On Windows 10, badges are lightweight notifications designed to alert you when you missed any event in the taskbar for a particular app without you having to open Action center, Start menu, or the app.
Depending on the app, you’ll see a badge indicating the number of notifications you have missed. For example, in the “Mail” app, you’ll see the number of emails you haven’t seen. The “Alarm & Clock” app will show any active alarm. The badge for the “Weather” app will let you know of any weather related condition alert, and so on.
However, these notifications can be intrusive and can easily clutter your taskbar, but you can disable the badge feature if it’s something you don’t need.
In this guide, you’ll learn the easy steps to disable badge notifications on Windows 10.
Disable taskbar badge notifications on Windows 10
To disable badge notifications for apps in the taskbar, use these steps:
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Open Settings on Windows 10.
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Click on Personalization.
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Click on Taskbar.
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Turn off the Show badges on taskbar buttons toggle switch.
Disable badges for apps in the taskbar Quick tip: If the “Show badges on taskbar buttons” option is grayed out, it’s possible that you’re using small taskbar buttons, which doesn’t support badges. If this is the case, turn off the “Use small taskbar buttons” option to enable badge notifications in the taskbar.
Once you complete the steps, apps in the taskbar will no longer show notifications making the taskbar less distracting.
Disable Action center notification badge
The Action center button in the notification area of the taskbar also includes a badge with the number of missed notifications. The button also can show app icons making easier for you to quickly identify which app you have missed notifications.
If you don’t want to see badge (or app icons) in the Action center button, you can disable these features with these steps:
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Right-click the Action center icon from the bottom-right corner of the taskbar.
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Select the Don’t show apps icons option.
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Select the Down show number of new notifications option.
Disable Action center badge notification
After you complete the steps, the Action center button will no longer show notifications, but the icon will turn white or black when you have new notifications depending on the system theme mode.
Update September 18, 2020: This guide was originally released in April 2016, and it’s been revised for the latest version of Windows 10
Mauro Huculak is a Windows How-To Expert who started Pureinfotech in 2010 as an independent online publication. He has also been a Windows Central contributor for nearly a decade. Mauro has over 15 years of experience writing comprehensive guides and creating professional videos about Windows and software, including Android and Linux. Before becoming a technology writer, he was an IT administrator for seven years. In total, Mauro has over 21 years of combined experience in technology. Throughout his career, he achieved different professional certifications from Microsoft (MSCA), Cisco (CCNP), VMware (VCP), and CompTIA (A+ and Network+), and he has been recognized as a Microsoft MVP for many years. You can follow him on X (Twitter), YouTube, LinkedIn and About.me. Email him at [email protected].