How to Auto-Hide Taskbar in Windows 11

This post shows students and new users how to automatically hide or make the Taskbar disappear in Windows 11 to make the screen bigger.

The Taskbar in Windows 11 is a horizontal bar at the bottom of the screen. It provides quick access to frequently used apps, programs, and settings and displays notifications and system icons.

By hiding or making the Taskbar disappear automatically when it’s not in focus, you can free up more screen real estate and create a more immersive experience. This can be useful, especially on smaller screens, where every pixel counts.

Hiding or making the Taskbar disappear automatically in Windows 11 can help create a more immersive experience while working on something that requires your full attention. By auto-hiding the Taskbar, you can free up more screen space and improve your productivity, especially on smaller screens where every pixel counts.

Auto-hide Windows Taskbar

Hiding or making the Taskbar disappear when out of focus isn’t new. It has been there since Windows XP.

Windows 11 has a centralized location for the majority of its settings. Everything can be done, from system configurations to creating new users and updating Windows from its System Settings pane.

To get to System Settings, you can use the Windows key + I shortcut or click on Start ==> Settings, as shown in the image below:

Alternatively, you can use the search box on the Taskbar to search for Settings and then select it to open it.

In Windows Settings, click Personalization, then select Taskbar on the right pane of your screen, as shown in the image below.

Click on Taskbar behaviors to expand the tile on the Taskbar settings pane. Then, check the box that reads “Automatically hide the taskbar.”

This setting will automatically hide the Taskbar when it’s out of focus.

When you want the Taskbar to reappear, hover your cursor over the bottom of your screen to bring it back into focus.

Automatically hide the Taskbar using the command prompt

Use the steps below to hide or unhide the Taskbar automatically using the command prompt.

Open the Windows Terminal app and select the Command Prompt tab. Then, run the command below to hide the Taskbar in Windows 11 automatically.

powershell -command "&{$p='HKCU:SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\StuckRects3';$v=(Get-ItemProperty -Path $p).Settings;$v[8]=3;&Set-ItemProperty -Path $p -Name Settings -Value $v;&Stop-Process -f -ProcessName explorer}"

To disable the automatic hiding of the Taskbar, run the command below.

powershell -command "&{$p= 'HKCU:SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\StuckRects3' ;$v=(Get-ItemProperty -Path $p).Settings;$v[8]=2;&Set-ItemProperty -Path $p -Name Settings -Value $v;&Stop-Process -f -ProcessName explorer}"

That’s it!

Conclusion:

• Hiding the Taskbar in Windows 11 can significantly enhance your screen space and productivity.
• The auto-hide feature is easy to enable through the System Settings or via the Command Prompt.
• A clean workspace allows for a more immersive experience while focusing on tasks, especially on smaller screens.
• Remember to hover your cursor at the bottom of the screen to quickly access the Taskbar when needed.
• Enjoy a more streamlined and efficient workflow by taking advantage of this simple Windows feature.