Customizing your computer to suit your preferences can significantly enhance your user experience. One such customization option available in Windows 11 is changing the taskbar size. However, unlike previous versions of Windows, the taskbar size in Windows 11 is fixed and cannot be altered using the standard settings.
Why change the taskbar size in Windows 11?
While the default taskbar size in Windows 11 is optimized for most users, some people might prefer a larger or smaller taskbar, depending on their screen resolution or personal preferences. For instance, users with high-resolution displays might find the taskbar too small, making it difficult to tap on app icons. Conversely, users with smaller screens might prefer a more compact taskbar to maximize their screen real estate.
How to change the taskbar size in Windows 11
Although the standard settings do not allow you to change the taskbar size directly, you can use a workaround to achieve this. The following steps will guide you through the process of changing the taskbar size in Windows 11:
- Press the Windows + R keys simultaneously to open the Run dialog box.
- Type
regeditin the Open field and click OK to open the Registry Editor. - Navigate to the following path in the Registry Editor:
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\Advanced
Note: If the Advanced key does not exist, create it by right-clicking on the Explorer key, choosing New > Key, and naming it Advanced.
- Right-click on the
Advancedkey, chooseNew>DWORD (32-bit) Value, and name itTaskbarSize. - Double-click on the newly created
TaskbarSizevalue and set its value data to the desired size. The available sizes are:
- 0x00000000 (default): This sets the taskbar height to 48 pixels.
- 0x00000001: This sets the taskbar height to 72 pixels.
- 0x00000002: This sets the taskbar height to 32 pixels.
- Click OK to save the changes and close the Registry Editor.
- Sign out and sign back in to Windows 11 for the changes to take effect.
Additional customization options
Apart from changing the taskbar size, you can further customize the taskbar in Windows 11 to suit your needs. Some of these customization options include:
- Autohiding the taskbar
- Changing the taskbar alignment
- Adding or removing taskbar icons
- Customizing the taskbar corner settings
Autohiding the taskbar
You can choose to autohide the taskbar, which makes it disappear when it is not in use. To enable autohiding, right-click on the taskbar, select Taskbar settings, and toggle on Automatically hide the taskbar in desktop mode and/or Automatically hide the taskbar in tablet mode, depending on your preferred hiding behavior.
Changing the taskbar alignment
By default, the taskbar is aligned to the bottom of the screen. However, you can change its alignment to the left, right, or top of the screen by right-clicking on the taskbar, selecting Taskbar settings, and choosing your preferred alignment from the Taskbar alignment dropdown menu.
Adding or removing taskbar icons
You can add or remove icons from the taskbar by right-clicking on the taskbar, hovering over News and interests, and selecting Turn on or Turn off, respectively. Similarly, you can add or remove other icons by right-clicking on the taskbar, selecting Taskbar settings, and managing your icons under Taskbar corners.
Customizing the taskbar corner settings
You can customize the taskbar corner behavior by right-clicking on the taskbar, selecting Taskbar settings, and managing your corners under the Taskbar corners section. Here, you can enable or disable peek, switch, and show desktop behavior for individual corners.
Changing the taskbar size in Windows 11 requires you to modify the registry. This article provided a step-by-step guide on how to change the taskbar size, as well as other customization options available in Windows 11. While the default taskbar settings work well for most users, customizing your taskbar can significantly improve your user experience and align the interface with your preferences and needs.