How to Customize Windows 10 Taskbar – Complete Guide

 
Windows 10 Taskbar has come with lots of more features and lets customize you as per your choice. From Taskbar Settings, you can change the size and presence of icons for applications and toolbars settings as well.

Windows 10 is the most recent operating system from Microsoft. Many users want things to be arranged in their way. So definitely they would be happy when getting to Customize Windows 10 Taskbar of their own preferences. Here in this complete guide, we will show you how to Customize Windows 10 Taskbar which includes the look of the taskbar buttons, how you will pin apps and icons, how you will change the size of the icons on your taskbar, and lot more.

But before jumping to the customization options or steps, let’s first see what exactly taskbar is. Taskbar is the bar at the edge of the computer screen exhibiting applications, icons, and notifications through which you can directly get access to them at no point of time.

To learn the customization, first and foremost thing you must know is the place where you will do the changes. You have to get access to the Taskbar Settings. Over there, you can do the changes and let’s see how to get there.

How to Customize Windows 10 Taskbar – Complete Guide

How to Get Access to Windows 10 Taskbar Settings on Window 10

• Right-click on your Windows 10 Taskbar.
• Choose Taskbar settings. (Note – previously it was only Settings as you can see in the below screenshot)

• Taskbar Settings window is available on your screen now.

Now you can notice that there are three different sections located on the right pane of the Taskbar Settings interface. Each section contains different customization options. In this post, we will demonstrate to you all the sections.

Taskbar

Taskbar is the first section. This is the section that provides you many options to work on. Let’s go into the customization details –

Lock the taskbar

The term lock itself means immovable. So Lock the taskbar option says that if you select the option then the taskbar will be immovable and it does not permit to change its position and also its size. If you want a movable and resizable taskbar then you have to deselect the option. When you unlock this option you can resize your taskbar by hovering a cursor on top of the taskbar margin until you get the resize cursor. Use the resize cursor to change the size of the taskbar. Make a note that there are certain values till where you can change the size.

Automatically hide the taskbar in desktop mode

This option is like a hide and seek game. When you turn ON the auto-hide the taskbar option, you will not be able to see it on the screen. When you will hover your mouse cursor over the area where it is hidden then only it will appear on the screen. The moment you remove your mouse cursor the taskbar will fade away. And it is very obvious that if you do not choose the option then your taskbar will be very well visible on your screen. This setting is possible when your device is set to desktop mode.

Automatically hide the taskbar in tablet mode

This is more instinctive for the touch users as they can use this option to hide the taskbar while the device is set into tablet mode.

Use small taskbar buttons

You can turn on this option when you find your taskbar very clumsy with the icons and apps. After selecting this option, the width of your taskbar will become small in size along with the size of icons. And if the option is turned off then the size of the taskbar and its icons will remain unchanged.

Use Peek to preview the desktop when you move your mouse to the Show desktop button at the end of the taskbar

When you check the box against this option you will be able to see your desktop after clicking without actually minimizing the windows. After checking the option, Click on to the right corner of the taskbar on rectangular space you will be able to view the desktop without minimizing all the windows.

You can check this option without going to the taskbar properties window also. Right click on the far right of the taskbar (on the empty space) and choose option Peek at desktop. Now you can see the desktop without exiting yourself all the windows or even without minimizing them.

Replace Command Prompt with Windows PowerShell in the menu when I right-click the start button or press Windows key+X

When you right-click Start or tap Win+X keys, a menu called Power user menu pops up on the left flank of the PC. By default, this menu includes Command Prompt as one of its options. So, when you turn on this switch, that Command Prompt option will be replaced with PowerShell.

Show badges on taskbar button

This is the newly included setting to the OS. In addition to the Live Tiles and Action Center, you will notice badges popping of UWP apps on the taskbar.

For instance, the Alarms & Clock app will display you that there is an active alarm set on your PC.

Taskbar location on Screen

When you click on the drop-down menu of this option you can see four different locations mentioned – Bottom, left, right, and top. It means if you select the top location your taskbar will be located at the top of your screen. And the same process goes with the other locations. The appearance of the taskbar at the bottom of the screen is by default. But if you want to change the location, then this is the option which does it for you.

Combine Taskbar buttons

This option delivers the conduct of taskbar icons. There are three different options – Always, hide labels; When taskbar is full; and Never. Always, hide labels shows only the icon of an application, no matter how many windows of that particular application is open, it will stack all the windows into that particular icon and it will hide the text of that particular one. The second option When taskbar is full will display all those icons on the taskbar which you have opened. It will not stack them until the taskbar is full. Now the third option Never will keep on squeezing the icons on the taskbar when it is full.

Notification Area

There are two links available in this one. When you click on the Select which icons appear on the taskbar link, the Notifications & actions set of the segment in the Settings app will open. There you can choose quick actions, pick up icons to appear on the taskbar, turn system icons on or off, and different notification settings. It also allows you to customize the notifications for certain apps. And when you click on the second link Turn system icons on or off, you will be straight away taken to the same interface on the Settings app.

Multiple displays

This is the last section of the Taskbar Settings interface. For the time being, not much about these settings are known as they are still inactive.

Toolbars in Windows 10 Taskbar

How to Add Toolbars to Windows 10 Taskbar

Toolbars enable you to add and remove toolbars to Taskbar.  There is one process through which you can add toolbars to your taskbar –

• Right click on your Taskbar hover on the Toolbars.
• It will take you to another set of toolbar options.
• There you can select the toolbars that you want to be displayed on your Taskbar.

• Another important addition here is the New Toolbar. You can add your customized toolbar also.
• Click on Yes and OK.

How to Pin Items to Windows 10 Taskbar

There might be certain items that you access on a daily basis and opening those items is really a long process. If you pin them on the Taskbar then all your regular items can be accessed in quicker ways.

• If your application or program that you want to pin is running, then right-click on its icon on the Taskbar
• And select Pin to Taskbar.

• That’s it!

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