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Windows 11 Taskbar Customization: What You Can Change and How

Learn which Windows 11 taskbar and system tray settings you can change, how to manage visible and overflow icons, and how to reach Quick Settings and notifications.
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Windows 11 lets you choose which taskbar and system tray icons appear, align taskbar icons to the left or center, and adjust several display behaviors. Right-click an empty area of the taskbar and select Taskbar settings to begin. You can also open Quick Settings with Windows key+A, notifications with Windows key+N, and the hidden-icons area with Windows key+B.

Where to find Windows 11 taskbar settings

Right-click a blank part of the taskbar and choose Taskbar settings. The settings page separates taskbar features from behavior and tray controls. Names and availability can vary by Windows build, device, or management policy, so a control may not appear identically on every PC. See Microsoft’s taskbar customization guide for the current Windows instructions.

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Choose which taskbar and system tray icons appear

Taskbar items

Use Taskbar items to configure items such as Search and Task view. Turn off an item you do not want displayed on the taskbar; this changes its taskbar presence, not necessarily the underlying Windows feature.

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System tray icons and app overflow

Under System tray icons, Windows offers controls for selected built-in items, such as Pen Menu, Touch keyboard, and Virtual Touchpad. Under Other system tray icons, choose which app icons appear in the visible tray and whether to use the hidden-icons overflow menu.

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You can also drag an icon between the visible system tray and the overflow area. Moving an icon into overflow changes where it is shown; it does not, by itself, disable the app or stop its background activity. Likewise, hiding an icon is not a way to silence that app’s notifications.

Align the taskbar icons and change taskbar behavior

Move icons left or center

In Taskbar settings, expand Taskbar behaviors and set Taskbar alignment to Left or Center.

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Use more or less taskbar space

Taskbar behaviors also includes options such as automatically hiding the taskbar, showing badges, and showing the taskbar on multiple displays. Choose the settings that fit your screen and workflow; controls can differ by device or Windows build.

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Can you move the taskbar to the top or side?

Microsoft’s current Windows 11 instructions provide no Settings option to move the taskbar to the top or either side of the screen. Do not follow Windows 10 directions about unlocking and dragging the taskbar: those controls are not the Windows 11 procedure. Microsoft’s instructions are in the Windows taskbar customization guide.

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Open and arrange Quick Settings

Select the network, volume, or battery area at the right end of the taskbar, or press Windows key+A. Quick Settings gives access to frequently used controls, and you can move and arrange its elements. It cannot be removed from the taskbar. As Microsoft puts it, “While you can’t remove Quick Settings from the taskbar, you can customize it by moving and arranging the elements to suit your preferences.”

Show or hide the clock and open notifications

Open the calendar and notification area

Select the clock or notification bell, or press Windows key+N to open Notification center. The clock/calendar and notification flyout are related to the taskbar, but notification delivery is managed separately.

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Change the clock display or show seconds

  1. Right-click the taskbar clock and select Adjust date and time.

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  2. Use Show time and date in the System tray to hide or show the clock and date.

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  3. To display seconds, enable Show seconds in system tray clock, if the option is available on your device. Microsoft notes that showing seconds uses more power.

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Navigate the tray without a mouse

Press Windows key+B to focus the hidden-icons area. Use the arrow keys to move among tray items and Enter to open or activate a selected item. For other quick access, use Windows key+A for Quick Settings and Windows key+N for Notification center. Microsoft’s taskbar keyboard-navigation guidance describes these shortcuts and controls.

Manage notifications separately from tray visibility

Changing which app icons are visible does not turn notifications on or off. To control notification delivery or Do Not Disturb, open Windows notification settings rather than relying on the tray icon’s visibility. The options and behavior may depend on the Windows version, app, device policy, or configuration. See Microsoft’s guide to notifications and Do Not Disturb in Windows.

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Quick Recap

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Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon at the time of purchase will apply.

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