How to Hide the Taskbar on Windows 11

If your Windows 11 taskbar is taking up screen space you’d rather use for apps, you can turn on auto-hide so it tucks itself away until you move your mouse to the bottom of the screen. This guide walks you through turning on auto-hide, tidying up which icons show on the taskbar, and fixing it if the taskbar won’t hide or won’t come back.

Quick steps

1. Right-click an empty area of the taskbar and choose Taskbar settings (or go to Settings > Personalization > Taskbar).
2. Select Taskbar behaviors to expand that section.
3. Turn on Automatically hide the taskbar.
4. Move your mouse to the bottom edge of the screen whenever you want the taskbar back.

Before you start

A few quick things to check before you dive in:

• This setting applies to Windows 11 running on a desktop PC or laptop. The taskbar behavior on tablets with touch mode can act a little differently.
• Auto-hide doesn’t delete or remove the taskbar permanently. It just slides out of view until you hover near the edge of the screen where it normally sits.
• If you want to hide individual icons rather than the whole taskbar, that’s a separate setting covered further down.
• Some third-party taskbar customization tools can conflict with the built-in auto-hide feature, so it’s worth testing the native option first.

Hide the taskbar automatically on Windows 11 (Settings app)

This is the main way most people hide their taskbar, and it works across all Windows 11 versions.

1. Click the Start button, then open Settings.
2. Select Personalization from the left sidebar.
3. Click Taskbar.
4. Scroll down and click Taskbar behaviors to expand the options.
5. Check the box next to Automatically hide the taskbar.
6. Close Settings. The taskbar will now disappear when you’re not using it, and it will reappear when you move your cursor to the bottom of the screen.

To undo this later, just go back to the same screen and uncheck the box.

Hide the taskbar from the right-click menu (shortcut route)

If you’d rather skip the Settings app, you can jump straight to the Taskbar settings page from the desktop.

1. Right-click anywhere on an empty part of the taskbar.
2. Select Taskbar settings from the menu that appears.
3. Expand Taskbar behaviors.
4. Turn on Automatically hide the taskbar.

This lands you on the exact same settings page, so use whichever route feels quicker.

Hide specific taskbar icons instead of the whole bar

Sometimes you don’t want to hide the entire taskbar, you just want fewer icons cluttering it. Windows 11 lets you control what shows up in the system tray and what appears on the main taskbar.

1. Open Settings > Personalization > Taskbar.
2. Expand Taskbar corner icons to turn individual system tray icons (like network, volume, or battery) on or off.
3. Expand Other system tray icons to choose which app icons always show, and which stay hidden in the overflow menu.
4. Expand Taskbar items to toggle built-in buttons such as Search, Task view, Widgets, and Chat on or off.

These settings are handy if you want a cleaner-looking taskbar without losing quick access to it entirely.

Make the taskbar smaller instead of hiding it

Newer Windows 11 updates have added a smaller taskbar size option, which shrinks the icons and overall height of the bar to free up screen space while keeping it visible. If you find full auto-hide a bit inconvenient, this is a middle-ground option worth checking for under the same Personalization > Taskbar settings page, since Microsoft has been rolling this feature out gradually in recent updates.

If it doesn’t work

The taskbar won’t disappear even with auto-hide turned on

Move your mouse fully away from the bottom edge of the screen and give it a second or two. Also check that no open window is maximized right up against the taskbar area, which can sometimes affect how auto-hide behaves. If it still doesn’t disappear, go back into Settings > Personalization > Taskbar > Taskbar behaviors and confirm that Automatically hide the taskbar is still switched on.

The taskbar won’t reappear

Move your cursor slowly to the very bottom edge of the screen (or the edge where your taskbar is positioned, if you’ve moved it) and pause there briefly. If it still doesn’t show up, open Taskbar settings again to confirm the auto-hide option is still turned on, then try moving your mouse to the edge once more. Restarting your PC can also help if the taskbar seems stuck.

Auto-hide setting keeps turning itself off

This can sometimes happen after a Windows update or a sign-out and sign-in cycle. Head back into Settings > Personalization > Taskbar > Taskbar behaviors and turn the toggle back on. If it keeps resetting, restarting your PC after reapplying the setting usually fixes it.

Icons are missing after changing taskbar settings

Double check the Other system tray icons and Taskbar corner icons sections under Taskbar settings. It’s easy to accidentally switch an icon to hidden rather than removing it, and you can turn it back on from there.

Frequently asked questions

How do I auto hide the taskbar on Windows 11?

Go to Settings > Personalization > Taskbar, expand Taskbar behaviors, and turn on Automatically hide the taskbar. The taskbar will then stay out of sight until you move your mouse to the bottom of the screen.

How do I make the taskbar disappear completely on Windows 11?

There’s no built-in way to remove the taskbar permanently from the desktop, but turning on auto-hide gets it out of view most of the time. It will still appear briefly when you hover near the screen edge or open the Start menu.

Can I hide only certain icons on the Windows 11 taskbar?

Yes. Under Settings > Personalization > Taskbar, use the Taskbar corner icons and Other system tray icons sections to choose which icons show and which stay tucked away in the overflow menu.

Why does my Windows 11 taskbar keep reappearing even with auto-hide on?

This usually happens because your cursor is lingering near the bottom edge of the screen, or because an open window is maximized against that edge. Move your mouse further away from the edge and confirm in Taskbar settings that auto-hide is still enabled.

Does hiding the taskbar affect my open apps or files?

No. Auto-hide only changes how the taskbar displays on screen. It doesn’t close apps, affect running programs, or change any files.

Related guides

• How To Stop Teams Loading Up After Logging In
• How to Disable OneDrive on Windows 10 and 11
• How to Remove OneDrive from Your PC

Sources

• Windows message center (Microsoft Learn)
• Windows 11 requirements (Microsoft Learn)