How do I Make Taskbar Smaller on Windows 10?

Are you unable to get your taskbar down small enough in the latest version of Windows 10 or Windows 11? Here's how you can make your Taskbar smaller!

Making the taskbar smaller on Windows 10 can help clear up more screen space and make it easier to work on different projects. A few simple steps need to be followed to make this change, and the user will be able to see the difference immediately.

Jump To:

How To Make the Taskbar Smaller on Windows 10
Unlock and Resize the Taskbar Manually
Make Taskbar Buttons Smaller To Reduce the Taskbar Size
Automatically Hide the Taskbar
Tips and Tricks for Customizing the Windows 10 Taskbar

Why Making the Taskbar Smaller Can Be Helpful

The taskbar is one of the most essential features of Windows 10. It allows you to see all of your open programs and access them quickly. You can also pin your favorite programs to the taskbar for easy access. By default, the taskbar is set to be relatively large.

However, there are some benefits to making it smaller.

One benefit of making the taskbar smaller is that it frees up more space on your screen. This can be especially helpful if you have a small monitor or use many programs simultaneously. A smaller taskbar gives you more room to view your open programs and windows.
Another benefit of making the taskbar smaller is that it makes it easier to see what's behind it. For example, if you're working on a document in Microsoft Word and you need to reference something in another program, you can more easily see that program if the taskbar is smaller. With a larger taskbar, that program may be hidden behind the taskbar.
A third benefit of making the taskbar smaller is that it can make your mouse pointer easier to find. Your mouse pointer can get lost in the sea of icons when the taskbar is large. A smaller taskbar means a smaller area for your mouse pointer to hide in.
Lastly, making the taskbar smaller can make clicking on icons and buttons easier. You may accidentally click on the wrong icon or button if the taskbar is too large. A smaller taskbar means that there's less area for you to click on by mistake.

Now that we’ve taken a look at why you might want to resize the Windows 10 taskbar to a smaller size, let’s take a look at how to do it.

How To Make the Taskbar Smaller on Windows 10

By default, the taskbar is located at the bottom of the screen and provides quick access to your applications, files, and settings. The taskbar can also be customized to display more or less information. It can even be moved to different locations on the screen.

If you find that the taskbar is taking up too much space on your screen, you can easily adjust the taskbar size:

Right-click the taskbar.
Chose Taskbar settings.
Locate the ‘Use small taskbar buttons’ option from the right pane.
Select the button next to it. That’s it.

Once you’ve done this, the taskbar will immediately become noticeably smaller.

Let’s look at these methods in detail below:

1. Unlock and Resize the Taskbar Manually

The quick way:

Right-click on the taskbar and select Lock the taskbar.
Click and hold the top of the taskbar.
Drag the mouse up and down to resize the taskbar.

The taskbar is one of the most important elements of the Windows 10 user interface. By default, it is located at the bottom of the screen and contains the Start button, taskbar buttons, notification area, and clock. However, you can manually unlock and resize the taskbar to change its size, position, and other settings.

To unlock the taskbar, simply right-click on it and select Lock the taskbar from the context menu if it has a checkmark symbol next to it. This will allow you to move it around on the screen and change its size.

To resize the taskbar, click and drag on one of its edges. You can also change its orientation by dragging it to the left or right side, or even to the top of the screen!

2. Make Taskbar Buttons Smaller To Reduce the Taskbar Size

Another way to reduce clutter on your computer screen is to make the taskbar icons smaller. This will keep your screen looking clean and reduce the taskbar's size.

Choose Taskbar settings after doing a right-click on the taskbar.
Click on the button next to the Use small taskbar buttons option after finding it in the right-side pane. The taskbar will shrink in size right away as the icons adjust to a smaller size.

You can always revert this by unchecking the small icons option.

3. Automatically Hide the Taskbar

Of course, the most effective way to reduce your taskbar's size is to make it disappear. Windows 10 has a built-in feature that automatically hides the taskbar unless you’re hovering over it in desktop mode.

Just right-click on your taskbar and choose Taskbar settings from the context menu that pops up, as seen in the previous section. When you’re in the Settings window, toggle the Automatically hide the taskbar in the desktop mode setting.

When you hover the mouse over where the taskbar is supposed to be (on the bottom of your screen by default), it will show up. However, it’ll stay out of the way otherwise.

Tips and Tricks for Customizing the Windows 10 Taskbar

The taskbar is one of the most important features of Windows 10. It provides a quick and easy way to access your apps and files and can be customized to suit your needs. Here are some tips and tricks for making the most of your taskbar:

If you want to pin an app to the taskbar, simply right-click on the app icon and select Pin to taskbar.
You can also create shortcuts to your favorite apps by dragging them from the Start menu onto the taskbar.
To change the color of your taskbar, go to Settings > Personalization > Colors. Here you can choose from various preset colors or create your own custom color scheme.
The taskbar can also be customized to show different information. For example, you can add a clock, weather forecast, or battery level indicator. To do this, go to Settings > Personalization > Taskbar and select the Turn System Icons On or Off option.
You can add a taskbar to multiple monitors in Windows 10. To do this, go to Settings > Display > Multiple Displays and select the Show taskbar on all displays option.
If you want to move the taskbar to a different location on the screen, go to Settings > Personalization > Taskbar and select the Lock the taskbar option. Once the taskbar is unlocked, you can click and drag it to a new position.

These are just a few of the many ways you can customize the Windows 10 taskbar to suit your needs. Taking advantage of these tips and tricks can make your taskbar work better for you.

Conclusion

The Windows 10 taskbar is essential to your system and can be customized to suit your needs. By following the tips in this article, you should be able to size it down so that it takes up less space on your screen.

If you’re looking to customize your Windows 10 taskbar even further, be sure to read our other articles on the Softwarekeep Blog. We have a variety of tips and tricks that will help you get the most out of your system. And if you still have questions after reading this article, don’t hesitate to reach out to us for help.

Our team is more than happy to assist you with all your tech needs. Thanks for reading!

One More Thing

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