Making the Windows 11 taskbar smaller isn’t rocket science, but yeah, it does involve poking around in the Registry—so be warned. If you’ve ever tried resizing to get more screen real estate or just prefer a sleeker look, this might do the trick. Of course, messing with the registry isn’t exactly user-friendly, but it works if you follow the steps carefully.
How to Make Taskbar Small in Windows 11
The gist is: you tweak a setting in the registry that controls the taskbar size. It’s kinda weird because Windows doesn’t have a built-in slider for it, so registry editing is the way. That said, it’s generally safe if you don’t go nuts, but always back up just in case. Here’s how it goes.
Step 1: Open the Registry Editor
Hit the Windows key, type regedit, then click on the Registry Editor icon. Fair warning—this thing’s powerful. If you mess up, things can get wonky, so don’t go randomly deleting stuff.
Once open, you’ll see a big folder tree on the left. That’s where all the magic happens.
Step 2: Navigate to the right key
Follow this path: HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\Advanced. To make it easier, you can copy this into the address bar in regedit, or just click through folders.
Step 3: Create a new DWORD value called “TaskbarSi”
Right-click on the Advanced folder, select New > DWORD (32-bit) Value. Name it TaskbarSi. Some folks might have it already there, but if it’s missing, this is how you add it.
Step 4: Set the value to 0 to get a smaller taskbar
Double-click on the new TaskbarSi entry, and change the Value data to 0. This sends Windows into “small taskbar” mode. If you change it to 1 or 2, you’ll get the default or larger sizes—so experiment.
Not quite sure why it works, but on one machine, setting it to 0 shrank the bar instantly. On another, I had to reboot twice for it to stick, so be patient.
Step 5: Restart your PC
To see the magic happen, you gotta restart. Sometimes, just logging out then back in can work too, but usually a full reboot is safer. After that, your taskbar should be smaller and give you more space. Bonus points for making the desktop look less cluttered.
Because of course, Windows has to make this harder than necessary. No checkbox, just registry bubbling. Anyway, if it didn’t help, double-check you followed everything exactly — typos in that registry path are the bane of these tweaks.
Tips for Making Taskbar Small in Windows 11
- Backup the registry before diving in — just in case.
- Make sure you’re navigating to HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\Advanced.
- Use
TaskbarSias the value name, set to 0 for small, 1 for default, and 2 for bigger icons. - After changing the value, don’t forget to restart. Windows likes to ignore some settings until you do.
- If the size is still weird, double-check the registry path and value—you probably missed a step or typoed.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I make the taskbar smaller without editing the registry?
Well, not really—Windows doesn’t offer a built-in slider or toggle for this. You’ll have to go through the registry or maybe some third-party tweaks (but those aren’t always safe).
Is it safe to mess with the registry?
Mostly, yes—just remember to back up first. In regedit, click File > Export and save a copy. Because if something blows up, you’ll want to restore it.
What if nothing happens after reboot?
Double-check the TaskbarSi value—you might’ve typoed it or set the wrong number. Also, sometimes Windows needs a full shutdown and restart; a quick logoff isn’t always enough.
Will shrinking the taskbar mess with my icons or notifications?
Nope, this just changes the size of the taskbar, not how it functions or what icons you see. It’s purely visual.
How do I revert back to normal?
Set TaskbarSi back to 1 and restart. The default size will return, and you can go back to your original setup.
Summary
- Open Registry Editor (
regedit). - Navigate to HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\Advanced.
- Create or edit
TaskbarSias a DWORD value. - Set it to 0 for small, 1 for normal, or 2 for larger icons.
- Reboot and enjoy a more compact taskbar.
Hopefully this shaves off a few hours for someone. Smaller taskbar, less clutter, more space for what you actually care about.