How to hide the taskbar in Windows 10

The Windows taskbar (taskbar) is an important element of the operating system interface, designed to quickly launch programs, control running applications and components, and access some system functions. With default settings, the taskbar is located at the bottom of the computer screen on the Desktop or in open windows of other applications and programs.

Thanks to this, the user has the ability to access the desired icons, regardless of what is currently open on the screen, because windows do not cover the control panel. From the control panel, you can manage open program windows, quickly minimize all windows, open the Desktop, etc.

The Windows 10 taskbar contains the Start menu button, the search box, pinned shortcuts to programs and apps, the notification area, toolbars, and more. From the taskbar, you can quickly access various functions of the operating system.

Some users are looking for information on how to hide the Windows 10 taskbar, or how to shrink the taskbar. This may be needed for several reasons:

• Due to the small screen diagonal of the device.
• It is necessary to hide the taskbar while working with open program windows.
• You need to move the taskbar to the other side of the screen.
• To customize the display of the taskbar in different modes of computer operation.

In this article, we will analyze how to remove the taskbar in Windows 10: move it to another location on the monitor screen, or hide the taskbar on the computer, and if the user’s requirements have changed, we will show ways to return the Windows 10 taskbar to its previous state.

How to hide the taskbar in Windows 10

The Windows 10 operating system has a function to automatically hide the taskbar.

Do the following:

1. Right click on the Taskbar.
2. In the context menu that opens, click on “Taskbar Options”.
3. This will open the Taskbar tab, located in the Settings application window, in the Personalization section.
4. In the “Automatically hide the taskbar in desktop mode” option, move the toggle switch to the “On” position.

The Windows taskbar will disappear from the computer screen.

If your device is in tablet mode, enable the auto-hide feature of the taskbar in tablet mode.

Hidden taskbar: how to open

The taskbar will only appear if the user moves the mouse cursor to the bottom of the display. After moving the mouse pointer away from the bottom of the screen, the taskbar will disappear from view again.

On the Desktop, in windows of games and programs, when watching a video, the bar at the bottom of the screen will no longer be displayed if you do not move the mouse pointer over this place. This is a pretty handy feature, usually found on devices like laptops and netbooks with small screen sizes.

You can temporarily open the taskbar to perform any action using the keyboard keys: “Win” + “B”. After clicking on the screen, the taskbar will disappear again.

How to disable the Windows 10 taskbar on a second monitor

Some users use multiple monitors at the same time when working on a computer. It is possible to disable the display of the taskbar on one of the displays.

You can do this in the taskbar settings:

1. In the Taskbar window of the Settings app, navigate to the Multiple Displays option.
2. In the “Show the taskbar on all displays” setting, move the switch to the “Disabled” position.

How to make the taskbar smaller in Windows 10

Now we will see how to reduce the size of the Windows 10 taskbar. In some situations, it is inconvenient for users to completely hide the taskbar from the desktop.

In this case, you can reduce the width of the taskbar, the icons on the taskbar will decrease accordingly. This element of the operating system interface will become more compact.

Make settings:

1. In the Taskbar Options window, navigate to the Use small taskbar buttons option.
2. Move the switch slider to the On position.

The taskbar buttons will shrink in size, and the bar itself will become less wide.

How to remove the taskbar at the bottom of the screen to a different location

Some users do not like the default location of the interface element, so we will show you how to remove the taskbar at the bottom by moving it to a different location.

Go through the steps:

1. In the Taskbar window, turn off the “Lock the taskbar” setting.
2. Navigate to the “Position of the taskbar on the screen” option.
3. Click on the arrow in the position selection box. Choose one of the appropriate options:

• Left.
• Up.
• On right.
• At the bottom.

How to return the taskbar to its place

The user can return the taskbar to its original place by setting the default settings. Depending on the method used, you need to change the taskbar settings:

1. Enter “Settings” using the “Win” + “I” keys.
2. In the Personalization section, open the Taskbar tab.

Change the settings that were previously changed:

• Disable the “Auto-hide the taskbar in desktop mode” and “Auto-hide the taskbar in tablet mode” options.
• When using multiple monitors, enable the option to show the taskbar on all displays.
• Disable the setting for showing small icons on the taskbar.
• Select the correct position of the taskbar on the screen to hide the taskbar side down or top down.

How to hide the taskbar on the command line

There is a way to automatically hide the taskbar when running a PowerShell command.

Do the following:

1. You must run the command prompt as an administrator, and then run the command.

For Windows 10 use this code (StuckRects3):

powershell -command "&{$p='HKCU:SOFTWAREMicrosoftWindowsCurrentVersionExplorerStuckRects3';$v=(Get-ItemProperty -Path $p).Settings;$v[8]=3;&Set-ItemProperty -Path $p -Name Settings -Value $v;&Stop-Process -f -ProcessName explorer}"

For Windows 7, the code is suitable (StuckRects2):

powershell -command "&{$p='HKCU:SOFTWAREMicrosoftWindowsCurrentVersionExplorerStuckRects2';$v=(Get-ItemProperty -Path $p).Settings;$v[8]=3;&Set-ItemProperty -Path $p -Name Settings -Value $v;&Stop-Process -f -ProcessName explorer}"

2. Restart Explorer.

As a result, the taskbar will disappear from the desktop. When moving the mouse pointer to the bottom of the screen, the control panel will appear on the desktop until the mouse cursor leaves this area.

To return the settings to default in Windows 10 or Windows 7, change the value in the command $v[8]=3to $v[8]=2, and then restart File Explorer after running the new command.

Article Conclusions

Some users need to hide the taskbar so that only the desktop or windows of open applications are displayed on the monitor screen. In the Windows 10 operating system, you can change the taskbar settings to change the appearance of the panel area: automatically hide, do not show on all displays, use small buttons, change the position on the screen.