On Windows 11, apps in the Taskbar can show a badge counter, which are lightweight notifications to let you know the number of messages you haven’t seen without the need to open the app or Notification Center.
Although this is a useful feature, it’s not for everyone since these notifications can be intrusive and can easily clutter the Taskbar, but you can disable the badge feature using the Taskbar settings page.
In this guide, you will learn the easy steps to disable badge notifications on Windows 11.
Disable Taskbar badge notifications on Windows 11
To disable badge notifications for apps in the taskbar, use these steps:
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Open Settings on Windows 11.
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Click on Personalization.
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Click the Taskbar page on the right side.
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Select the Taskbar behavior setting.
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Clear the Show badges (unread messages counter) on taskbar apps option.
Once you complete the steps, apps in the taskbar will stop showing notifications, making the taskbar less distracting.
If you change your mind, you can always use the same instructions to re-enable the feature, but in step No. 5, make sure to check the Show badges (unread messages counter) on taskbar apps option.
Disable Notification Center badge counter
The Notification Center button in the Taskbar also shows a badge counter of missed notifications. If you don’t want to see this badge, you can turn on Focus assist to disable the counter.
To disable the badge counter for Notification Center, use these steps:
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Open Settings on Windows 11.
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Click on System.
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Click the Focus assist page on the right side.
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Select the Focus assist setting.
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Select the Priority only option.
After you complete the steps, the Notification Center button will no longer show notifications, but the icon will continue to be available indicating that Focus assist is enabled.
If you want to turn off Focus assist, you can use the same steps outlined above, but on step No. 5, make sure to select the Off option.
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].