How To Change The Taskbar Size In Windows 10

The Windows 10 taskbar works much like previous Windows versions, offering shortcuts and icons for every running app. Windows 10 offers all kinds of ways to customize the taskbar to your liking, and we're here to guide yous through what you tin do.

We've taken a look at customizing the Start menu and the Action Center in Windows 10. Now, it's fourth dimension to tackle the taskbar. With just a little bit of work, y'all can tweak the taskbar to get it running just how you like it.

Pin Apps to the Taskbar

The simplest mode to customize your taskbar is by pinning various apps and shortcuts to information technology so that you can admission them more chop-chop in the future. There are 2 ways to practice this. The first is to open the program, either from the Starting time carte du jour or an existing shortcut. When the app's icon appears on the taskbar to indicate it's running, correct-click the icon and select the "Pin to taskbar" option from the context menu.

The second way to pin an app to the taskbar does not require the app to be running first. Find the app on the Offset bill of fare, right-click the app, point to "More," and and then choose the "Pivot to taskbar" selection y'all find there. You could also elevate the app icon to the taskbar if yous prefer doing it that way.

This volition immediately add a new shortcut for the app to the taskbar. To remove an app from the taskbar, correct-click the pinned app and cull the "Unpin from taskbar" option.

Pin a File or Folder to Taskbar Jump Lists

Windows likewise provides an piece of cake way to get access to folders—and individual files—on your taskbar. Jump lists are handy context menus associated with each pinned app that evidence certain deportment you can perform with the app and, for apps where it's applicative, also show a list of recent files and folders you've accessed. You lot can view an app's bound listing by correct-clicking an icon.

For example, the jump listing for the File Explorer icon lets you lot open a new File Explorer window and shows recent folders you lot've viewed and folders you lot've pinned. Just point your mouse at a contempo item to reveal a pushpin icon to its right. Click the pushpin to pin the item to the jump listing.

By the way, if you want to view the conventional context carte for an icon on the taskbar, concur the Shift primal while right-clicking the icon. This is specially useful for configuring any binder shortcuts you've pinned there. And this is just i of the many useful keyboard shortcuts you can use with the taskbar.

When you've pinned items to a jump list, those items announced separately from recent items. All you have to do is click one of them to open that folder. And of course, exactly what yous see on a bound list depends on the app. Apps like Notepad or Microsoft Word show recently opened files. A leap listing for your browser might show favorite sites and provide deportment for opening new tabs or windows.

By default, Windows 10 shows nigh 12 recent items in bound lists. In previous versions of Windows, yous could increase or decrease that number easily through taskbar properties. Windows 10, for some reason, does not have this feature easily attainable. Y'all can, however, change the number of items shown on jump lists with a quick Registry hack.

Configure or Remove Cortana and the Search Box

The Cortana icon and search box take up a lot of room on the taskbar, and you don't need either to practice your searching. Even without them, if you press the Windows primal and kickoff typing, you'll get the same search experience. If you lot want to perform a voice search—normally accessed by clicking the microphone icon in the search box—you only have to press Windows+C on your keyboard instead.

You tin remove the search box and leave just the icon, or you can remove both entirely. Correct-click the taskbar and choose "Cortana > Show Cortana icon" from the pop-up carte.

Choose the "Hidden" option to remove both the search box and icon or choose "Bear witness Cortana icon" to have but the icon on the taskbar.

Remove the Chore View Push

The "Task View" button provides access to a thumbnail view of all your open apps and windows. It likewise lets you piece of work with virtual desktops and shows you your Timeline if you enabled that.

But you don't need a button to do this. Simply printing Windows+Tab to access the same interface. To salvage a little taskbar space and become rid of the push, correct-click the taskbar and plough off the "Show Task View push button" option.

The Notification Expanse (sometimes called the "Arrangement Tray") holds arrangement icons—like your Action Center and clock—and icons for various apps that run in the background. You can hands tweak which system icons announced in the Notification Area. Right-click whatever open area on the taskbar and then click "Taskbar Settings." On the taskbar settings page, scroll downwards a chip to the "Notification Area" section and click the "Turn system icons on or off" link.

You'll run across a list of organization icons. Run through them and toggle each one on or off to suit your needs.

Hide Application Icons in the Notification Expanse

Many of the apps you install in Windows are designed to run in the background. They're not things you lot need to collaborate with regularly, so instead of appearing direct on your taskbar, their icons are relegated to the Notification area. This lets you know they're running and gives you quick admission when you need it. A few of these announced right in the Notification Area to the left of the clock. Others are hidden, but you lot can see them by clicking the upward pointer to the left.

You tin quickly customize where these icons appear by dragging them between these two locations. For example, you lot might prefer that your OneDrive icon is always visible, in which case y'all'd drag it to the main Notification Area. You can also hide less of import icons by dragging them to the subconscious surface area.

Yous can also work with these icons through the settings interface. Right-click any open up area of the taskbar and cull the "Settings" option. Scroll down and click the "Select which icons appear on the taskbar" link.

If y'all want to remove the hidden area and see all the icons all the time, plow on the "Always evidence all icons in the notification area" option. If you lot leave that setting off, you can also run through the list and turn private apps on or off. Just note that turning an app off hither doesn't remove it from the Notification Area altogether. When an app is turned off, information technology shows upwardly in the hidden area. When information technology's on, it shows up in the main Notification Area.

Move the Taskbar to a Different Edge of the Screen

The lesser edge of the screen is the default location of the taskbar in Windows 10, just you lot can movement it. If you've got an extra-wide display—or multiple displays—you may find it nicer having the taskbar on the right or left border of a display. Or maybe you lot prefer it at the top. Yous can motion the taskbar in one of ii ways. The get-go is but to drag information technology. Right-click the taskbar and turn off the "Lock the taskbar" selection.

Then, y'all tin can catch the taskbar in an empty expanse and elevate it to any edge of your display.

The other way to change the taskbar location is through the settings interface. Right-click on any empty expanse of the taskbar and choose "Taskbar Settings." In the taskbar settings window, roll down and discover the "Taskbar location on screen" drib-downward menu. Yous can choose any of the four sides of the display from this menu.

Change the Size of the Taskbar

You can also resize the taskbar to get a little boosted infinite. This can exist particularly handy if y'all moved information technology to the right or left edge of your screen, merely it's too good if you just desire space for loads of icons. Right-click the taskbar and turn off the "Lock the taskbar" option. Then identify your mouse at the superlative edge of the taskbar and drag to resize information technology but similar you would with a window. Y'all tin increase the size of the taskbar upward to about half your screen size.

Use Small Icons to Fit More than on the Taskbar

If you desire a few more icons on your taskbar, but aren't keen on resizing information technology, you can configure Windows x to show small taskbar icons. Right-click on any empty expanse of the taskbar and click "Taskbar Settings." In the settings window, plough on the "Use small taskbar icons" option.

Every bit y'all tin can see, almost everything is the same except that the icons are smaller and you tin cram a few more into the space. One departure you should notation is that when yous're using the smaller icons, the taskbar itself shrinks a bit vertically. Equally a result, but the clock is shown and non the date too. But you lot tin can always hover your mouse over the clock or click it to check the date.

Evidence Labels for Taskbar Icons

By default, the taskbar groups icons for windows of the same app and doesn't show labels for those icons. This saves a lot of taskbar space just can make it difficult for newer users to recognize icons. You can have Windows show text labels, but the downside is that you also lose the grouping of related icons. To do this, correct-click on an empty surface area of the taskbar and click "Taskbar Settings." In the settings window, look for the "Combine taskbar buttons" drop-down card.

The carte gives you three choices:

• E'er, hibernate labels. This is the Windows default setting. When it's selected, all windows for an app are grouped on the taskbar, and no labels are shown.
• When taskbar is full. This is a middle-range setting. When selected, windows are non grouped, and labels are shown unless the taskbar becomes total. When it fills up, it reverts to the "Always, hibernate labels" functionality.
• Never. When selected, windows are never grouped, and labels are ever shown. Y'all can meet this setting in action below. Note that instead of a single File Explorer icon and a single Chrome icon, I now take two of each and the titles of the windows are displayed as labels.

Alter the Color and Transparency of the Taskbar

In Windows ten, the default color of the taskbar is black. To modify the colour, press Windows+I to open the settings interface. In the main Settings window, click "Personalization."

In the Personalization window, switch to the "Colors" tab. On the right, coil down to the "More Options" department.

You'll see two options for decision-making the taskbar—forth with the Action Middle and Kickoff card. Use the "Transparency Effects" toggle to choose whether those items should be transparent or opaque. When the "Outset, taskbar, and action center" option is turned off, those items utilise the default black color. When you plow that option on, those items use the color y'all've picked in the color chooser at the top or, if you lot have the "Automatically option an accent color from my background" option turned on, the color Windows has chosen.

RELATED: How to Make the Windows 10 Taskbar More Transparent

Past the way, Windows doesn't offer any controls to arrange the transparency of the taskbar, Start menu, and Activity Centre. If you don't mind making a quick Registry hack, though, you tin can make those items a fleck more transparent than the default.

Enable the Peek Feature

The Peek feature was introduced back with Windows seven to allow users quickly peek through all open up applications to view the desktop. In previous versions, it was turned on by default. In Windows ten, you accept to turn it on. Right-click on any empty area of the taskbar and click "Settings." In the settings window, turn on the cumbersomely named "Utilize Peek to preview the desktop when you move your mouse to the Testify desktop button at the finish of the taskbar" option.

With the Peek option turned on, you can move your mouse to the tiny sliver of space at the far correct of the taskbar to hide all your windows and bear witness you lot your desktop. When you lot movement the mouse abroad, your windows return to their previous state. You can also click this area to automatically minimize all your windows then that y'all can actually do things on the desktop. Click the expanse again to restore your windows. Yous can also use the Windows+D keyboard shortcut to do the aforementioned affair as clicking the Peek area.

Add a Toolbar to the Taskbar

Windows also allows you to add together toolbars to the taskbar. A toolbar is essentially a shortcut to a folder on your system, only the shortcut is displayed as the same kind of toolbar you might encounter in a browser or other app. You can access toolbars past right-clicking the taskbar and then pointing to the "Toolbars" submenu.

There are iii toolbars built in:

• Address. The address toolbar adds a simple address box to your taskbar. Type an accost in it simply like you would in your browser and the resulting page will open in your default browser.
• Links. The links toolbar adds items found in your Internet Explorer favorites list.
• Desktop. The desktop toolbar provides access to items stored on your desktop.

Below, you tin can see what the Address and Desktop toolbars look similar when they're turned on. Instead of expanding the Desktop toolbar to show whatsoever icons, I reduced its size and use the double arrow to open a pop-upward card with all the items.

You can also add a custom toolbar that points to whatever folder on your system. This tin exist a great way of adding quick, taskbar access to items you regularly need. To create a toolbar, all you lot take to do is select the "New toolbar" option from the Toolbars submenu and signal information technology to a folder.

Configure the Taskbar for Multiple Displays

If you utilize multiple displays, you'll be happy to know that Windows 10 includes decent customization controls for using your taskbar across multiple monitors. Y'all can take a taskbar shown on only i display, a single taskbar stretched across all displays and even a separate taskbar for each display that but shows the apps open on that display. To tweak all this, right-click whatsoever open up surface area of the taskbar and choose "Taskbar Settings." In the settings window, scroll all the style to the bottom to find the controls for multiple displays.

If you exit the "Show taskbar on all displays" option turned off—which is the default setting—then y'all'll see a single taskbar on your primary monitor only. All open up windows for apps are shown on that taskbar, regardless of which display the windows are open on. Turn that choice on to have a taskbar shown on all your displays and also open upwardly the other options below.

The "Show taskbar buttons on" drop-down menu contains three options:

• All taskbars. When you select this setting, the taskbar will exist the aforementioned on every display. Each display's taskbar will evidence all open windows, no matter which brandish they're open on.
• Main taskbar and taskbar where window is open. When you select this setting, the taskbar on your primary display will always show all open windows from all displays. Each additional display's taskbar will only show windows open up on that brandish.
• Taskbar where window is open. When y'all select this setting, each display—including your primary brandish—gets its ain contained taskbar. Open up windows are only shown on the taskbar on the display on which the window is open.

The "Combine buttons on other taskbars" choice works much like the same option nosotros covered earlier when we talked about adding labels to taskbar icons. The reason this option is hither is and then that yous can have 1 choice fix for your primary display and a different option prepare for your other displays. For example, say you had iii monitors. One is a big brandish, and the other ii are smaller. Yous might desire to accept taskbar buttons non combined on your main display—where yous accept lots of space—just combined on the smaller monitors.

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Hopefully, these tips should get y'all much closer to turning the taskbar into something that meets your individual needs.

Source: https://www.howtogeek.com/225568/how-to-configure-and-customize-the-taskbar-in-windows-10/

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