Want To Change The Taskbar Location In Windows 11? Here’s How To Move It
Most of the time, you don’t care about your taskbar’s position in Windows 11. However, there are instances when you might prefer to have it in a different location on your screen. Perhaps you want more vertical space to write long codes or read multi-page PDFs. Or maybe you’re using an ultrawide monitor, making your bottom taskbar look awkwardly longer than necessary. Or perhaps you just want the taskbar on the left or top for aesthetic purposes.
Unfortunately, changing the taskbar location in Windows 11 isn’t the easiest task. While Windows 10 comes with a native feature that allows you to move your taskbar just from the Settings, the more recent Windows version lacks the same functionality. This may beone of the reasons you don’t want to upgrade to Windows 11. There are, however, workarounds you can use to modify where your taskbar sits on your screen. We’ll walk you to three simple methods, all of which we personally tested on the most recent Windows 11 23H2 release.
Method 1: Use ExplorerPatcher
A free way to move your taskbar in Windows 11 is with ExplorerPatcher. It switches your Windows 11 taskbar to the Windows 10 taskbar. Follow these steps to use ExplorerPatcher:
After modifying the settings, ensure to save your changes by pressing Restart File Explorer at the bottom.
Method 2: Use StartAllBack
Another third-party app you can use to relocate the taskbar in Windows 11 is StartAllBack. It’s designed tocustomize Windows 11and its specific elements, such as the taskbar, Start Menu, and File Explorer. However, StartAllBack is a paid software. If you’re unsure about buying the license key, you can try the 30-day trial period. Here’s how to use StartAllBack to change the taskbar location to your preferred side:
Once you’re happy with your modifications, simply close StartAllBack. All the settings you changed will be kept automatically. To revert to your original taskbar settings, launch StartAllBack and navigate to Taskbar. Then, turn off “Use enhanced classic taskbar.” Press Restart now to restart Explorer and bring back the original taskbar.
Method 3: Install the Vertical Taskbar mod on Windhawk
Windhawk is a repository of Windows customization mods you can use to change several aspects of your computer. For instance, there’s a mod for adding a dark mode for Notepad, preventing video games from hiding your cursor, andchanging the color of your taskbar on Windows 11with themes. You can also find a nifty mod in Windhawk that moves your taskbar to the left. It’s called Vertical Taskbar and works on Windows 11 22H2 and 23H2. As long as you’re running these versions, you’re good to go. Here’s a guide to using the Vertical Taskbar mod on Windhawk:
If you want to go back to the original bottom taskbar with its default width, you may just turn off the Vertical Taskbar mod without completely uninstalling it. Simply press Disable on the mod’s details page on Windhawk to do so. Then, to turn it on again, select the Enable button.
