RBTray

Free plan Windows

What RBTray is

RBTray is a free, open-source Windows utility that sends minimized windows to the system tray. You can minimize a window by right-clicking its minimize button, Shift-right-clicking its title bar, or pressing Control-Alt-Down. Restore a window with a single click on its tray icon or by choosing Restore Window from the icon’s right-click menu. Some windows do not minimize properly, including Windows Store application windows such as WhatsApp. The --no-hook option avoids the mouse event hook and leaves Control-Alt-Down as the only minimization method; RBHook.dll is not needed in that mode. The project provides 32-bit and 64-bit binaries. To start RBTray after a reboot, its instructions say to add a shortcut to the Windows Start menu Startup group. You can exit through a tray icon’s popup menu or by running RBTray.exe with the --exit parameter. Benbuck Nason maintains this fork of the SourceForge project. RBTray is in maintenance mode: no new features are planned, though bugs may be fixed if reported.

Who it suits

RBTray suits Windows users who want minimized windows accessible from the system tray. It may be less suitable if the windows you need to minimize include unsupported app windows.

What it does well

Offers three ways to minimize windows to the tray.
Tray icons can restore windows with one click.
Includes 32-bit and 64-bit binaries.
Free and open source under the GNU General Public Licence.

What to know first

Some windows do not minimize properly.
The project is in maintenance mode.
No new features are planned.

Plans

Plan	Billed and limits	Price
RBTray	Windows utility · 32-bit and 64-bit binaries	Free

As github.com lists them, read 5 Oct 2026. The maker's own page has the final word.

Verdict

RBTray provides several tray-minimization methods in a small Windows utility. Check whether your required windows work with it, and note that the project plans no new features.

Facts from RBTray's own pages

Compatibility limit: Some windows cannot be minimized properly, including Windows Store application windows such as WhatsApp. · github.com, 5 Oct 2026
Downloads: The project provides 32-bit and 64-bit binaries for download. · github.com, 5 Oct 2026
Exit: RBTray can be exited from a tray icon’s popup menu or by running RBTray.exe with the --exit parameter. · github.com, 5 Oct 2026
Hook dependency: RBHook.dll is only needed to support the mouse event hook and is not needed when using --no-hook. · github.com, 5 Oct 2026
License and price: RBTray is free and open source under the GNU General Public Licence. · github.com, 5 Oct 2026
Maintenance: The project is in maintenance mode: no new features are planned, though bugs may be fixed if reported. · github.com, 5 Oct 2026
Maker and origin: Benbuck Nason maintains this fork of RBTray, which originated from the SourceForge RBTray project. · github.com, 5 Oct 2026
Minimize options: Windows can be minimized to the tray by right-clicking the minimize button, Shift-right-clicking the title bar, or pressing Control-Alt-Down. · github.com, 5 Oct 2026
Mouse hook option: The --no-hook option avoids the mouse event hook and leaves Control-Alt-Down as the only minimize method. · github.com, 5 Oct 2026
Purpose: RBTray is a small background Windows program that minimizes windows to the system tray. · github.com, 5 Oct 2026
Restore windows: A window can be restored by single-clicking its tray icon or selecting Restore Window from the icon’s right-click menu. · github.com, 5 Oct 2026
Security: GitHub reports that the project has no SECURITY.md policy and no published security advisories. · github.com, 5 Oct 2026
Startup: To start RBTray automatically after reboot, the instructions say to add a shortcut to the Windows Start menu Startup group. · github.com, 5 Oct 2026

Where RBTray stands on Freedom251

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