Registry Editor
You can also set up hide taskbar badges by editing your system registry if you prefer not to use the main settings menu. Open the Run box by pressing the Windows key and R, type regedit, and press Enter to open Registry Editor. Go to the correct path to change the key values manually and control how app alert badges appear on your taskbar.
Press the Windows key and the R key simultaneously to launch the run dialog. Type `regedit` into the box that appears and press Enter. Administrator rights are required to make changes here.
2. Navigate to this location: HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Notifications\Settings\FocusAssist
Double-click it to change its value. Setting it to 1 enables hiding, while 0 disables it.
Advanced Method: PowerShell
1. Right-click the Start button and choose Terminal (Admin). Administrator privileges are required to proceed.
2. Copy and paste the following command to hide badges:
Set-ItemProperty -Path "HKCU:\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Notifications\Settings\FocusAssist" -Name "HideBadge" -Value 13. Press Enter to apply the change.
Troubleshooting
Taskbar badges remaining visible usually means an active Focus Session is locking the setting. Restarting the Windows Explorer process via Task Manager forces the changes to appear immediately.
Summary
Managing taskbar badges during Focus Sessions boosts productivity. Flip this setting on or off in the Settings menu, or gain granular control with tools like the Registry Editor and PowerShell. Hiding these distractions creates a cleaner digital workspace.
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About the Author
Richard
Tech Writer, IT Professional
Richard is a writer at Geek Rewind who turns complex IT tasks into clear, step-by-step guides. He draws on years of hands-on experience in system administration and enterprise IT operations, focusing on Windows, Linux and WordPress: the problems people actually run into, and the fixes that work. His server and WordPress guides come from systems he runs himself. Richard builds and maintains the platform behind Geek Rewind, from its Ubuntu servers and Nginx configuration to its custom WordPress plugins. Many new tutorials start with readers' questions, and he's always glad to answer them in the comments.
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