How to Show or Hide Windows Store Apps on the Taskbar

3 min. read

Updated on October 4, 2023

updated on October 4, 2023

Readers help support Windows Report. We may get a commission if you buy through our links.

The latest Windows 10, 8.1 Update has brought a really useful feature for lovers of the good old taskbar – the ability to see there apps from the Windows Store that you have opened. Here’s how to enable and disable this feature.
Just like with many other settings inside Windows 10, Windows 8.1, showing or hiding the Windows 10, 8.1 apps that you download from the Windows Store is really easy to do. Unfortunately, those of you who are running on Windows RT or RT 8.1, you don’t have the desktop interface, so you don’t even have to enable or disable this feature. This is one of the improvements that the Windows 10, 8.1 Update has brought for desktop users, as it makes apps feel more like a part of the entire system and not separate.

READ ALSO: How to Backup the Taskbar in Windows 10, 8.1

As you can see in the above screenshots, the Windows 10, 8.1 apps that I have minimized now appear on the taskbar along with the rest of desktop programs. Personally, I am really grateful that Microsoft brought this feature in Windows 8.1, as now I can see where all my apps are and don’t have to frantically use the eternal “alt+tab” combination. So, if you have installed Windows 10, 8.1 Update but you are not receiving this feature or, for a certain reason, you want it gone, here are the steps that you need to take.

Quickly bring Windows Store apps to the taskbar

The guide below applies to Windows 8.1. The Windows 10 guide is available below this one.

1. Open the Charms Bar – either by going to the top right corner with your mouse or finger or by pressing the Windows logo + W.
2. Choose the search button and type there ‘PC Settings‘ in the box, make sure you’re searching in ‘everywhere’.

3. From the ‘PC Settings’ main menu, select the ‘PC and Devices‘ sub-section.

4. From the ‘PC and Devices’ main menu, choose the ‘Corners and Edges‘ sub-section.

5. From ‘App Switching‘, simply choose if you want Windows Store apps to appear on the taskbar. It’s as simple as that!

On Windows 10, you can simply right-click on the app that you want to pin to the taskbar > select More and then click on the option the ‘Pint to Taskbar’ option.

For example, I wanted to pin the Telegram app to the taskbar, so I right-clicked on the app and then I selected More. A new window appeared on the screen and I simply selected the Pint to Taskbar’ option.

If you want to unpin apps from the taskbar, you need to follow the same steps, but this time you’ll click on the option ‘Unpin from taskbar’.

Now, if you have enabled or disabled it, please let me know what you think of this feature. I for one find it really useful, but I wonder what is the argument of those who want it gone. Please express yourself in the comment section from below.

RELATED STORIES TO CHECK OUT:

More about the topics: Windows 10 Guides, windows 8.1 tips

Radu Tyrsina

Radu Tyrsina has been a Windows fan ever since he got his first PC, a Pentium III (a monster at that time). For most of the kids of his age, the Internet was an amazing way to play and communicate with others, but he was deeply impressed by the flow of information and how easily you can find anything on the web. Prior to founding Windows Report, this particular curiosity about digital content enabled him to grow a number of sites that helped hundreds of millions reach faster the answer they're looking for.