The Windows 11 taskbar is one of the best features of the new operating system—elegant, minimalist, and visually unique. Even so, it still needs some improvements. For example, by default, you can't move the taskbar anywhere you want, or even change its size. But you don't have to accept it as is - there are ways to tweak your settings to set up your taskbar exactly the way you want it.
Disable Microsoft Copilot and other junk
The Windows 11 taskbar comes with a lot of buttons that you (probably) will never use. On the left edge, there is a widget button that likes to display news updates and advertisements. There's a new Microsoft Copilot button on the right, which you may or may not find useful. Next to the Start icon in the middle is a big old search bar. Thankfully, Microsoft was forced to remove the chat button in the Windows 11 2023 update, so there is some consolation. But when you remove all these unnecessary features, you'll be surprised how much better the taskbar becomes. It becomes simple, stylish and smarter.
To hide features you don't need, right-click on any empty area of the taskbar and go to taskbar settings. In the Taskbar Items menu, make sure the Widgets, Task View, and Copilot features are disabled. In the Search menu, select the Hide option.
Pin any app to the taskbar
Windows 11 doesn't yet support Windows 10's taskbar drag-and-drop feature, where you can simply drag an app icon to dock it in the taskbar. As a workaround, go to the Start menu, right-click the application of your choice, and click the Pin to Taskbar button. You can pin any currently open application by right-clicking on the application icon and selecting the Pin to taskbar option.
Align taskbar icons to the left
Missing Windows 10 taskbar layout? Microsoft allows you to change the alignment of taskbar icons. Right-click on the taskbar, go to taskbar settings , and from taskbar behavior , select the left option in the taskbar alignment feature.
Customize taskbar behavior (auto-hide, badges, etc.)
Windows 11 has a separate section that lets you customize how the taskbar behaves. Right-click the taskbar, click the Taskbar Settings button, and select the Taskbar Behavior section.
If you have a touchscreen laptop or a small-screen device, you may want to hide the taskbar to get more screen real estate. If so, enable automatic hiding of the taskbar. Now, the taskbar will only appear when you move your cursor to the bottom of the screen or swipe up from the taskbar area.
Likewise, you can disable badges on taskbar icons using the "Show badge on taskbar apps" feature . If you don't like icons blinking in the taskbar, disable the "Show blinking on taskbar apps" feature.
If you use multiple monitors, use the "Show my taskbar on all monitors" feature to enable or disable the taskbar on all monitors.
Place the taskbar at the top of the screen
Microsoft has docked the taskbar to the bottom of the screen and won't let you move it around. It is not possible to place it on the left or right side of the screen, but you can use a registry hack to move it to the top of the screen.
Open Start > Registry Editor and enter the following location in the top bar:
HKEY_CURRENT_USERSoftwareMicrosoftWindowsCurrentVersionExplorerStuckRects3
In the StuckRects3 folder, double-click the Settings file. This will open the Edit Binary Values window where you will see a table full of values. Go to the second row and find the fifth value from the left. By default, it reads "03".
Place your cursor to the right (end) of the value, press Backspace once, and change the value to "01". Click the OK button and exit the Registry Editor application.
Next, open the Task Manager application and restart Windows Explorer .
Make the taskbar smaller or larger
Another big change to the Windows 11 taskbar is that you can't easily resize it, whether you want it to be larger or smaller. But again, while there's no settings menu to change this, you can use a registry hack to do it.
Go to Start > Registry Editor and enter the following location:
HKEY_CURRENT_USERSoftwareMicrosoftWindowsCurrentVersionExplorerAdvanced
Right-click in an empty space and select New > DWORD (32-bit) Value . A new entry will be added to the bottom of the Advanced folder. Rename it to TaskbarSi .
Double-click the TaskbarSi file. In the Value data field, enter "0" if you want a smaller taskbar or "2" if you want a larger taskbar ("1" is the default option). Click the "OK" button.
Restart your PC or restart Windows Explorer from Task Manager. You should see the taskbar appear in its new size.
Restore Windows 10 taskbar
If you've tried all the customizations and still aren't satisfied, we have one last suggestion for you: ditch the entire enterprise and go back to the Windows 10 taskbar. Or, at least restore some Windows 10 elements.
You can use a free, open-source application called ExplorerPatcher to restore the entire taskbar and Windows 10 Start menu. You just install the app and it instantly takes you back to the good old days. The best part of this app is that you can go into Settings and customize every part of the taskbar. For example, you can return to Apps view from Windows 10 while still retaining the Windows 11 system tray and pop-up menus.
Customization is really the key here, as it even lets you revert to Windows 8-era menus. We discuss ExplorerPatcher in more detail in our dedicated guide, so be sure to follow the instructions there for the perfect taskbar setup.
