How to Turn On or Off Auto-Hide for the Taskbar in Windows 11
The taskbar is the bar at the bottom of your screen that shows your open apps, the Start menu, and other tools in Windows 11.
If you want more screen space, you can make the taskbar hide automatically when you’re not using it. It will pop back up when you move your mouse to the bottom of the screen or use a shortcut.
Go to Settings > Personalization > Taskbar. Expand Taskbar behaviors and toggle “Automatically hide the taskbar” on or off. The taskbar will hide when not in use and reappear when you move your mouse to the bottom of the screen.
What Does Auto-Hide Do?
- When turned on, the taskbar hides itself until you need it.
- You can see it again by moving your mouse to the bottom of your screen, pressing Win + T on your keyboard, or swiping up from the bottom if you have a touchscreen.
How to Turn Auto-Hide On or Off Using Settings
- Open Settings by pressing Win + I on your keyboard.
- Click Personalization on the left side.
- Click Taskbar on the right side.
- Scroll down and click the arrow next to Taskbar behaviors to open more options.
- Find Automatically hide the taskbar and check the box to turn it on, or uncheck it to turn it off.
- You can now close Settings. The changes will apply right away.
Here’s what it looks like:
How to Turn Auto-Hide On or Off Using Command Prompt
If you like using commands, you can quickly change the auto-hide setting by following these steps:
- Open Windows Terminal (right-click the Start button and select it), then choose Command Prompt from the dropdown.
- To turn on auto-hide, copy and paste this command and press Enter:PHP
powershell -command "&{$p='HKCU:SOFTWAREMicrosoftWindowsCurrentVersionExplorerStuckRects3';$v=(Get-ItemProperty -Path $p).Settings;$v[8]=3;&Set-ItemProperty -Path $p -Name Settings -Value $v;&Stop-Process -f -ProcessName explorer}" - To turn off auto-hide (default), copy and paste this command and press Enter:PHP
powershell -command "&{$p= 'HKCU:SOFTWAREMicrosoftWindowsCurrentVersionExplorerStuckRects3' ;$v=(Get-ItemProperty -Path $p).Settings;$v[8]=2;&Set-ItemProperty -Path $p -Name Settings -Value $v;&Stop-Process -f -ProcessName explorer}" - After running the command, your taskbar will refresh automatically.
- You can now close the Windows Terminal window.
Summary
- The taskbar can hide itself automatically to give you more screen space.
- You can turn this feature on or off in the Settings app or by running simple commands.
- To see the taskbar when it’s hidden, just move your mouse to the bottom of the screen, use a keyboard shortcut, or swipe up on a touchscreen.
- Tablet mode and certain touch settings may change how auto-hide works.
- Once you make your choice, just close any open windows—you’re done!
By following these easy steps, you can make Windows 11 work just how you like it!
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About the Author
Richard
Tech Writer, IT Professional
Richard, a writer for Geek Rewind, is a tech enthusiast who loves breaking down complex IT topics into simple, easy-to-understand ideas. With years of hands-on experience in system administration and enterprise IT operations, he’s developed a knack for offering practical tips and solutions. Richard aims to make technology more accessible and actionable. He's deeply committed to the Geek Rewind community, always ready to answer questions and engage in discussions.
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