This guide will show you how to hide the Windows Terminal icon in the notification area (the small icons near the clock) when you minimize it on Windows 11. This helps keep your taskbar tidy while still keeping the Terminal running.

What is Windows Terminal?
Windows Terminal is a modern app where you can use command line tools like Command Prompt, PowerShell, or even Linux commands if you have Windows Subsystem for Linux (WSL) installed.

You can customize many things in Windows Terminal like the language, size, startup behavior, and more. One useful feature is to hide the Terminal icon in the notification area when you minimize it. This feature is off by default, but you can turn it on easily.

Why Hide Windows Terminal in the Notification Area?

• Keep your taskbar clean: When you minimize Terminal, its icon moves to the notification area instead of staying on the taskbar.
• Keep Terminal running quietly: You can keep Terminal open in the background without it taking up space on the taskbar.
• Access Terminal when needed: You can still open Terminal from the notification area when you want to use it again.

If you prefer to see Terminal all the time on the taskbar, you can leave this feature off.

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How to Hide Terminal in the Notification Area When Minimized

Follow these simple steps:

1. Open Windows Terminal: Click the Start menu button (Windows icon) on the bottom-left of your screen. Type Terminal in the search box, then click Windows Terminal from the results.

Open the Terminal app on Windows.

2. Once Terminal is open, click the down arrow ▼ button near the top and select Settings, or press Ctrl + , on your keyboard.

Open the Windows Terminal Settings.

3. In the Settings window, click on Appearance from the left menu.
4. Look for the option labeled “Hide Terminal in the notification area when it is minimized”.
5. Turn the switch On to enable hiding, or Off to disable it.

6. Click the Save button at the bottom to keep your changes, then close the Settings window.

That’s it! Now, when you minimize Windows Terminal, it will hide in the notification area instead of staying on the taskbar.

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Summary

• Turning on Hide Terminal in the notification area when minimized keeps your taskbar clean and runs Terminal quietly in the background.
• Turning it off keeps Terminal visible on the taskbar, making it easier to access.
• You can change this setting anytime based on how you like to use Windows Terminal.

For more tips about Windows Terminal and how to customize it, check out these helpful guides:

• How to Change Windows Terminal Language
• How to Change Windows Terminal Launch Size
• How to Set Default Profile in Windows Terminal