How-To

Windows 10 Taskbar Tips and Tricks for Improved Workflow

By Brian Burgess

Updated September 3, 2021

If you want to improve your productivity, here are some important Windows 10 Taskbar tips and tricks.

The taskbar in Windows has evolved over the years, and there are many ways you can tweak it to get things done more efficiently. Here’s a look at customizing features of the Windows 10 taskbar to help improve your workflow and productivity.

Move the Windows 10 Taskbar

You can move the taskbar to different locations on your screen to suit what works best for you. To move it, right-click the taskbar and uncheck the “Lock All Taskbars” option. Then you can click and drag it to the top or either side of the screen. I’m traditional and always keep mine at the bottom. However, I know other people here that have advocated to move it to the side of the screen.

Example of the taskbar moved to the right side of the screen and made a bit larger.

Create More Taskbar Space

If you use the taskbar to make accessing items easier, you might want to clean it up and create more space. One of the biggest culprits by default is the Cortana search box. If you’re not a fan, you can shrink it down to a button or hide it completely. Other things you can do are hide the Task View button, unpin items you rarely use or hide system icons in the notification area. There are many ways to clean it up. Check out our article on how to clear up space on the Windows 10 taskbar for more details.

The biggest culprit taking up space on the Windows 10 taskbar is the Cortana search box. You can make it smaller or completely hide it.

Bring Back the Quick Launch Bar

Remember the Quick Launch bar in XP and Vista? It allowed you to access your frequently used apps and other files easily. It also provides a way to group similar apps without clogging up the taskbar. For step-by-step instructions on doing it, please read our article: How to Get the XP Quick Launch Bar in Windows 10. Similarly, for an easy way to send items there, read our article on adding Quick Launch to the context menu.

If you miss the Quick Launch bar from the XP and Vista days, you can bring it back to Windows 10.

Pin Websites as Apps to Taskbar

If there are web services you regularly use through your browser, you can add them as a web app to the taskbar. This makes it, so you don’t need to install additional apps or bookmark each site. In Microsoft Edge, head to a site like Pandora and choose Options (…) and then “Pin this page to the taskbar.” If you’re running Google Chrome, make sure to read our full article: Pin Websites as Apps to Windows 10 Taskbar with Chrome.

You can pin online services like Pandora, YouTube, or Outlook.com to the taskbar, and they work like web apps.

Create and View Calendar Events

Almost everything in the OS gets new abilities with each new major release of Windows 10. You might not know of the ability to create calendar events using the date and time taskbar notification. Click the clock on the taskbar, and you will get a full calendar—click the small ‘+’ icon, and you can add events. You can also click on a specific date in the calendar to see what you have lined up for that day, including Cortana Reminders. For more, read our article on how to add a calendar event from the taskbar.

Click the clock on the taskbar to see a full calendar to view and create events.

Enable Desktop Peek

If you have a ton of windows open and want to get a quick look at what’s on your desktop, you can hover the mouse in the lower-right of the taskbar to get a clear look at things. You can click on it to close all those open windows and click it again to relaunch them. It might not be enabled on your Windows 10 system, but you can enable Desktop Peek in Windows 10 Settings.

Hover your mouse in the lower-right corner of the taskbar to see through all open windows to view items on the desktop.

Taskbar Settings

Microsoft has moved most of the taskbar options to the new Settings app. You get there by going to Settings > Personalization > Taskbar. There you will find simple switches to turn certain features on or off. There you can choose to automatically hide the taskbar, clear Jump List history, make it smaller, hide the People app icon, manage how it works on multiple displays, and more.

Head to Settings > Personalization > Taskbar to access several settings to control the look, feel, and behavior of the Windows 10 taskbar.

What are some of the ways you tweak the taskbar in Windows 10? Leave a comment below or hop in our Windows 10 Forums for more discussions.