Improving and Customizing the Windows Taskbar

If you're a Windows user, y'all're likely interacting with the taskbar most of the time, and yet nearly people don't know almost all of the options and customization it offers.

With a few piece of cake tweaks, the taskbar can salvage you time and display more information while taking up less screen real estate… and become less agonizing. Here are a few recommendations to get the most out of the Windows taskbar.

Move the taskbar to the top

By default, the taskbar is placed at the bottom of the screen, but that may not be the nigh logical place to put it. Raise your hand if y'all've ever close downwardly your PC by accident because the button is correct adjacent to "Start."

This may be a somewhat controversial recommendation and information technology's certainly not suited for everyone, but think almost it: what's the beginning thing y'all practise after opening an app or switching to it through the taskbar? Switch to a different tab on your web browser? Employ the address bar, or the search bar? Relieve a certificate? Open up another i? If yous utilize your mouse for any of those, you'll need the cursor nearly the peak of the display.

You lot may recall that moving the taskbar to the side will save you infinite, because your monitor is wider than information technology is tall, only nosotros've had less success improving productivity like that and the taskbar has a minimum width that you lot can't hands alter, and then it's non great on the sides.

If you're willing to experiment, moving the taskbar effectually is unproblematic: right-click on some empty space in the taskbar, and cull "taskbar settings." In the settings window, under "taskbar location on screen," choose "tiptop" from the drop-down menu.

Plough your desktop and other folders into taskbar menus

Right-click on the taskbar. In the carte du jour, within "toolbars," select "desktop." That'southward it!

Now you lot can access whatsoever icons on your desktop without minimizing windows. The best function is, yous can do the same with almost any folder. Within the same toolbar submenu, click "new toolbar," so select the binder you desire.

Equally an alternative, the vertical line near the edge of the taskbar isn't a pattern quirk. If you click on the tiny rectangle that it creates upon hovering, you'll return to the desktop. In the taskbar settings, you can besides enable the option to testify the desktop as long equally you hover the cursor on that button.

Shorter taskbar, wider buttons

Depending on your display settings and resolution, you lot may experience that the taskbar takes too much space. The solution is simple: in the taskbar settings, plow on the option to use smaller taskbar buttons.

If now you experience that the taskbar is the correct size merely the buttons are too small, yous tin continue the taskbar at the same size while making the buttons of open windows close to their previous size.

By default, Windows ten combines the same app'due south windows in a single, unlabeled taskbar button. In the taskbar settings, under "combine taskbar buttons," you can choose to do and so just when the taskbar is full. If you do that, the taskbar will brandish wide, labeled buttons for open up windows.

Only prove the taskbar when yous demand it

For the ultimate space-saving solution, go to the taskbar settings and turn on the option to automatically hide the taskbar in either desktop or tablet mode (whichever yous utilise). That way the taskbar will merely show when the cursor is at the edge of the display or when you render to the desktop.

In theory this should be great, but ane reason yous may non want to turn this on is how poorly it sometimes works with web browsers (including Microsoft's ain Edge when the taskbar is top-mounted), ironically making you minimize the window to see the taskbar.

Remove the clutter

The search bar on the taskbar has no good reason to be. Correct-click on the taskbar, and under "search" cull to brandish only the search icon, which functions identically while taking far less infinite when it's not in use. Those of y'all who prefer keyboard shortcuts will want to remove search altogether, since y'all can simply hit the Windows key and start typing to search, which works best.

If yous bought a pre-built PC, laptop or tablet, it's possible some OEM bloatware has made it to your taskbar. Right-click on any app on the taskbar to unpin information technology. If you lot don't use Cortana or the task view feature, y'all tin can simply uncheck the option to show information technology later right-clicking on the taskbar.

Add together useful taskbar shortcuts + leap lists

Pinning an app to the taskbar from the desktop is very simple: correct-click on it, and yous'll see the option. For doing the aforementioned from the Kickoff menu, hover the cursor over "more" after right-clicking on the app's tile.

The Starting time carte has interesting options, including the mod settings app, a timer and a reckoner. Under "Windows system" you'll find the expert old Control Console, "This PC" and Task Manager. Pinning the terminal 1 to the taskbar will let you lot access it more quickly than by right-clicking on an empty taskbar expanse.

Whenever an app is pinned to the taskbar, right-clicking it will open a "jump listing," which lets you directly access recent documents and other functions specific to that app. Yous can also pin items within jump lists, which is actress useful.

Add a second taskbar clock for a different time zone

If you piece of work, study or play online with friends in dissimilar fourth dimension zones, you're probably tired of calculating the time differences. Correct-click on the taskbar clock, and and so click "ready appointment/fourth dimension."

Click on "add clocks for different time zones." In the new window, you can add upwardly to 2 clocks with dissimilar names and time zones. You volition see those clocks if you either click on the main clock or hover the cursor on it.

Disable unnecessary notifications

Y'all may not want to encounter a notification every fourth dimension you connect/disconnect your headphones (as if you didn't know information technology). Click on the notification area > "notifications," and under "go notifications from these senders," you tin disable any abrasive notification you no longer want.

Conform the taskbar for your multi-monitor setup

If you use multiple monitors, it'southward ordinarily because you have several windows open at the aforementioned time. Displaying all those windows on a single taskbar can ataxia it, and possibly make you lot use a scroll bill of fare.

Go to the taskbar settings: scroll down to the "multiple displays" section, and enable "bear witness taskbar on all displays." So, right underneath, you tin can choose to show taskbar buttons only on the taskbar where the window is open up.

Change the taskbar colour

Most of the changes you brand to the taskbar's color will also affect the Start bill of fare and action center: right-click on the desktop, click on Personalize > Colors.

First, you lot'll exist able to choose betwixt ii default color sets: light and dark. If you turn on transparency furnishings, the taskbar volition blend in meliorate with your desktop wallpaper. If yous ringlet down, you tin choose a more specific color. Near the bottom of the window, you tin can cheque the option to utilize that colour to the taskbar.