Windows 11 has separate settings for taskbars on physical monitors and open-window buttons across virtual desktops. For a second monitor, open Taskbar settings and adjust Show my taskbar on all displays or Combine taskbar buttons on other taskbars. If the apps appearing or disappearing are tied to virtual desktops, change the setting under System > Multitasking instead.
First, identify what “which taskbar” means
A second physical monitor and a second virtual desktop are different situations in Windows 11, and each has its own control. For a physical monitor, use the taskbar’s multiple-display settings. For a virtual desktop, use the Desktops setting in Multitasking.
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- Taskbar missing from a monitor: change whether the taskbar appears on all displays.
- Too many or hard-to-identify app buttons on a monitor taskbar: change how buttons are combined on other taskbars.
- Windows from another virtual desktop appear or are missing: change which desktops’ windows the taskbar shows.
Choose how taskbars show apps on multiple monitors
- Right-click an empty area of the taskbar and select Taskbar settings.
- Expand Taskbar behaviors and toggle Show my taskbar on all displays to show or hide taskbars on connected monitors.
- Under Multiple Displays, set Combine taskbar buttons on other taskbars to control how open windows appear on secondary taskbars.
Microsoft documents three choices: Always, hide labels, When taskbar is full, and Never. Choose Never to keep each window as a separate, labeled button. As space runs out, buttons shrink and eventually scroll. The other choices combine buttons either all the time or once the taskbar is full. See Microsoft’s Customize the Taskbar in Windows guidance.
Choose which virtual desktop’s windows appear
- Open Settings > System > Multitasking.
- Under Desktops, find On the taskbar, show all the open windows.
- Choose Only on the desktop I’m using to limit taskbar windows to the active desktop, or On all desktops to show windows from every desktop.
This setting concerns virtual desktops, not whether a taskbar is present on a physical monitor. Microsoft’s instructions are in Configure Multiple Desktops in Windows.
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Which setting should you change?
| Setting | What it controls | Use it when |
|---|---|---|
| Show my taskbar on all displays | Whether taskbars appear on connected monitors | A taskbar is missing from or unwanted on another monitor. |
| Combine taskbar buttons on other taskbars | Whether windows share buttons on secondary taskbars and whether labels appear | Buttons on another monitor are crowded or difficult to distinguish. |
| On the taskbar, show all the open windows | Whether windows from other virtual desktops appear on the taskbar | The issue changes when you switch virtual desktops rather than monitors. |
If the labels differ on your PC
Windows settings and labels can change as Windows is updated, and Microsoft’s guidance does not specify a particular Windows 11 build. If a label is worded differently, look for the corresponding control under Taskbar behaviors, Multiple Displays, or System > Multitasking > Desktops, depending on whether you are changing monitor taskbars, button grouping, or virtual-desktop visibility.
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