Show All Taskbar Icons on Windows 11: Step-by-Step Guide

The application icons on the taskbar’s system tray allow quick and easy access to the applications. Some applications even provide additional options via the right-click context menu to control the application’s behavior.

To ensure the taskbar isn’t cluttered with app icons, Windows 11 only shows a few icons, two or three at most. The remaining icons are automatically hidden in the taskbar corner overflow menu. However, you can change this and show all taskbar icons. That way, you will have quick access to all your favorite applications. No need to click the overflow icon to access an app icon.

In this quick guide, let me show you two ways to show all taskbar icons on Windows 11.

The first method allows you to pick and choose which icons to show on the taskbar, and the second method forces Windows 11 to always show all icons on the taskbar. Follow the method that best suits your current requirement.

Table of contents:

1. Show all taskbar icons on Windows 11
2. Always show all taskbar icons using Registry in Windows 11
3. Conclusion

Show all taskbar icons on Windows 11

Follow the below steps to show all taskbar icons on Windows 11 system tray:

1. Launch the Windows 11 Settings app with the “Windows logo key + I” keyboard shortcut. You can also click the Settings icon on the taskbar or in the Start menu.
2. Select “Personalization” on the sidebar of the Settings app.
3. From the Personalization page, click on the “Taskbar” option. This page allows customizing the taskbar behavior.
4. Expand the “Other system tray icons” section.
5. Turn on all apps on this list to show all app icons on the taskbar system tray.
6. If you also want to show all system icons on the taskbar, expand the “System tray icons” section at the top.
7. Next, turn on all the icons in the section.
8. That’s it, Windows 11 will now show all taskbar icons, and no icons are hidden in the corner overflow menu.

As you can guess, this is a manual process. That means if you install a new application, Windows 11 might automatically move that app icon to the taskbar corner overflow menu. In that case, you have to follow the same process or drag it to the system tray from the overflow menu.

Related: Did you know that you can group taskbar icons?

Always show all taskbar icons using Registry in Windows 11

You can make a small change to the registry to make Windows 11 always show all taskbar icons. That way, even if you install new apps, Windows automatically shows the icon on the taskbar rather than hiding it in the overflow menu.

Here’s how to always show all taskbar icons using the registry in Windows 11:

1. Open the Start menu by clicking on the Start icon on the taskbar or by pressing the Start button on your keyboard.
2. In the Start menu, search for “regedit.exe” and click on the top result to open the Registry Editor application in Windows 11.
3. In the Registry Editor, paste the “HKEY_CURRENT_USER\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer” path in the address bar and press the “Enter” button on your keyboard. This action takes you to the “Explorer” folder.
4. Here, right-click on the “Explorer” folder and select “New -> DWORD (32-bit) Value.” Set the value name as “EnableAutoTray.”
5. Double-click on the “EnableAutoTray” value and set its value data to “1.” You can close the Registry Editor.
6. Next, press the “Windows logo key + R” keyboard shortcut to open the Run dialog box.
7. In that, paste “explorer shell:::{05d7b0f4-2121-4eff-bf6b-ed3f69b894d9}” (along with the curly brackets) and click on the “Ok” button.
8. The above action opens the old Notification Area Icons window. Here, select the “Always show all icons and notifications on the taskbar” checkbox.
9. Close the Notification Area Icons window.
10. That’s it, Windows 11 should always show all icons on the taskbar or system tray.

Conclusion

All in all, Windows 11 provides two methods to show all taskbar icons on the system tray. The first method is a manual process where you can choose which icons to show via the Windows 11 Settings app. The second method involves making changes to the registry and is a more permanent solution to always show all taskbar icons.

Regardless of the method you choose, having quick access to all your favorite applications makes it easier to navigate your device and complete your tasks efficiently.

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That is all. It is that simple to show all icons on the taskbar system tray in Windows 11.

I hope this simple and easy Windows how-to guide helped you.

If you are stuck or need help, send an email, and I will try to help as much as possible.