Windows 10 is a great operating system, but it can be a bit overwhelming at first. One of the new features of Windows 10 is the taskbar. The taskbar is a bar at the bottom of the screen that shows all of your open windows. One thing you may not like about the taskbar is that it can be distracting when you’re trying to work. You may want to hide it so that it’s not in your way. Here are four ways to do that:
- Change the Taskbar Background One way to hide the taskbar is to change its background. You can find this option under “Settings” in Windows 10. Under “Taskbar and Start Menu,” you’ll see an option called “Taskbar.” Click on this, and then under “Background,” you’ll see several options. Select one of these, and then click on “OK.” This will change the background of the taskbar.
- Hide the Taskbar with a Keyboard Shortcut You can also hide the taskbar using a keyboard shortcut. To do this, go to “Settings” in Windows 10, and under “Task Manager,” click on “Keyboard.” Under “Shortcuts,” find and click on “Hide Task Bar.” This will hide the taskbar automatically when you close any window. ..
In Windows 11, the taskbar takes up a small portion of the screen. Luckily, it’s easy to reclaim that space by configuring the taskbar to hide itself automatically. Here’s how.
First, you’ll need to open Windows 11’s Taskbar settings. To do so quickly, right-click the taskbar itself and select “Taskbar Settings” in the tiny menu that pops up.
(Alternately, you can open Windows Settings and navigate to Personalization > Taskbar to reach the same configuration menu.)
In Taskbar settings, click “Taskbar Behaviors.”
When the Taskbar Behaviors menu drops down, check the box beside “Automatically Hide the Taskbar.”
As soon as you check the box, the taskbar will disappear. But if you look closely, you’ll still see a small line at the bottom of the screen letting you know that it’s ready to pop up at a moment’s notice.
Close the Settings window. To make the Taskbar reappear temporarily, just move your mouse cursor to the very bottom edge of the screen. As soon as it touches the bottom edge, the taskbar will pop up so that you can use it.
When you move your mouse away from the taskbar, the taskbar will hide itself again automatically. Pretty handy!
If you want to always show the taskbar again, open Settings (Windows+i on the keyboard pulls it up quickly.), navigate to Personalization > Taskbar > Taskbar Behaviors, and uncheck “Automatically Hide the Taskbar.” Have fun!
RELATED: All the Ways Windows 11’s Taskbar Is Different
