How to Turn On or Off the Notifications Bell Icon in Windows 11

What is the Notifications Bell Icon?

The notifications bell icon appears on the taskbar 🖥️ (bottom of your screen) when fresh messages or reminders arrive. Unread alerts trigger a solid symbol, while an empty bell indicates a clean slate alongside your system clock.

How to Enable or Disable the Notifications Bell Icon (Easy Way)

Turning on the Windows 11 notifications bell takes just a few minutes using a free tool called ViVeTool (a small program that unlocks hidden features in Windows). You download the ⬇️ tool, open Command Prompt as an administrator, and run a quick command to show or hide the alert bell on your taskbar 🖥️.

1. Go to this page and download ViVeTool.
2. Open the Command Prompt as an administrator:

   • Click the Start button ⊞, type cmd, right-click Command Prompt, and select Run as administrator. ⚠️ Admin privileges required
3. In the Command Prompt, type this command and press Enter:
   
   vivetool /enable /id:49082522
4. Restart your 🔄 computer to apply the change.
5. Now, open Settings ⚙️ by pressing Win+I.
6. Click Personalization on the left, then choose Taskbar on the right.
7. Click Taskbar behaviors to open more options.
8. Check or uncheck the box for Show notifications bell icon to turn it on or off.
9. Close Settings when done.

How to Show or Hide Notifications Bell Using Windows Registry (Advanced Users)

Managing the Windows 11 notifications bell through the Windows Registry (a database of system settings) gives advanced users a direct way to show or hide the taskbar icon without extra software. You open the Registry Editor, find the correct key, and change a single value.

1. Open the Registry Editor:

   • Press Windows + R, type regedit, and press Enter. ⚠️ Admin privileges required
   • If asked for permission, click Yes.
2. Go to this folder (key): Computer\HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\Advanced
3. Look for a setting named ShowNotificationIcon in the right pane.
4. If it exists, double-click it and set its value to:

   • 1 to show the notifications bell
   • 0 to hide the notifications bell
5. If it doesn't exist:

   • Right-click on a blank spot in the right pane.
   • Choose New › DWORD (32-bit) Value.
   • Name it ShowNotificationIcon.
   • Double-click it and set the value to 1 or 0 as above.
6. Close the Registry Editor and restart your PC to see the changes.

Summary

Controlling the Windows 11 notifications bell lets you choose how taskbar alerts appear next to your clock. Once you finish the setup process using ViVeTool or the registry, the bell icon shows up immediately to display your latest alerts at a glance.

What happens after you make the change? Once enabled, the bell will show your notifications and a shorter clock on the taskbar.

• You can turn the notifications bell icon on or off on your Windows 11 taskbar.
• The easiest way is by using the free ViVeTool app and then adjusting Taskbar settings.
• If you're comfortable with advanced tools, you can also enable or disable it using the Windows Registry Editor.
• That's all! Enjoy customizing your Windows 11 experience.