Hiding the Windows taskbar, when it is not needed, can be useful to have more space available and to display the desktop completely. Using Windows 10 it is possible to hide the taskbar from the "Settings" menu, while using the previous versions of Microsoft's operating system you have to resort to using the "Properties" window. In case you are unable to hide the taskbar, there are a few methods that may fix the problem.
Steps
Part 1 of 4: Windows 10
Step 1. Select the taskbar with the right mouse button, then choose "Settings" from the context menu that appeared
Make sure you select an empty spot on the bar and not one of the icons there. To simulate pressing the right mouse button on devices with a touchscreen, just hold your finger down on the taskbar for a few seconds. The moment you lift it from the screen, the context menu of the selected object will appear.
- Alternatively, you can access the "Start" menu, choose the "Settings" item, click the "Personalization" link and finally choose the "Application bar" option located in the menu on the left of the screen that appears.
- If you select "Properties" instead of "Settings" when selecting the taskbar with the right mouse button, it means that you are using an older version of Windows. In this case, to hide the taskbar, you can follow the steps described in the next section of the article.
Step 2. Activate the slider of the option "Automatically hide the taskbar in desktop mode"
This way the taskbar will be hidden automatically. This setting takes effect when desktop mode is active. If the device you are using is not a tablet, this is the only configuration option you need to change to hide the taskbar.
Step 3. Enable the option "Automatically hide the taskbar in tablet mode"
This way, when the device is in tablet mode, the taskbar will be automatically hidden. You can switch to tablet mode by selecting the notification center button in the lower corner of the desktop and pressing the "Tablet mode" button.
Step 4. To display the taskbar, just move the mouse pointer to the bottom of the screen
This will automatically show the taskbar. When the mouse pointer is moved to another place on the desktop, the taskbar will be automatically hidden again.
If you are using a tablet, you can display the taskbar by sliding your finger across the screen from bottom to top
Step 5. Change the location of the taskbar
To do this, you can use the "Position of the taskbar on the screen" menu. It may be more useful and efficient to place the taskbar along either side of the screen or at the top. This change will be applied immediately.
Part 2 of 4: Windows 8, Windows 7, and Windows Vista
Step 1. Select the taskbar with the right mouse button, then choose the "Properties" option from the context menu that appeared
If you are using Windows 8, choose the "Desktop" option from the "Start" screen or press the key combination ⊞ Win + D to activate the desktop view mode.
Step 2. Select the "Auto Hide" checkbox
This check button is located on the "Taskbar" tab.
Step 3. Press the "Apply" button
You will see the taskbar disappear instantly. To close the "Properties" window, click the "OK" button.
Step 4. Display the taskbar again using the mouse pointer
To do this, move the latter to the bottom of the screen, the taskbar will be shown automatically. As soon as you move the mouse cursor to another place on the desktop, the bar will be automatically hidden.
Part 3 of 4: Troubleshooting
Step 1. Check if there are any programs that require the taskbar to always be visible
If a program requires your attention, its icon on the taskbar will flash. When such a situation occurs, the taskbar cannot be automatically hidden. Select the icon of the program in question to view its notification and restore normal operation.
Step 2. Check the icons placed in the notification area of the taskbar
The notification area of the taskbar is located in the lower right corner of the screen (when the bar is docked on the underside of the desktop) near the system clock. Just like the program icons, even those in the notification area could prevent the taskbar from being automatically hidden when there should be an active notification. Select the latter icon to check which program has requested your attention.
The icon for the active notification may be hidden. To show all the icons, click the arrow icon pointing up, located at the far left of the notification area
Step 3. Disable notifications of specific programs
If you have to constantly stop your work to check for notifications sent by programs or if one of them prevents the taskbar from automatically disappearing, you can try disabling the Windows notification system.
- Windows 10: go to the "Start" menu, choose the "Settings" item, select the "System" category, then choose the "Notifications and actions" section. Disable receiving notifications from specific applications or completely disable the Windows notification service.
- Windows 8, 7 and Vista: click the arrow icon on the left of the icons in the Windows notification area, then choose "Customize". Find the app or program you want to disable notifications from in the list that appears, then choose the "Hide icons and notifications" option from its drop-down menu.
Step 4. Try applying the configuration settings changes again
Sometimes disabling and re-enabling the automatic feature that hides the taskbar may solve the problem. Go to the "Settings" (Windows 10) or "Properties" window, then disable the option that automatically hides the taskbar. If you are using Windows 8 or earlier, press the "Apply" button. At this point, activate the functionality in question again and apply the new configuration settings.
Step 5. Restart the "Windows Explorer" process
This is the program that manages the Windows user interface. Restarting it may cause the taskbar malfunction to be resolved.
- Press and hold the key combination Ctrl + ⇧ Shift, then select the taskbar with the right mouse button.
- Choose the "Close Windows Explorer" option from the context menu that appeared. The taskbar, all icons, files and folders on the desktop will disappear from view.
- Press the key combination Ctrl + ⇧ Shift + Esc to open the "Task Manager" window.
- Go to the "File" menu, then choose the "Run New Task" option.
- Type the command "explorer", then press the Enter key. This will restart the "Explorer" process.
Part 4 of 4: Windows 10 Troubleshooting
Step 1. Press the key combination
⊞ Win + R and type the command "powershell" in the "Open" field to start the program of the same name.
If you are using Windows 10 and the taskbar is not automatically hidden, you can try using the "PowerShell" system utility to fix the problem.
Step 2. Select the "PowerShell" program icon, placed on the taskbar, with the right mouse button
Select the option "Run as administrator". Confirm your willingness to proceed. This will open a new window of the PowerShell program, which in the title will show the words "Administrator".
Step 3. Copy and paste the following command
Make sure you paste it into the window that displays "Administrator" in the title:
Get-AppXPackage -AllUsers | Foreach {Add-AppxPackage -DisableDevelopmentMode -Register "$ ($ _. InstallLocation) AppXManifest.xml"}
Step 4. Run the command
Some error messages may appear on the screen but can be safely ignored.
Step 5. When the command has finished running, click or tap the "Start" menu
You should notice that the taskbar is now automatically hidden and remains in this state, assuming the expected behavior.
