19 Ways to Fix Windows 11 Taskbar Not Disappearing in Full Screen

For an immersive media-watching experience, Windows automatically hides the Taskbar when you play a video in full-screen mode. Though the automatic hiding of the Taskbar always feels pretty intuitive and works like a charm, there are times when it refuses to disappear when playing games or watching videos in full-screen mode. Well, this issue has ruined my movie time quite a few times. So, I can tell how it feels to deal with a stubborn taskbar. From that very experience, I have jotted down the 19 reliable ways to fix the Windows 11 Taskbar not disappearing in full-screen problem. Keep reading to…

Fix Windows 11 Taskbar Not Disappearing in Full Screen

What could be hurting the auto-hiding feature of the taskbar on your PC? To be more precise, these are the biggest villains that trigger this issue:

• Windows Explorer glitch
• Taskbar settings
• Taskbar locked
• Outdated Windows
• App interference
• Pending notifications
• Display scaling
• Task View enabled
• System bugs
• Group Policy changes

In this guide, we’re going to address each one of these culprits to restore the auto-hiding functionality of the taskbar.

1. Enable Auto-Hide Taskbar

Ensure that the auto-hide feature for the Taskbar is active on your PC.

1. To do so, right-click on the taskbar and select Taskbar settings.
2. After that, scroll down and click Taskbar behaviors.
3. Next up, check the box for Automatically hide the taskbar.
4. Up next, close settings and test if the taskbar disappears when switching to full screen.

2. Check for Stuck Notifications

Bear in mind that if an app has a pending notification, your taskbar will remain active to alert you.

1. Simply, click on the System Tray (bottom-right corner) of the taskbar.
2. Find any notification badges and dismiss them.
3. Then, bring up the Action Center (Win + A) and check for alerts.
4. After that, make sure to close any pop-up windows from apps like Teams, OneDrive, or security software.

3. Disable Taskbar Lock

It’s worth noting that if the taskbar is locked on your device, Windows may not allow it to hide even when you invoke full-screen mode.

1. Right-click on the taskbar > Choose Taskbar settings.
2. Now, look for Lock the taskbar and toggle it off.
3. After that, be sure to close the settings and check if the issue is resolved.

4. Restart Your PC

Many a time, all you have to do to bring the ill-functioning Taskbar on track is to just reboot your PC. If a temporary system glitch is coming in the way of the full-screen mode, a simple soft reset will let you eliminate the issue.

• To get going, click on Start, select Power, and choose Restart.
• Once the system boots up, open apps like Amazon Prime Video or YouTube and play a video in full-screen mode (F11) and check if the taskbar goes away.

5. Restart Windows Explorer

As Windows Explorer controls and manages the taskbar, restarting it often resolves the taskbar-related issues. Yeah, you got that right. If a minor bug or software glitch is hurting the functionality of the taskbar, this tip will let you get rid of it.

• To get it done, press Ctrl + Shift + Esc to launch the Task Manager.

• Now, locate the Windows Explorer under the Processes tab.
• Then, you need to right-click on it and select Restart.
• After that, wait for the screen to flash briefly as Windows Explorer restarts.
• Next up, check if the taskbar now disappears in full-screen mode.

6. Update the Problematic App

If the Taskbar misbehaves when using a specific app, there is a high chance that the problem is related to that app.

• Go to the Microsoft Store > Library tab > locate the app in question and update it.

7. Update Windows

Do not overlook the possibility of a software bug playing the spoilsport and hurting the functionality of the full-screen mode.

1. Dive into the Start menu and open Settings app > Windows Update in the left panel > Check for updates and install any available updates.
2. Once the software update is complete, restart your PC and check if the taskbar has begun to hide seamlessly in full-screen mode.

8. Check for App Conflicts

Be sure that stuck or malicious third-party apps are not interfering with the taskbar auto-hide functionality. Always keep an eye on the apps like TaskbarX, Rainmeter, and custom dock tools as they can modify taskbar behavior.

1. Launch the Task Manager (Ctrl + Shift + Esc) on your PC and look for third-party taskbar customization apps.
2. Right-click on them and select End Task.
3. Restart your system and check if the taskbar issue is resolved.

9. Use F11 for Full-Screen Mode

Certain apps require manual full-screen activation to hide the taskbar. Besides, note that browsers like Chrome, Edge, and Firefox don’t always enter full-screen mode automatically.

1. Open the app (e.g., Chrome, Edge) in question.
2. Press F11 to toggle full-screen mode.
3. If the taskbar disappears, the issue is specific to that app.

10. Change Taskbar Position

No luck as yet? Now, I’d recommend you change the Taskbar position as it forces Windows to reset auto-hide settings.

1. Head over to Taskbar settings (Right-click taskbar > Taskbar settings).
2. Click on Taskbar behaviors and change the taskbar alignment (e.g., from bottom to top).
3. After that, switch it back to its original position and check if you have gotten the better of the problem.

11. Disable Hardware Acceleration in Browsers

Be warned that some browsers tend to override Windows UI settings when hardware acceleration is active in order to turbocharge performance. At times, it may prevent the taskbar from hiding in full-screen mode.

1. Open Chrome/Edge and navigate to the menu icon at the top right > Settings > System.
2. Now, disable “Use graphics acceleration when available.”
3. Then, restart the browser and check if full-screen mode works correctly.

12. Reset Taskbar via Command Prompt

Note that if the taskbar-related system files are corrupted, resetting the Taskbar via the command prompt will help eliminate the issue.

• Launch the Command Prompt as Administrator (Win + X > Terminal (Admin)) on your PC.
• Type the following command and press Enter:

powershell -command "Get-AppxPackage | Remove-AppxPackage"

• Once you have run the command, restart your PC.

13. Check Display Settings

Misconfigured display settings, such as wrong scaling, can adversely impact taskbar auto-hide.

1. On your PC, dive into the Settings app > Display.
2. Make sure that Scaling is set to 100% or 125% (avoid anything higher).
3. Apply changes and then reboot your PC.

14. Check Touchpad or External Mouse Settings

Do you know that the faulty mouse or touchpad could cause unexpected movement, which would lead to Taskbar malfunctioning?

1. Disconnect external peripherals and check if the taskbar hides properly.
2. If the issue still persists, use another mouse or disable the touchpad temporarily.

15. Disable Tablet Mode

Be sure that the Tablet Mode is turned off. For those unaware, in the Tablet Mode, the taskbar behaves differently and refuses to auto-hide.

1. Dive into the Settings app > System > Tablet Mode.
2. Set Tablet Mode to Off.

16. Run Windows Troubleshooter

Windows comes with a powerful built-in troubleshooter that can let you detect and resolve UI-related problems.

• Go to Settings app on your PC > System tab in the left sidebar > Scroll down and choose Troubleshoot > Other Troubleshooters.

• Next, run the Taskbar troubleshooter and follow the instructions to resolve the issue.

17. Update Your Display Drivers

Make sure that the outdated drivers are not impacting the performance of the Windows 11 Taskbar.

1. Open Device Manager (Win + X > Device Manager).
2. Locate the Display adapters section and expand it > right-click your graphics driver, and select Update driver.

18. Reinstall Display Drivers

1. On your PC, launch the Device Manager (Win + X > Device Manager).
2. Find and expand Display adapters > right-click your graphics driver > select Reinstall device, and reboot your PC.

19. Perform a System Restore

If the Taskbar problem cropped up after a recent Windows update or change, performing a system restore will let you eliminate the issue and restore the full functionality of the full-screen mode on your Windows device.

1. Bring up the search bar and type “Create a restore point”.
2. Now, click System Restore and choose a restore point before the issue starts.
3. Go through the on-screen instructions to restore your PC.

Wrapping up…

There you go! So, that wraps up this detailed guide about fixing the Windows 11 taskbar auto-hide feature. I hope this issue no longer prevents you from getting the most out of the full-screen mode on your PC. Have any feedback to share with us? Feel free to send it across via the comments section below.