You can hide Windows 11 taskbar to reduce the screen clutter, make the desktop look clean, and increase overall screen space. Here’s how.
For as long as I remember, the taskbar has been one of the essential parts of Windows. It is more critical than the Start menu if you ask me. After all, the taskbar lets you pin applications, show running or opened windows, add widgets, show important system icons, host system functionality via quick settings, and more.
In Windows 11, though Microsoft removed some of its options and features, there are a few new ones to customize the taskbar’s look, feel, and usability. One such option is the ability to hide the taskbar in Windows 11.
If you think the taskbar is obstructing your screen, to increase the overall screen space, or to make the desktop look clean and minimal, hiding the taskbar in Windows 11 is the way to go.
The good thing is that you can still access the taskbar even when hidden. All you have to do is move the mouse over to the bottom of the screen, and the taskbar appears.
So, without further ado, let me show you the guide to hiding Windows 11 taskbar using PC settings and Command Prompt.
Table of contents:
Hide the taskbar from the PC Settings app
Windows 11’s taskbar settings page has a dedicated option to hide the taskbar automatically when not in use. You need to enable the “Automatically hide the taskbar” option in the Settings app to hide the taskbar. Below are the steps regarding where to find the option and how to enable it.
- Open the PC Settings app (Win + I).
- Choose “Personalization” on the sidebar.
- Click on the “Taskbar” option.
- Expand the “Taskbar Behaviors” section.
- Select the “Automatically hide the taskbar” checkbox.
- Close the Settings app.
- With that, you have hidden the taskbar in Windows 11.
Steps with more details:
As with most things, you must open the Windows 11 Settings app. For that, press the “Start key + I” keyboard shortcut or click the “Settings” icon in the Quick Settings panel.
After opening the Windows 11 Settings app, go to the “Personalization > Taskbar” page. This is where most of the taskbar customization options live. Expand the “Taskbar behaviors” section.
Here, select the “Automatically hide the taskbar” checkbox. As the option name tells you, selecting this option will automatically hide Windows 11 taskbar after a few milliseconds.
You can now safely close the Settings app. Your changes are automatically saved.
To show or unhide the taskbar, move the mouse pointer to the bottom edge of the screen.
Command to hide the taskbar in Windows 11
Here is how to use the Command Prompt to hide the taskbar in Windows 11. If you are wondering, the command method is helpful in creating a custom script, assigning a keyboard shortcut, etc.
The first thing to do is open the Terminal window in Windows 11. For that, right-click on the Start menu and choose the “Terminal (Admin)” option.
In the terminal window, open the Command Prompt tab.
Execute the below command to hide the Windows 11 taskbar using Command Prompt.
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 $v;&Stop-Process -f -ProcessName explorer}"If you look at the command, all it is doing is making changes to the registry editor via PowerShell. That way, you don’t have to make manual changes to the registry editor.
You can close the terminal window.
To show or unhide the taskbar, move the mouse pointer to the bottom edge of the screen.
Reverse the change and unhide the taskbar
To reverse the change, open Command Prompt in the terminal and use the below command.
powershell -command "&{$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}"More taskbar customizations:
- Move the taskbar to the left from the center in Windows 11
- Add a weather widget to the taskbar in Windows 11
- Remove the weather widget on the taskbar in Windows 11
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That is all. It is that simple to hide the taskbar in Windows 11.
I hope this easy Windows 11 how-to guide helped you.
If you are stuck or need some help, comment below, and I will try to help as much as possible.
