The taskbar sits along the bottom of every Windows 11 screen by default, and it is not always wanted there. Hiding it frees up vertical space for documents and web pages, removes a distraction while working or watching video, and gives the desktop a cleaner look. Windows 11 has a built-in setting that tucks the taskbar out of sight until it is needed, and a couple of other routes reach the same result. This guide covers three ways to hide the taskbar in Windows 11, how to bring it back, and what to do when auto-hide refuses to work. Every menu path below was checked against a current Windows 11 install.
If you’re still getting familiar with Windows 11 overall, our Windows 11 for Beginners guide is a good next stop.
How to Hide the Taskbar in Windows 11
The taskbar does not vanish for good. Windows 11 slides it out of view and then brings it back the moment the pointer moves to the bottom edge of the screen. There are three ways to switch this on, ordered from the quickest toggle to an advanced registry edit. The first method is all most people need.
Method 1: Automatically Hide the Taskbar in Taskbar Settings
Right-clicking the taskbar opens its settings page directly, which is the fastest route to the auto-hide switch.
- Right-click any empty part of the taskbar and click Taskbar settings. This opens the taskbar section of the Settings app.
- Scroll down and click Taskbar behaviors to expand the section.
- Tick the box next to Automatically hide the taskbar. The taskbar slides out of view straight away and reappears whenever the pointer moves to the bottom of the screen.
That single tick is the whole change. To reveal the taskbar at any point, move the pointer to the very bottom edge of the display and it slides back into view.
Method 2: Hide the Taskbar From the Settings App
The same toggle can be reached through the Settings app, which is the better route when the taskbar is glitching and will not respond to a right-click.
- Press Windows + I to open Settings.
- Click Personalization in the left sidebar, then select Taskbar.
- Scroll to the bottom of the page and expand Taskbar behaviors.
- Tick Automatically hide the taskbar to switch it on.
This reaches exactly the same setting as Method 1, so either route works. It is the more reliable path when the taskbar itself is unresponsive, which often points to a deeper problem covered in the guide on fixing a Windows 11 taskbar that is not working.
Method 3: Hide the Taskbar Using the Registry Editor
Auto-hide can also be switched on directly in the registry. This suits advanced users scripting a setup across several machines, though it is more involved than the settings toggle and the exact byte can shift between Windows builds.
Before editing the registry: a wrong change can stop Windows features working correctly or leave the system unstable. Create a System Restore point first, and export a backup of the key with File then Export in Registry Editor so the change can be undone.
- Press Windows + R, type regedit, and press Enter to open the Registry Editor.
- Go to the following key in the left pane.
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\StuckRects3
- Double-click the value named Settings to open its binary editor.
- Find the byte on row 00000008, the first byte of the second row. Change it from 02 to 03, then click OK. A value of 03 enables auto-hide and 02 turns it off.
- Restart Windows Explorer for the change to apply, or sign out and back in.
If that byte is not 02, or the taskbar does not respond after restarting Explorer, the settings toggle in Method 1 is the safer choice. The registry layout is not identical on every Windows 11 build.
How to Show the Taskbar Again
Auto-hide is easy to reverse, and the taskbar can also be called up temporarily without turning the setting off at all.
- To reveal it for a moment, move the pointer to the bottom edge of the screen, or press the Windows key. The taskbar slides up and hides again once the pointer moves away.
- To keep the taskbar on screen for good, open Taskbar settings, expand Taskbar behaviors, and untick Automatically hide the taskbar.
Taskbar Not Hiding? Fixes for Auto-Hide Not Working
Sometimes the box is ticked but the taskbar stays on screen. A handful of common causes stop auto-hide from working, and each has a quick fix.
- An app is asking for attention. A flashing or highlighted taskbar button, such as a new chat message or a finished download, forces the taskbar to stay visible until that app is opened. Click the app to clear the alert.
- The pointer is resting at the bottom edge. The taskbar will not hide while the mouse sits over its area, so move the pointer away from the bottom of the screen.
- The shell has stalled. Restarting Windows Explorer clears most display glitches. Open Task Manager, find Windows Explorer in the list, and click Restart.
- A second monitor is still showing it. With more than one display, the taskbar can stay visible on the secondary screen. Check Taskbar behaviors for the option that controls showing the taskbar on all displays.
Conclusion
To hide the taskbar in Windows 11, right-click the taskbar, click Taskbar settings, expand Taskbar behaviors, and tick Automatically hide the taskbar. The taskbar slides out of view and returns when the pointer moves to the bottom of the screen. Untick the same box to keep the taskbar visible again.
Hiding the taskbar takes one tick and hands the bottom strip of the screen back to whatever matters more. The same settings section controls other tweaks worth trying, from moving the taskbar icons to the left to pinning the apps used most often, so the taskbar can be shaped around how the PC is actually used.
