Things look for better whenever you add your own personal touch, and that includes the Windows 10 taskbar. It doesn’t have a horrible design, but even if you could change just a little bit, it would really brighten up your day.
Did you know it’s possible to place the taskbar to the sides of your display? You can put it either to the right or left, and even at the top if you want. Let’s see how you can do this.
Personalize the Taskbar by Using Settings
The easiest way to customize the taskbar is by going to Settings > Taskbar. Here, you can do things such as:
- Lock the taskbar
- Automatically hide the taskbar in desktop mode
- Automatically hide the taskbar in tablet mode
- Use small taskbar button
- Use Peek to preview the desktop when you move your mouse to the Show desktop button or press Windows key+X
- Replace Command Prompt with Windows PowerShell in the menu when I right-click the start button or press Windows key+X
Organize the Taskbar Buttons
As long as you’re in Settings, you can also use the option that’ll let you combine the taskbar buttons. By clicking on the drop-down menu, you can choose from options such as:
- Always, hide labels
- When the taskbar is full
- Never
How to Change the System Tray
Maybe the icons that currently appear in the System Tray are not your favorite ones. To change that, scroll down to the Notification Area. Click on the blue letters that say Select which icons appear on the taskbar.
You have the option of adding all of them by clicking on the option at the top left that says Always show all icons in the notification area. Or, if you prefer, you can enable specific ones by turning them one individually.
If you ever want to turn the system icons off, there’s an option for that in the Notification area.
How to Change the Taskbar Color
If black is not your color, there are other colors to choose from. Go to
- Settings
- Personalization
- Colors
For the color options, you can choose the Dark or Light mode, or you can go custom if you want. Use the slider to decide the transparency effect.
To see the new color on the taskbar, check the box for the Start, taskbar, and action center option.
How to Use the Taskbar with Various Displays
In the Multiple displays section, there’s also an option to have the taskbar appear in all your monitors or only on your main display. If you want the taskbar on all screens, make sure the options for Show taskbar on all displays on toggled on.
If this option is turned on, you will see options such as:
- Taskbar when window is open – With this option, you’ll only see the icons for programs you have open on that monitor
- All taskbars – This option will maintain all icons open and pinned on the taskbar for all your monitors
- Main taskbar and taskbar where window is open – You can see all the icons on your primary monitor, but on your other monitors, you’ll only see taskbar icons for programs you’re using on that display.
As long as you’re there, you can also set up the combine buttons on other taskbar options to your liking.
How to Make All the Taskbar Icons Appear in the Middle
Placing the taskbar icons in the middle is really going to make it stand out from the rest. The Lock the taskbar option needs to be turned off for this to work. You can check if you have this option on by right-clicking on the taskbar.
Place the cursor over the Toolbars option in the right-click context menu. Choose the Links option, and the option should now be to the right. Click and drag the separator to the side of the links option to the center, and the icons will also be moved as well.
Now that the icons are in the middle right-click on the Links parameter and make sure the Show Text and the Show title options are not checked.
Conclusion
When you customize the Windows taskbar, accessing programs, or doing other things is a lot easier. What changes will you be making to your taskbar? Let me know in the comments below.
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