How to remove Search, Task view, Widgets, Chat from taskbar on Windows 11

You can choose which buttons appear on the Windows 11 taskbar, and here's how.

Windows 11 taskbar items
Windows 11 taskbar items

On Windows 11, you will find a new taskbar that includes a center alignment with a bunch of new buttons for faster access to Search, Task view, Widgets, and Chat.

However, since you can access all of these features with shortcuts (Windows key + S, Tab, W, and C), the buttons are just wasting space in the taskbar. If you don’t need any of them, Windows 11 makes it easy to show or hide the buttons that appear on the toolbar.

In this guide, you will learn the steps to hide certain buttons to make more space in the Windows 11 taskbar.

Remove taskbar items on Windows 11

To remove buttons that appear on the taskbar, use these steps:

  1. Open Settings on Windows 11.

  2. Click on Personalization.

  3. Click the Taskbar page on the right side.

  4. Click on Taskbar items.

    Windows 11 taskbar settings
    Windows 11 taskbar settings
  5. Turn off the Search toggle switch.

  6. Turn off the Task view toggle switch.

    Taskbar items
    Taskbar items
  7. Turn off the Widgets toggle switch.

  8. Turn off the Chat toggle switch.

Alternatively, you can also right-click the button in the taskbar and select the Hide from taskbar option for each item.

If you want to add any of these buttons again, you can use the same steps outlined above, but this time remember to turn on the toggle switch for the items you want to display in the taskbar.

About the author

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].