When you turn on the computer and get the desktop window, it shows some icons on the taskbar and some on the right side of the screen. However, they don’t include all applications that start working when the system is up and running. Some of the apps work on the background and don’t show up in front. The icons of these applications can be found on the system tray. You can access them by just clicking on the up arrow located on the right side of the taskbar. In this post, we will show how you can customize and tweak System tray icons in Windows 10.
How to Customize and Tweak System Tray Icons in Windows 10
Windows 10 operating system allows users to customize system tray icons as per their wish. You can easily decide which icon should appear on the taskbar and which one should stay hidden in the notification area. This facility helps you to free up some space on the taskbar and also lets you access an application that you need the most.
1] Taskbar Customization
If you want an icon to appear in the system tray or taskbar, then you can simply choose to drag and drop it between any of these two areas. Windows 10 users can access detailed settings and select which icon should appear on the taskbar by following the steps given below.
- Open Settings (Win + I)
- On the Settings page, select Personalization
- Now select Taskbar which is located on the left side
- Scroll down, and under Notification area, you will find ‘select which icons appear on the taskbar,’ click on it
Now you will get a list of multiple icons that represent respective applications. If you wish any of them to appear on the taskbar, then just toggle them to turn on. After that, the icon which is ‘On’ will appear on the taskbar, and the other one that is turned off will stay hidden on the system tray. Though, as we mentioned earlier, you can access them by clicking on the arrow icon any time.
2] Always show all icons in the notification area
If you want to showcase all of them on the taskbar, then you can turn the option ‘Always show all icons in the notification area.‘ It is located at the top of the screen. Once you change this setting, the up arrow will disappear, and all the icons of the notification area will start showing up on the taskbar. However, there won’t be any change in the position or appearance of system icons such as the clock, volume, battery status (power icon), and network.
If you wish to customize the system icons, then you need to go back to the previous screen or follow this path: Settings > Personalization > Taskbar > under Notification area, click on ‘Turn system icons on or off’ link.
Here you will find the list of all the system icons and would be able to turn them on or off as per your choice. In case you disable any of those icons, then they won’t appear in the notification area at all. Even if you click on the up arrow, it will now show. If you turn off any icon on these screens and enable on ‘Select which icons appear on the taskbar’ screen, then it will appear behind the up arrow.