Windows 10 Taskbar Not Hiding in Fullscreen? Fix It Now!

Jack

By Jack

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Windows 10 Taskbar Not Hiding

Have you found that your Windows 10 taskbar not hiding on your PC? How will you react if you come to know that the taskbar in Windows 10 can also be hidden by making use of some options and applying some changes? Yes, you heard it right, and it is possible.

Most Windows 10 users are unaware of this fact and remain happy with whatever is offered to them by default.

They never bother to make any changes in the default settings, ignoring the benefits they may have if they make a little customization in these settings.

Hiding the Taskbar of Your Desktop in Windows 10 Will Offer You the Following Benefits or Advantages:

Neat And Clean Desktop

When you somehow manage to hide the taskbar from your desktop, your desktop becomes more neat and clean. It looks better than before.

Extra Space On Desktop

Moreover, if there is no taskbar on your desktop, you will have some extra space on it. The desktop will look bigger and more spacious.

Process To Hide Taskbar In Windows 10

If you have ever used the previous versions of Windows and used the option of hiding the taskbar in those versions, there is a piece of good news for you.

The taskbar hiding options have not changed in this version also. You can easily find the option by going to Settings > Personalization > Taskbar, as explained below:

  • 1. First, open the “Settings” app in Windows 10 and click on “Personalization.”
  • 2. Once the Settings app dialog box opens up, you will find the following two options over there, along with the other options available:
  • Automatically hide the taskbar in desktop mode
  • Automatically hide the taskbar in tablet mode
automatically hide the taskbar in desktop mode

These two options control the taskbar auto-hiding functionality. If you are using a PC, you can control the functionality by the first option. On the other hand, the second option works for devices like tablets.

Now, you must be thinking about what exactly these options do. Okay, let me make it clear to you. When you enable any of these two options given in the Settings for controlling the taskbar auto-hiding functionality, the taskbar on your desktop will be hidden automatically but not permanently.

It will appear again if you move your cursor over the area where the taskbar lies and will disappear again when you move away.

Besides, you can fix the taskbar that disappeared in the Windows 10 issue.

Windows 10 Taskbar Not Hiding?

Windows 10 Taskbar Not Hiding

There are times when some people have to face an issue with the auto-hiding functionality of the taskbar.

Although Windows 10 is an operating system that comes with an in-built super-advanced technology, and the functionality will work very well, you may have to face such an issue that the taskbar won’t hide anymore. It might occur due to the following reasons:

1. Some Programs Require Your Action

If an app or program is active and requires you to take some action, the taskbar will have to appear temporarily to show that notification.

For example, there are times when you receive a new message, emails, etc.; and sometimes, some operations that you have started reach their completion stage.

In such cases, the icon of the program will flash to make you know that it needs some interaction from your end.

But this kind of appearance of the taskbar is temporary. Once you click that program icon to confirm that you are aware of the notification, the taskbar will be hidden again, and the functionality will start running normally.

2. Background Apps Need Your Actions

Apart from the desktop programs and apps, there are also some background apps that might require some actions from your end.

And it might also cause a temporary issue in the smooth functionality of the taskbar auto-hiding feature.

Windows 10 Taskbar Not Hiding Yet?

As I mentioned earlier also, the functionality can start working normally once you pay attention to the app or program which needs your attention and confirm that you have noted it.

But what if there are no such notifications and the apps are silent; still, the taskbar is not hiding anymore? In that case, you can fix the issue by restarting the Explorer process. Follow the steps given below:

  • 1. First, open the “Windows Task Manager” (by using the shortcut Ctrl-Shift-Esc).
  • 2. You will see the list of basic processes only if you have not previously clicked on the “More Details” button provided at the bottom. The Windows Explorer process is not available there in this list. Hence click on the “More Details” button to open the full list, including all of the other processes, including the needed one (Windows Explorer).
  • 3. Once you have the full list of processes in front of you, find the “Windows Explorer” process in the list and click on it with the right mouse button.
  • 4. When you right-click “Windows Explorer,” a list of options will open up. Click on the “Restart” option, which will restart the process.
restart explorer to fix Windows 10 Taskbar Not Hiding

Once you have implemented the above-mentioned resolving methods, if the issue persists and the Windows 10 taskbar is not hiding anymore automatically, you should try the following two actions:

  • You should again check whether the preferences for hiding the taskbar automatically are still enabled.
  • Click anywhere on your desktop to check if the taskbar hides or disappears. This may prove useful because sometimes the taskbar doesn’t hide until you perform some action keeping your cursor away from the area (bottom part of the desktop) where the taskbar lies.

More Advanced Approach

There may be cases when even after implementing all of the above-mentioned methods, the issue still remains unresolved. And the Windows 10 taskbar is still not hiding automatically; what to do then? Just keep reading…

Whenever the reason for not hiding the taskbar is the notification popping up in an application, it can easily be identified for the application whose icon is displayed.

But sometimes, the problem lies in the applications with no displayed icons. In that case, you can resolve the issue using the following method:

  • 1. Again, go to the taskbar preference by following Settings > Personalization > Taskbar.
  • 2. Under the notification area, there is an option to “select which icons appear on the taskbar.” Click it to choose the desired option.
select which icons appear on the taskbar
  • 3. Choose the option “always show all icons in the notification area,” which will make all icons display in the notification area. Thus no icon will remain hidden anymore.
always show all icons in the notification area
  • 4. As all of the icons are displayed in one place, now you can easily identify which application is causing the taskbar not to hide automatically. Once you find the program icon which is causing the problem, click it to make the taskbar auto-hide again.
taskbar icons
  • 5. If still, the program keeps stopping the taskbar from hiding regularly, you should disable the notification for that particular program or hide the program’s icon permanently by going to Settings > System > Notifications & actions.
Settings > System > Notifications & actions

Now you have finally found out which app is causing the problem. Now it’s up to you what to do with that.

You can disable the notifications from the app so that it may not cause the taskbar to appear again to notify you or anything you can do to deal with it.

get notifications from senders

Make Use of Group Policies Of Windows 10

As another method to control the notifications to fix the taskbar issue not hiding in Windows 10, you can use the Group Policies in Windows 10.

To set the policies, you can follow the following steps:

  • 1. First, you have to tap on the Windows key.
  • 2. Then you have to type gpedit.msc and press “Enter.”
  • 3. Once you press the “Enter” key, the “Group Policy Editor” will open up.
Make Use of Group Policies Of Windows 10

Other Solution to Fix ‘Windows 10 Taskbar Not Hiding’

There is also software that, if installed on the system, can facilitate you to hide the taskbar by using a hotkey easily. This program has been released by The Windows Club and made available free of cost to the users.

The program can run on Windows 7, 8, and 10. The shortcut to hide and unhide the taskbar with this program is “Ctrl-Esc.”

FAQs

Q1. Why does the taskbar appear in fullscreen mode? The taskbar may appear in fullscreen mode due to incorrect settings, Windows Explorer glitches, outdated graphics drivers, notifications, or software conflicts.

Q2. How can I hide the taskbar in fullscreen mode? To hide the taskbar in fullscreen mode, you can adjust the taskbar settings, restart Windows Explorer, update graphics drivers, disable notifications, or use third-party software designed for taskbar management.

Q3. Are there any third-party applications to manage the taskbar in fullscreen mode? Yes, several third-party applications like “TaskbarX,” “FalconX,” and “7+ Taskbar Tweaker” can help manage the taskbar behavior in fullscreen mode.

Q4. Do I need to restart my computer after applying the fixes? In most cases, you don’t need to restart your computer. However, if the issue persists, a restart may be necessary.

Q5. Can I customize the appearance of the taskbar in fullscreen mode? Yes, you can customize the appearance of the taskbar in fullscreen mode using various third-party software and customization options provided by Windows 10.

Final Words

As you are aware now that hiding the taskbar in Windows 10 is helpful in making your desktop neat and clean. It is the easiest way to accommodate more space on your desktop.

And you can easily enable the auto-hide functionality of the taskbar by using the method described earlier in this article.

But sometimes, the taskbar won’t hide in fullscreen, which may be frustrating. And the problem persists even if you restart your computer several times.

But don’t panic; you can apply the solutions mentioned above to check which works to resolve the issue for you.

Although the methods mentioned above directly apply to Windows 10, you might try to apply them to the other versions of windows like Windows 7 and 8.

Jack
Jack

Ten years of experience in information and computer technology. Passionate about electronic devices, smartphones, computers, and modern technology.

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