Remember Windows 7’s slick Aero design? That cool, translucent look is sadly gone in Windows 11, replaced by a more flat style. But, if you’re like me and miss that transparent taskbar, there are a few ways to get it back. Let’s explore how!
Method 1: Using TranslucentTB
For most folks, this is the easiest and most customizable method. It uses a tiny, free app to handle the transparency for you, and you get extra options beyond simple transparency.
- First, hit the Microsoft Store, either through the start menu or the search bar and grab TranslucentTB.
- Once it’s installed, click on the ‘Open’ button.
- You’ll notice your taskbar becomes transparent right away and the app will appear on your desktop. Just click ‘Continue’.
- Now, look for the TranslucentTB icon in your taskbar. It might be in the system tray (the left side of the icons) or in the overflow menu if you click the little arrow on the far right.
Note: Sometimes the TranslucentTB icon doesn’t show up. If that happens, go to
Settings>Personalization>Taskbar. ExpandOther system tray icons, and toggle the switch for TranslucentTB off and then on again. The icon should appear.
- Click that icon and a menu will pop up. Here’s where you can tweak the transparency. You can even add a border for better visibility, or change the look when you open the Start menu, or go to Task View, and other scenarios.
- To get that border, go to the ‘Desktop’ option and check ‘Show Taskbar Border’.
- And if you want it to be this way every time you boot up your computer, enable the ‘Open at Boot’ option. Play with the other settings too and get everything just how you like it!
Method 2: Using the Registry Editor
If you prefer not to use third-party apps, you can try editing the Windows Registry. Be very careful with this method, since messing with the Registry improperly can cause serious issues. Back up your registry before making any changes!
- Open the Start menu, type
registry editorand hit ‘Run as administrator’.
- Navigate to this address in the Registry Editor:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\Advanced
- On the right, right-click an empty space, and select ‘New’, followed by ‘DWORD (32-bit) Value’.
- Name the new DWORD
UseOLEDTaskbarTransparencyand give it a value of 1.
- Restart your computer. Your taskbar should now be transparent!
Method 3: Using GPU settings
Some graphics cards allow you to customize the transparency of the taskbar via their control panels, but this method is not as effective as the other two methods.
- If you have an Nvidia card, open the Nvidia Control Panel and look for ‘Color Settings’ or search for ‘Adjust Desktop Color Settings’.
- Play with the color and opacity settings until you get the level of transparency you like. Then, save your changes.
Things to know
- Third-party apps like TranslucentTB may not always work due to changes in Windows updates. Updates sometimes break these apps.
- To get your taskbar back to normal after changing registry values, just delete the
DWORDvalue you added. If using TranslucentTB, simply close the program or uninstall it. - It’s a good idea to create a system restore point before you make any changes to your system. That way, you can easily undo changes if something goes wrong.