How to Resize Taskbar in Windows 10

Quick Tips

• You can easily make the Windows 10 taskbar bigger or smaller by using the resize tool.
• Resizing the taskbar won’t affect the size of the icons, but you can adjust the display scale or enable small icons to increase or decrease the size of taskbar icons, respectively.

How to Make the Taskbar Larger on Windows 10

If your work requires you to constantly use the taskbar for accessing the Start menu or switching apps, here are a couple of ways you can make the taskbar bigger and more easily accessible.

1. Use the Resize Tool

The quickest method to increase the size of the taskbar is through the resize tool. Here’s how it works.

Step 1: Right-click on the taskbar and uncheck the Lock the taskbar option.

Step 2: Move your cursor to the top edge of the taskbar, and the cursor will turn into a double-sided arrow. Click and drag the mouse up and the height of the taskbar will change accordingly.

Step 3: Once your taskbar is set at a preferable height, let go of the mouse button.

Likewise, if you use a vertical taskbar, move your cursor to the left or right edge of the taskbar and resize it from there.

If you intend to keep the taskbar at its current height, lock the taskbar again so that you don’t accidentally change its height.

2. Increase Display Scale

When you change the taskbar size using the above method, it does not increase the size of the icons and buttons in the taskbar. If you wish to increase the size of the taskbar along with its icons and buttons, you’ll need to adjust the display scale on your PC. Here’s how to do it.

Step 1: Press the Windows Key + I to launch the Settings app and go to System.

Step 2: Go to Display > Scale and layout. Use the drop-down menu under Change the size of text, apps, and other items to increase the scale.

As you increase the scale, you’ll notice that the taskbar’s size and the other elements on your PC will increase. In other words, you’ll be seeing a zoomed-in version of the screen.

Note that this method will also increase the text size in apps like Google Chrome, Calendar, Notifications, etc.

How to Make the Taskbar Smaller in Windows 10

If you’re working on a smaller screen and feel that the taskbar is taking up valuable screen space, here is how to make the taskbar smaller on Windows 10.

1. Use the Resize Tool

The resize tool you use to increase the size of the taskbar can also be used to decrease its size. Here’s how.

Step 1: Right-click on the taskbar and uncheck Lock the taskbar.

Step 2: Move your cursor to the top edge of the taskbar. When the cursor turns into a double-sided arrow, click and drag the mouse down to decrease the height of the taskbar.

Once your taskbar is set at a preferable height, let go of the mouse button.

2. Enable Small Icons

While you can use the resize tool in the above method to make the taskbar smaller, it will stop at a certain limit. If you wish to go beyond that limit and make your taskbar even smaller, you’ll need to use smaller taskbar icons. Here’s how to enable them.

Step 1: Right-click anywhere on the taskbar and select Taskbar settings from the resulting menu.

Step 2: In the Settings window, toggle on the switch under Use small taskbar buttons.