How to make Taskbar smaller with native controls on Windows 11

Windows 11 now supports a truly smaller Taskbar mode that reduces both icons and Taskbar height with a new customization option.
To show a smaller Taskbar on Windows 11, open Settings > Personalization > Taskbar, click on “Taskbar behaviors,” and choose the “Always” option for the “Show smaller taskbar buttons” setting.

Windows 11 now includes an updated “Show smaller taskbar buttons” setting that can reduce the size of both app buttons and the Taskbar. Previously, the setting only made the icons smaller while keeping the Taskbar at the same height, which made the interface look oddly spaced and unfinished.

After enabling the option, the difference is immediately noticeable, without the need to restart or sign out. The desktop feels cleaner, apps have a little more room, and the Taskbar no longer dominates the bottom of the screen, especially on laptops and ultrawide monitors. It’s one of those small interface tweaks that make Windows 11 feel less oversized without dramatically changing the experience.

Microsoft also added a more flexible approach with three different modes. You can keep the smaller Taskbar enabled at all times, allow Windows 11 to shrink it only when the Taskbar gets crowded, or continue using the original larger layout. In my testing, the “When taskbar is full” option feels like the best compromise because it preserves the standard appearance until extra space is actually needed.

The updated settings are now available in build 26300.8493 and higher releases in the Experimental channel of the Windows Insider Program. However, it’s unclear when the company plans to roll it out to everyone. If you want to use the smaller size, you’ll need the latest preview of the operating system, then use the Feature Flags page or ViveTool.

In this guide, I will outline the steps to change the Taskbar size on Windows 11. It’s worth noting that previously, you needed third-party tools to resize the Taskbar, but now that’s no longer the case.

Show smaller Taskbar on Windows 11

To make the Taskbar smaller on Windows 11, follow these steps:

Open Settings on Windows 11.
Click on Personalization.
Click the Taskbar tab.
Click the Taskbar behaviors setting.
(Option 1) Choose the “Always” option in the “Show smaller taskbar buttons” setting to show a smaller Taskbar with smaller icons.
(Option 2) Choose the “When taskbar is full” option in the “Show smaller taskbar buttons” settings to maintain the original size, then make the Taskbar smaller when it’s full to create more space.
(Option 3) Choose the Never option in the “Show smaller taskbar buttons” setting to show the original Taskbar size.

Once you complete the steps, the Taskbar will reflect the size you specified in the settings page.

Smaller vs taller Taskbar / Image: Mauro Huculak

Enable smaller Taskbar size on Windows 11

To enable the new, smaller Taskbar, follow these steps:

Open Settings.
Click on Windows Update.
Click the Windows Insider Program page.
Click the Feature flags button.
Select the Enabled option for the “Alternate taskbar positions” flag.
Select the Enabled option for the “Smaller Taskbar” flag.
Click the “Apply Changes” button.
Click the Restart now button.

After you complete the steps, you’ll be able to make the Taskbar smaller on the “Taskbar” settings page, under the “Taskbar behaviors” section.

If you want to use the ViveTool, you will have to run this command using Command Prompt (admin):

vivetool /enable /id:61090762

Pureinfotech’s Take

I think this is one of those changes that should have shipped with Windows 11 from the beginning. The original “smaller taskbar buttons” option never made much sense because the icons shrank, but the Taskbar itself stayed oversized. It looked unfinished, almost like Microsoft stopped halfway through the feature.

After using the updated version, the desktop feels noticeably more balanced, especially on laptops and ultrawide monitors where vertical space matters more. I also like that the company didn’t force a single compact mode and instead added the “When taskbar is full” option.

We can clearly see that Microsoft continues to slowly walk back some of the more rigid design decisions introduced with the original Windows 11 release. Over the past few years, the company has been gradually restoring customization features users have been requesting since day one, and this feels like another example of that shift.

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