Just because the Windows taskbar features a ton of handy info, doesn’t mean you want to see it all the time. If you’d like to learn how to hide the taskbar in Windows — at least when you’re doing things other than gaming — you’ve come to the right place.
Depending on which version of Windows you’re currently running, the process might be slightly different. Either way, it’s still relatively simple. The opposite is easy, too, so if you find yourself needing the taskbar in the future, bringing it back is just as straightforward. Here’s how.
Further reading
Auto-hide the Windows taskbar
There are some exciting things ahead for Windows 10, but currently, the process for hiding your toolbar is quite simple and you can do it at any time. Just follow these quick steps!
Step 1: Right-click on the taskbar (it has to be on the taskbar itself, not anywhere on the screen) and select Taskbar settings from the resulting menu.
Step 2: On the Settings page that appears, look for the options that say Automatically hide the taskbar in desktop mode and Automatically hide the taskbar in tablet mode (if applicable). Make sure they are both turned On. Triggering them on and off will give you a preview of what it’s like with the taskbar hidden — it should slide out of sight at the bottom of the screen.
Step 3: When happy with the results, simply close the Settings window. The taskbar is now hidden!
If you find yourself needing the taskbar in the future, simply move your mouse to the bottom of the screen and the taskbar will magically reappear. When you’re done, move your mouse away and the taskbar will once again slide out of view.
If eventually, you find yourself missing your old pal taskbar though, bringing it back to the base of your screen all the time is just as easy as auto-hiding it in the first place. Just repeat the steps outlined above, and deactivate the settings button instead of activating it.
Windows 7 or older
Older versions of Windows don’t have the same options as the updated operating systems, so first you really need to upgrade now. After you complete that process, you’ll find that your updated platform is much more user-friendly. But the process for hiding the taskbar is much the same; the menus just aren’t as pretty.
Step 1: Right-click on the taskbar and click Properties.
Step 2: On the taskbar menu window that appears, tick the box that reads Auto-hide the taskbar.
The taskbar will now be hidden by default, but you can bring it into view by navigating your mouse to where it’s hidden. If you want to reactivate the taskbar, simply repeat the steps above and untick the respective box.
Now that you have your taskbar where you want it, here are some other tips on how to make the most of it. Whether you just upgraded your system with the previous tips or not, there are some options to speed up your Windows experience?
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