How to Share Windows from Taskbar in Windows 11
Taskbar sharing in Windows 11 lets you show a single app window during a video call instead of your entire screen. Microsoft first added this quick-share option in Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 22557, so your personal desktop stays hidden during online meetings.
During a call, hover your mouse pointer over an open app’s icon on the taskbar . The preview thumbnail shows a button to share that program. Click it and only that window goes on screen for the other people in the call. Everything else on your computer stays private. The button only appears while a call or meeting app that supports sharing is active, such as Microsoft Teams. If you don’t see it, check that the feature is turned on using one of the methods below.
Open Settings (Win+I), then go to Personalization Taskbar Taskbar behaviors and check “Share any window from my taskbar.” During a call, hover over an app’s taskbar icon and click the share button in its thumbnail to share only that window. The change takes effect immediately, with no restart needed.
Comparison of Configuration Methods
| Method | Ease of Use | Best For |
|---|---|---|
| Settings App | Easy | Individual Users |
| Registry Editor | Advanced | Power Users |
| Group Policy | Expert | System Administrators |
Enable or Disable via Settings
The easiest way to turn the share windows taskbar feature on or off in Windows 11 is the Settings app. The setting controls whether your open app windows offer a quick-share button on the taskbar during virtual meetings. It works on both Home and Pro editions. The change takes effect immediately, so you don’t need to restart your computer. To undo it, repeat the steps and set the box back.
- Open the Windows Settings app. Press the Win+I on your keyboard. The Settings window opens with a list of categories on the left.
- Click Personalization in the left menu. The personalization options for backgrounds, colors and themes appear on the right.
- Click the Taskbar tile on the right. The taskbar settings page opens, with sections you can expand.
- Scroll down and click Taskbar behaviors to expand the section. A list of options and checkboxes drops down.
- Check the box next to Share any window from my taskbar to turn it on. Uncheck it to turn it off. If you can’t find this option, your build may place it elsewhere. On newer Windows 11 versions, look under Settings System Advanced On a PC managed by an organization, the option may be greyed out or missing because a policy controls it.
Enable or Disable via Registry Editor
This method is useful if you can’t reach the normal Settings page or you prefer to manage preferences through configuration values. Editing the registry can cause problems if you change the wrong entry, so create a restore point or export a backup of the key before you start. You need an administrator account, and Windows may ask you to confirm with a User Account Control prompt.
- Open the Windows Registry by pressing the Win+R, typing
regedit, and pressing Enter. Click Yes if the User Account Control prompt appears. The Registry Editor window opens. - Navigate to the following path:
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\Advanced. You can expand the folders in the left pane, or paste the path into the address bar at the top of the window. The key’s current values show in the right pane.
- In the right pane, right-click an empty space and select New DWORD (32-bit) Value. A new value appears in the list with its name ready to edit.
- Name the value
TaskbarSn. Press Enter to confirm the name. If the value already exists, skip the creation step and just open the existing one. - Double-click
TaskbarSnand set the Value data to1to enable the feature, or0to disable it. Click OK to save. If the change doesn’t show up right away, sign out and back in, or restart the PC. To undo it, change the value data back or delete the value.
Enterprise Management and GPO
This is the better choice in an office or school, because one policy applies the same behavior to every managed PC instead of you editing each one by hand. The local Group Policy Editor is only included in Windows 11 Pro, Enterprise and Education, not Home. A setting enforced this way can show as greyed out in the Settings app, because the policy overrides the user’s choice.
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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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