By default, on Windows 11 or 10, most non-crucial icons remain hidden in the Taskbar Corner Overflow Menu (known as the Notification Area or System Tray in Windows 10) so that your taskbar does not get flooded by a massive amount of icons. If you need, you can always access those icons by clicking on the “Show hidden icons” arrow button on the taskbar corner.
Some of the Taskbar Corner Overflow Menu icons may not be so important for you, so you don’t want to unhide them. However, you might frequently use some of them and want to set them on the Taskbar. For example, we frequently use the ShareX tool to take screenshots, and for that, we want to keep it constantly visible on the taskbar. When you install ShareX, too, by default, its icon remains hidden on the Taskbar Corner Overflow menu. To make my life easier, we want to keep it visible on the taskbar.
Windows 11/10 allows users to show or hide any icon they want on the taskbar corner. In this gearupwindows article, we will guide you on showing hidden Icons on Taskbar in Windows 11/10.
How to Show or Hide Hidden Icons on the Taskbar in Windows 11?
To show a hidden icon on the taskbar corner in Windows 11, do the following steps:-
Step 1. First, right-click on the free space on the taskbar and select Taskbar settings.
Alternatively, press Windows + I keys on the keyboard to open Settings. Then navigate to Personalization > Taskbar.
Step 2. When Taskbar settings appear on your computer, scroll down a bit on the right-side pane and then select the Taskbar corner overflow tile to expand it.
Step 3. Under Taskbar corner overflow, you will see a list of all icons that would appear in the taskbar corner. Here, toggle the switch to On or Off to show or hide icons on the taskbar corner.
How to Show or Hide Hidden Icons in the Windows 10 System Tray?
Similar to Windows 11, Windows 10 System Tray also consists of a section of icons that are always visible (visible on the taskbar) and a section of icons that you only see when you click the “Show hidden icons” button. To show the hidden icons in Windows 10 system tray, do the following:-
Step 1. At first, open the Settings app.
Step 2. Then, click Personalization.
Step 3. After that, select Taskbar.
Step 4. Now, scroll down on the right sidebar and click the link Select which icons appear on the taskbar under the “Notification area” section.
Step 5. In the next screen, you will see a list of all the applications that may appear in the Notification area. Toggle the switch to the On/Off position depending on your requirements.
Quick Tips
On Windows 11 and 10 PCs, you can quickly add your favorite application icons to your taskbar or hide them from the taskbar by just dragging and dropping them. For that, click on the Show hidden icons button on the taskbar.
Now, drag the hidden icon anywhere on the taskbar to keep it visible always.
Similarly, to hide non-important icons, select the icon on the taskbar and move the cursor outside the taskbar. Now, release the mouse cursor, and the icon will move to the hidden area.
Conclusion
In conclusion, showing or hiding icons on the taskbar corner or system tray in Windows 11/10 can be a useful customization feature to keep your taskbar organized and decluttered. By default, most non-crucial icons remain hidden, but users can easily access them by clicking on the “Show hidden icons” button. Additionally, users can choose to show or hide specific icons by following a few simple steps in the Taskbar settings. Users can also drag and drop their favorite application icons onto the taskbar or hide non-important icons by selecting them and moving the cursor outside the taskbar. These quick tips can help users keep their taskbar clean and tailored to their specific needs.
