Resizing the taskbar in Windows 11 might seem straightforward at first glance, but trust me, it can sometimes be a bit trickier than expected. If clicking around in Settings doesn’t do the trick, or if the options seem limited, here are some real-world tricks that might help. Because of course, Windows has to make it more complicated than it needs to be.
How to Resize Taskbar in Windows 11
This part will walk you through some options to get that taskbar sized just right for your setup. Whether you want it bigger to see more icons or smaller to squeeze in extra apps, here’s what to try.
Method 1: Using Settings (the normal way)
If your taskbar size options are limited—like only choosing between small, medium, or large—the first step is to go to Settings > Personalization > Taskbar. Sometimes, on newer builds, you might not see size options unless you have certain features enabled or tweak a few hidden settings first.
In Settings, scroll down to Taskbar behaviors. Here you can’t usually toggle size directly, but what you can do is toggle icon size and spacing, which indirectly affects perceived size. To do this:
- Go to Settings > Personalization > Taskbar.
- Find Taskbar behaviors, then look for options like Use small taskbar buttons.
- Enable or disable that toggle. Yes, that’s the only built-in way to make it undeniably smaller, at least on most setups.
This helps because reducing button size makes the taskbar take up less space and look cleaner. Not exactly a resizing slider, but it’s a hack some people forget about. When you toggle that, expect the icons to get smaller, and the overall taskbar might seem a bit less bulky.
On some machines, this change might not stick right away and a quick restart or sign-out might be needed for the icon sizes to update. Also, be aware that Windows sometimes resets these prefs after updates, so you might need to redo it every now and then.
Method 2: Registry Edits (for the bold ones)
If that didn’t help, or you’re feeling brave, there’s always the registry. Kind of weird, but it’s how some folks have managed to get finer control.
Warning: messing with the registry can break things if you’re not careful. Do a backup first.
Open Registry Editor by pressing Win + R and typing regedit
Navigate to:
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\AdvancedLook for a DWORD named TaskbarSi. If it’s not there, create it:
- Right-click on the right pane, select New > DWORD (32-bit) Value.
- Name it TaskbarSi.
Double-click it, set the value to:
- Small: 0
- Medium (default): 1
- Large: 2
After changing this, you usually need to restart Windows Explorer or log out and back in. To restart Explorer without rebooting:
taskkill /f /im explorer.exe && start explorer.exeExpect that the taskbar will resize immediately, but sometimes it can be a bit flaky. Not sure why, but on one setup it worked, on another… not so much. Still, it’s worth a shot if you’re comfortable with regedit.
When to Use These Tricks
If you notice your taskbar feels cramped or too bulky, messing with icon size or registry tweaks can really help. Especially if the built-in options are too limited or just don’t behave. Sometimes, updates reset your customizations, so be prepared to do it again every once in a while. And yeah, rebooting or restarting Explorer is often necessary to see the change.
Tips for Resizing Taskbar in Windows 11
- Play around with Use small taskbar buttons in Settings if you just want a quick size tweak.
- Be aware that some third-party tools claim to resize the taskbar more flexibly, but they can be buggy or risky.
- Check for OS updates; sometimes Microsoft sneaks in fixes for taskbar weirdness.
- Just remember, a reboot often fixes weird visual glitches after registry tweaks.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I set a custom size for the taskbar?
Not really, especially not visually. The built-in options only offer small, medium, and large. For anything more specific, registry tweaks are the only route.
Will resizing mess with pinned apps or notifications?
Not directly, but if you make it very small or very large, some icons might look weird or get cut off. Your pinned apps stay put—just their appearance might change.
Any risk messing with registry for this?
There’s always a risk, but fixing the TaskbarSi value is fairly safe if you follow steps carefully. Still, it’s not supported officially, so a backup is a good idea.
Can I revert to the default size?
Yep, just reset the registry value to 1 or toggle the setting off and on again.
Summary
- Try toggling small icons in Settings first.
- For more control, use the registry tweak
TaskbarSi. - Restart Explorer after changes to see results.
- Backup before registry edits — because why not?
- Revert if things get wonky — it’s not the end of the world.
Hopefully this shaves off a few hours for someone. Not saying it’s perfect, but hey, it’s better than poking blindly around.