How to Edit the Taskbar in Windows 11

The Taskbar is inseparable from Windows. The uproar when Windows 8 tried to remove it is still fresh in many users’ minds. Thankfully, Windows 11 has continued the tradition of the indispensable bar at the bottom of your computer screen. In this article, we’ll be showing you how to edit the taskbar in Windows 11.

What We Lost

While you might still be able to edit the taskbar in Windows 11, the extent is nowhere near as much as it was back in earlier versions of Windows, like Windows 95. This might change in the future, but at the time of writing, you still can’t do the following:

• Grow or shrink the height of the taskbar (This might be fixed this year)
• Move the taskbar to the left or right side of the screen (Microsoft might be allowing this soon)

This list used to be longer when Windows 11 was first introduced, but thankfully, it has shrunk quite a bit.

How to Edit the Taskbar in Windows 11

So, if you’re looking for ways to edit taskbar in Windows 11, we’ve grouped them by category.

Widgets and Task View

Widgets are continued from Windows 10, and exist not only in the Start menu, but also in the Taskbar. Task View is unique to Windows 11, allowing you to see windows and webpages currently open. Originally, this couldn’t be switched off. You can change whether or not you want to see different widget updates and Task View, too, now in the Settings menu:

Step 1. Open Settings (Win + I) and head to “Personalization.”

Step 2. In Taskbar items, toggle the visibility of the Widgets and Task View by dragging the sliders to “Off.”

The Search Bar

Windows 10 users will be familiar with the Search bar. Windows 11’s settings offer three different versions of the bar to suit your tastes:

• Search Box – Allows you to begin a search by typing into the taskbar’s search box
• Search Icon and Label – Takes you to the search box in the Start menu
• Search Icon – A more minimalist version of the above

Finally, you can also choose to hide the Search option completely.

Applications

Running apps show up in the taskbar as they always have in Windows, but you can also add your own list of favorites to the taskbar for easy access:

• You can pin a shortcut or app directly to the taskbar by dragging and dropping it onto the bar, a feature reintroduced to Windows after a short absence.

• Rearrange icons by clicking and dragging across the taskbar.
• Unpin icons by right-clicking them and choosing the “Unpin from the Taskbar’ option.

Unfortunately, individual files and folders cannot be added to the taskbar.

System Tray

The system tray is still here and very editable. In the Settings, you can choose the icons that will appear by default in the tray when operating.

Taskbar Behaviors

This final section contains general taskbar customizations. You can find this in Settings:

• You can use “Taskbar alignment” to change the overall alignment of all taskbar features to the left, right, or center.
• You can set the taskbar to be hidden until it is hovered over.
• Flashing apps that need attention can be enabled or disabled.
• You can enable the taskbar on multiple displays

There are a few other tweaks, but these are the main ones.