Windows 11 Taskbar and System Tray Customization Guide

Clean up extra buttons and icons

Clean up extra buttons and icons. Remove items you never click and tidy up the busy area near your clock. Hide specialty buttons like touch menus and sharing tools so your desktop stays neat.

1. Right-click an empty spot on the taskbar 🖥️ and choose Taskbar settings. You can also open Settings › Personalization › Taskbar
2. Under Taskbar items, switch off the buttons you don’t use, such as Search, Task view, or Widgets. The list varies by build, and newer builds may add items such as Copilot. Each button disappears from the taskbar 🖥️ as soon as you flip its toggle.
3. Expand Taskbar corner icons and switch off Pen menu, Touch keyboard, or Virtual touchpad if they appear. On some earlier builds this section is called System tray 🔔 icons. Those buttons should vanish from the corner next to the clock.

To undo any of this, return to the same page and switch the toggle back on. Nothing needs a restart. If a toggle is missing, your build doesn’t offer that item, or the feature isn’t available on your device.

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4 How to Turn On or off “Share Any Window” from the Taskbar in Windows 11 Windows 11 introduces a feature allowing users to share app windows directly from the taskbar during meetings, streamlining the process without switching apps. Users can easily enable or disable this feature through settings or the registry editor, manage sharing while presenting, and customize app permissions, enhancing productivity during online meetings. 4 min read · ↻ Updated Oct 2026

5 How to Add or Remove Notification Bell Icon on Your Windows 11 Taskbar This guide explains how to add or remove the notification bell icon on the Windows 11 taskbar. Users can choose from three methods: using the Settings app for quick toggling, employing registry files for advanced users, or manually adjusting settings in the Registry Editor. Changes take effect immediately. 4 min read · ↻ Updated Oct 2026

Manage the clock and system tray

This section covers your notification area and the corner of the screen where your clock lives. Adjust time formats and control which background apps stay visible or hide inside the overflow menu.

1. Open Settings › Personalization › Taskbar
2. Expand Taskbar corner overflow. On older builds this section is called Other system tray icons.
3. Switch an app's toggle On to keep its icon visible next to the clock. Switch it Off to tuck it into the overflow menu.
4. To change how the clock displays the time and date, open Settings › Time & language > Date & time. Use the options on that page to adjust the clock and date display.
5. To show seconds in the clock, look for Show seconds in system tray clock under Taskbar behaviors on the Taskbar page. This option only exists on recent builds, so if you don't see it, update Windows.

An app only appears in the overflow list after it has run at least once and put an icon in the tray. If an app you expect is missing, launch it first and then check the list again.

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Set up multi-monitor displays

If you connect extra screens to your computer, these guides show you how taskbars behave across multiple displays. Choose whether your open apps appear on every screen or just your main monitor.

1. Connect your extra monitors and confirm Windows detects them under Settings › System › Display
2. Open Settings › Personalization › Taskbar and expand Taskbar behaviors.
3. Tick Show my taskbar on all displays. A taskbar should appear on each connected screen.
4. Use the drop-down labeled When using multiple displays, show my taskbar apps on to pick where app buttons appear: All taskbars, Main taskbar and taskbar where window is open, or Taskbar where window is open.

If these options are missing, only one display is active. Check the cable, or press the Windows key + P and choose Extend rather than Duplicate or a single-screen mode.

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Fix taskbar and icon problems

When your taskbar freezes or icons disappear, restarting your entire computer is unnecessary. Use these steps to safely restart the background process that runs your desktop and taskbar. That process is Windows Explorer.

1. Press Ctrl + Shift + Esc to open Task Manager.
2. If you see a small window with no tabs, click More details.
3. On the Processes tab, find Windows Explorer under Apps or Windows processes.
4. Right-click it and choose Restart. The taskbar and desktop go blank for a second or two, then come back.

Open File Explorer windows may close or reopen, so save any work in progress first. If the problem returns every time, restart the PC and install any pending Windows updates.

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2 How to the Change Size of Taskbar Icons in Windows 11 This guide explains how to adjust the icon size on the Windows 11 taskbar. Users can choose from three settings: always small, never small, or small only when the taskbar is full. Changes can be made easily through Settings, or more advanced methods like the Registry or Group Policy Editor for greater customization. 6 min read · ↻ Updated Oct 2026

Common questions

How do I move the 🪟 Windows 11 taskbar to the top or side of the screen?

The built-in option to move the taskbar was removed in Windows 11, so it stays at the bottom of the screen by default. Moving the taskbar requires modifying core system files, which can break things or cause crashes when Windows installs future updates.

If you only want the old left-side layout for your icons, you don't need any of that. Open Settings › Personalization › Taskbar, expand Taskbar behaviors, and set Taskbar alignment to Left. I'd stay with the supported settings rather than a tool that patches system files.

Why are some of my system tray icons hidden?

Windows 11 automatically tucks less frequently used icons into an overflow menu represented by a small upward arrow next to the clock. Drag and drop icons out of this hidden menu if you want them visible on the taskbar all the time.

1. Click the small upward arrow next to the clock. A small panel of hidden icons opens.
2. Click and hold the icon you want, drag it onto the visible part of the tray, then release. The icon now stays beside the clock.

You can also use the toggles under Taskbar corner overflow in Settings › Personalization › Taskbar To hide an icon again, drag it back into the overflow panel or switch its toggle off.

How do I make the 🪟 Windows 11 taskbar smaller?

Windows 11 does not include a toggle switch in the Settings app to change the overall taskbar height. Adjust icon scaling through display settings, though changing the taskbar size specifically requires editing the Windows Registry (the database storing low-level system settings).

To make everything on screen, including the taskbar, larger or smaller, open Settings › System › Display and change Scale. Windows may ask you to sign out for some apps to redraw correctly. If you decide to edit the registry, create a restore point first so you can roll back if something goes wrong. Registry edits can also be reset by later feature updates.

Can I show the taskbar on all monitors when using dual screens?

Yes, choose whether the taskbar appears on your main display only or across every connected monitor. Open the Settings app, go to Personalization, click Taskbar, and look under Taskbar behaviors to adjust multi-screen settings. Tick or clear Show my taskbar on all displays, and the change applies immediately without a restart.