How to hide/unhide the Taskbar on Windows 11

After you install Windows 11 and sign in for the first time, you'll see the desktop, the default wallpaper (which looks great), the Recycle Bin and Microsoft Edge icons, and the Taskbar at the bottom of the screen.

In Windows 11, the taskbar only takes up a small portion of the screen at the bottom. However, as with other versions of Windows, if you want to take up the entire screen, you can easily set the taskbar to automatically hide when not in use. If that’s what you want, read on. And, if you’ve already hidden the taskbar and want to see it, read on to the end of this article to learn how.

Hide Taskbar on Windows 11 using Settings

First, you need to access Windows 11 taskbar settings. To do this quickly, right-click on an empty space on the taskbar. In the small menu that appears, select the “ Taskbar Settings ” option.

(Alternatively, you can also open the Windows Settings app and navigate to Personalization > Taskbar to access the same configuration menu.)

In the Taskbar settings screen, click on “ Taskbar Behaviors ”.

When the Taskbar Behaviors menu appears, check the box next to the “ Automatically Hide the Taskbar ” option.

Once you do this, the taskbar will disappear. But if you look closely, you’ll still see a small line at the bottom of the screen that tells you the taskbar is ready to appear when you need it.

Close the Settings window. To temporarily bring back the taskbar, simply move your mouse pointer to the bottom edge of the screen. As soon as you touch the bottom edge, the taskbar will pop up and you can interact with it as usual.

When you move your mouse away from the taskbar, it will automatically hide. Pretty handy!

In case you change your mind and want the taskbar to stay visible permanently again, open the Settings app (press Windows key + i ), then navigate to Personalization > Taskbar > Taskbar Behaviors and uncheck the “ Automatically Hide the Taskbar ” option.

Hide Taskbar on Windows 11 using Command Prompt

You can use Command Prompt to hide the Windows 11 taskbar. On Windows 11, click Start and type cmd. This will bring up Command Prompt and you have to select Run as administrator .

Enter the following command in Command Prompt to hide the taskbar in Windows 11.

powershell -command "&{$p='HKCU:SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\StuckRects3';$v=(Get-ItemProperty -Path $p).Settings;$v[8]=3;&Set-ItemProperty -Path $p -Name Settings -Value $v;&Stop-Process -f -ProcessName explorer}"

The above PowerShell command enables the “Automatically hide the taskbar” option in Windows 11 personalization settings.

If you want to unhide or show the taskbar again, run the command below.

powershell -command "&{$p='HKCU:SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\StuckRects3';$v=(Get-ItemProperty -Path $p).Settings;$v[8]=2;&Set-ItemProperty -Path $p -Name Settings -Value $v;&Stop-Process -f -ProcessName explorer}"

Hide Windows 11 taskbar on secondary monitor

For multi-monitor PC systems, Windows 11 allows you to hide the taskbar on the additional display while keeping the taskbar enabled on the primary display. Of course, you'll have to adjust the settings to do this, and here's how to do it.

First, open the Windows Settings app by pressing the Windows + i shortcut key combination .

In the Settings window that appears, from the list on the left, click on “ Personalization ”.

On the right, in the “ Personalization ” menu, select “ Taskbar ”.

Scroll down the “ Taskbar ” menu to the bottom. There, click on the “ Taskbar Behaviors ” item.

In the menu that opens, turn off the “ Show My Taskbar on All Displays ” option.

( Tip : In the future, to bring the taskbar back on all displays, simply re-enable the “ Show My Taskbar on All Displays ” option).

That's it, from now on Windows 11 will no longer show the taskbar on your secondary monitor, while everything will remain the same on the primary monitor.

How to show Taskbar in Windows 11

If you can't see the Taskbar in Windows 11 and want it back, move your mouse pointer to the bottom of the screen and it will show up. If you're using a touchscreen, you can see the taskbar by swiping up from the bottom of the screen with your finger. Then, right-click or press and hold, and select Taskbar settings.

Alternatively, you can press Windows + I on your keyboard to open Settings and then go to Personalization > Taskbar . Next, on the right, click Taskbar behaviors to expand it and uncheck the “ Automatically hide the taskbar ” setting.

The Windows 11 Taskbar is always visible at the bottom of the screen. Close Settings and you're done.

Many users like the way the taskbar looks and works in Windows 11, despite its limitations. However, some people want it to be visible all the time, while others want it hidden. It all depends on your needs, and you can tweak it to your liking.

Hiding the taskbar in Windows 11 is a simple yet powerful trick to get more space on your screen. If you're running Windows 11, there's a way to make the taskbar disappear and free up your screen.

Hiding the Windows 11 taskbar is useful when you are playing games, working on apps, or when you want more space on your screen. This article covers 2 ways to hide/show the taskbar in Windows 11.

Hope you have a great experience with Windows 11!