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Windows 11 taskbar behaves differently from the previous versions.
Afterinstalling Windows 11, the first thing you will probably notice is the changes to the taskbar.
These upfront changes are just the tip of the iceberg.
If you are having trouble customizing the new Windows 11 taskbar, then weve got you covered.
Remove the default icons.
There are a few icons on the taskbar by default that cant be removed using the unpin function.
Other than the Start menu, you might remove the other icons using the taskbar prefs.
Right-punch the taskbar and then punch theTaskbar settingsoption.
Here at the top, youll see all the taskbar default items with a toggle button next to them.
Just toggle off the items you dont want to see on the taskbar, and they will be removed.
Move taskbar icons to the left.
In the middle, I have to aim the mouse to choose the Start menu.
Here scroll down and open theTaskbar behaviorssection.
Afterward, selectLeftin theTaskbar alignmentoption.
For now, youll have to use the other methods of pinning the app to the taskbar.
Scroll down in the taskbar configs and open theTaskbar behaviorssection.
Here check the checkbox next to theAutomatically hide the taskbaroption.
Now, unless you hover the mouse cursor over the taskbar area, the taskbar will stay hidden.
Make Windows 11 taskbar transparent.
you could also make the taskbar change its color according to the background and make it look transparent.
You have to do it from the Windows 11 prefs, heres how:
press theStart menuand selectSettingsfrom it.
Here selectPersonalizationin the left panel and then click onColors.
Now enable theTransparency effectsoption, and it will make the taskbar transparent.
Hide/show system tray icons.
In previous versions of Windows, you could easily hide/show icons in the system tray right from the taskbar.
In the taskbar prefs, there is a dedicated section for Taskbar corner overflow.
you might hit it to open all the apps that can show its icon on the Taskbar corner overflow.
Go to the taskbar options and open up theTaskbar behaviorssection.
Change the taskbar color.
you could also use custom colors for the taskbar that wont be influenced by the color of your theme.
Here selectCustomin theChoose your mode sectionandDarkin theChoose your default Windows modesection.
Now scroll down and unlock the optionShow accent color on Start and taskbar.
Afterward, set theAccent coloroption toManualand choose any color you like below to select as your taskbar color.
you could also open up thecolor wheelby clicking on theCustom colorsoption to set a custom color.
Move the taskbar to the top.
If you still want to move the taskbar in Windows 11, youll have to edit the Windows Registry.
So your only option is to move it to the top.
Even at the top, the Start menu is aligned slightly to the left compared to the button.
Open up Windows Registry using the search bar or pressingWindows+Rkeys andusing the Run commandregedit.
Here move to the below-mentioned path.
\HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\StuckRect3
In StuckRect3, open theSettingskey by double-clicking on it, and you will see a bunch of values.
In the 2nd row under theFEcolumn, change the value from03to01and click onOK.
you oughta restart Windows Explorer to see the changes.
Just press Ctrl+Shift+Esc keys toopen the Task Manager, and here, right-hit the Windows Explorer process and selectRestart.
If you prefer, you might also restart the PC, and the changes will take effect.
Change the taskbar size.
However, you will have to edit the registry to make this happen.
But dont worry, this little hack wont break the taskbar.
Name this new keyTaskbarSiand double-tap on it to open it.
Here the medium is the default Windows 11 taskbar size.
Once done, click onOKand restart the Windows Explorer as shown above to let the changes take effect.
you could even try someWindows 10 Start menu alternatives.
Many of them work fine in Windows 11.
