It may be that you have gotten bored of how the Windows 11 taskbar is and you want to change it by giving it a differentiating touch and different from the one it normally has. Well then, keep reading, because we are going to show you the ways you have to make it transparent.
The taskbar has been the part of Windows 11 that has changed the most in appearance with a simple modification such as moving the main icons to the central part of said panel. We have also had changes in the search menu and on embed widgets.
Even so, and after the passage of time, perhaps you would like some other extra modification in this part of Windows 11. You will be able to make it semi or totally transparent by using the operating system itself or third-party applications. Let’s see how you can achieve it, since there are several different methods to do it.
How to make Windows 11 start bar transparent:
What is the taskbar?
The taskbar is an element of the Windows operating system located at the bottom of the screen, which allows you to locate and start programs through the Start menu, the search menu or directly from the shortcuts of each application.
On the right side of the taskbar is the notification area that allows you to check the date and time, as well as what’s running in the background and notifications.
The taskbar was introduced for the first time with Microsoft Windows 95 and is found in all later versions of Windows. Its design has varied throughout all generations, although it has always been located on the left side of the screen, until the arrival of Windows 11, which made its placement in the central part.
Transparent thanks to configuration
We can use the Windows 11 own settings to make the taskbar slightly different, although the truth is that in a very high percentage of times these transparency options are active, although we can choose.
The best thing about this option is that what we are going to do is use the operating system itself to achieve it, something that is always an advantage:
We must do the following:
- The first thing is to enter the Setting pressing the keys Win + I.
- Now what we have to do is go to Personalization in the options that we have on the left side.
- The next step is to click on the section Colors.
- So what you have to do is activation of the option of transparency effects.
- With this option active, the taskbar and windows are slightly more translucent, although, it is true, that the vast majority of times it is already activated and, therefore, everything will remain as it was, being a bit disappointing.
- Even so, you can enter the section Accessibility from the menu on the left and then click on Visual effects.
- Now we have an option called transparency effectswhich we must activate (if it is not already activated) to have an extra transparency.
Change system registry
To get more transparency in the taskbar we are going to have to modify the Windows’ registersomething that many consider “big words”.
Whenever this part of Windows has to be modified, we recommend that if you are not convinced that you can change it successfully, that is, you do not believe that your knowledge is adequate to achieve it, it is best not to do it and leave everything exactly as it is. this.
For all those who find themselves in the position of being able to do so, the steps they must follow will be the following:
- Open the start menu and type regedit.
- Then we select the option to access the Registry Editor.
- It’s time to go to HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\Advanced
- As we are, we go to the right side, to an area that is in nothing and we press the right mouse button and create a new value DWORD (32-bit).
- After that we must rename it and put UseOLEDTaskbarTransparency
- For this name change, you just have to click on it with the right button and click on Modify.
- Then we change the value information of 0 to 1.
- Click on Accept and thus the changes we have made will be saved.
- Then you have to go to Computer\HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\Dwm
- Now we must find ForceEffectModeright-click on it, click Modify and change its value from 0 to 1.
- If we do not find it, we must generate it as a value DWORD (32-bit).
- After executing everything that we have told you, you have to restart the computer, so that when it turns on you will see how the taskbar is more transparent than what we normally see.
Transparent thanks to third-party apps
Although we are doing the previous options in the operating system itself, the truth is that the simpler and easier way to achieve transparency for the taskbar is to use third-party applications, although carefully and knowing what you install, since some can be somewhat dangerous.
It has been shown that some of the apps that helped us with this issue of transparency were also used to obtain data on what we did on the computer and, therefore, were beneficial for advertising.
Bearing this fact in mind, the best we can do is use some applications that it is reliably known that they do not carry out these practices, although it is best to be aware of the permissions that they request, because if they are strangers it is best to discard said app.
We have several applications that we can recommend, since they are really interesting for making the taskbar transparent:
- TranslucentTB: It can be downloaded from the Microsoft Store and we can have the taskbar totally transparent.
- taskbarX: It’s also in the Microsoft Store and should work with Windows 11 10.0.22621.1265 Feb 2023 max. If we have a higher version it can cause problems.
- TaskbarTools: another extremely interesting option to get our need that comes in a ZIP file to download.
- Classic Shell: to install it, do not forget to select the one that says Spanish.
The taskbar is an extremely important part of Windows 11, so taking care of it and having it the way we like it is essential
With everything we have told you will get the taskbar to be transparent in Windows 11 as you expect.
