Use the keyboard shortcut Windows + R to open the runbox.

You may kill and restart Explorer from the command line as well if you prefer that (or want to create a script out of it for even faster access).

Click on the restart button to restart the process.

Locate the Windows Explorer process under processes, and click on it with the left mouse button.

If you see only the basic interface, click on more details.

Use the keyboard shortcut Ctrl-Shift-Esc to open the Windows Task Manager.

Quick FixĪ reliable option when it comes to hiding issues of the Windows 10 taskbar is to restart the Explorer process. These issues are resolved easily, but there are situations where the taskbar remains visible even if programs or apps stay silent and don’t demand your attention. This happens mostly when the background application changes its icon, for instance to change the number of new messages. It is usually enough to click on the program or application icon to confirm that you have taken note of it, and the taskbar should hide again afterwards automatically.īackground apps, those that run in the background for the most part, may also require your attention. This is the case when certain program operations complete, or when you receive calls, new emails or chat messages. The program icon may flash in this case to indicate that it wants you to interact with it. The main cause for the taskbar to stay visible - temporarily - is if a program or app demands your attention. You notice this right away, as it does not go away anymore automatically. It can happen however that the taskbar won’t hide automatically anymore. You can bring it up when you move the mouse cursor over the taskbar area. When enabled, the taskbar is hidden automatically by the operating system. The first applies to all desktop PCs and notebooks, the second only if the device runs in tablet mode.

Automatically hide the taskbar in tablet mode.

Automatically hide the taskbar in desktop mode.

There you find two options that manage the auto-hiding functionality of the Windows 10 taskbar: The functionality is controlled through a preference which you find in Settings > Personalization > Taskbar (open the Settings app with Windows-I). Windows 10 ships with the same taskbar hiding options as previous versions of Windows. Hiding the taskbar makes room for a tiny bit of extra space on the desktop that application windows may use, and if you like your desktop clean and tidy, you may find that it looks better as well.

The core reason for that is likely that many are unaware that the taskbar can be hidden, and that others prefer a less dynamic interface. The Windows 10 taskbar is probably displayed on most users systems all the time.

Windows task bar not hiding