3 Ways to Make the Taskbar Transparent in Windows 11

Windows 11 supports a transparent Taskbar, and turning on this visual upgrade takes just a few clicks. But while the feature exists, many users aren’t exactly thrilled with how basic or limited it feels out of the box.

That’s why in this guide, we’ll not only show you how to make the Taskbar transparent in Windows 11 using built-in settings, but also how to tweak and enhance it using advanced tricks and free apps for a more personalized look.

How do I make the Taskbar transparent in Windows 11?

1. Use the Personalization option

1. Go to Start and click on the Settings option.
2. Click on Personalization from the left-hand pane.
3. From here, select Colors.
4. Turn the toggle On next to Transparency effects.
5. Your taskbar should now be more transparent.

2. Use the Visual effects option

1. Once again, open Settings from Start.
2. Go to the Accessibility section.
3. Click on the Visual effects option.
4. Enable the toggle for Transparency Effects.

3. Use the Registry

1. Use OLED Taskbar Transparency

1. Press the Windows + R keys to open the Run box.
2. Type regedit and click on OK.
3. Navigate to the following: HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\Advanced
4. On the right-side pane, right-click in the white zone and choose New, then DWORD (32-bit) Value.
5. Rename the newly created value to: UseOLEDTaskbarTransparency by right-clicking on it and choosing Rename.
6. Right-click again, select Modify and change the value from 0 to 1.
7. Click OK to save the settings.

2. Modify the ForceEffectMode

1. While you are still in the Registry Editor, navigate to the following key: Computer\HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\DWM
2. Locate ForceEffectMode and change its value from 0 to 1, as you did in the previous solution.
3. If you cannot locate it, right-click on the white place and choose New, then DWORD (32-bit) Value, and rename it to ForceEffectMode.
4. Restart your device.

To have even more control over the design, color, placement, or a transparent taskbar in Windows 11, download these apps for the best results when it comes to customization.

You can explore additional free tools that improve the taskbar experience by checking our detailed guide on free taskbar customizer options that offer deeper control and cleaner visuals.

However, we have a great article focused on how to customize your Windows 11 using Registry Editor, so you might want to look at it and try a few steps.

NOTE

Few of our readers reported that this method didn’t work for them, so it’s possible that Microsoft removed the ability to activate transparent Taskbar in Windows 11 from registry.

1. Enter Microsoft Store and type translucent tb in the search bar. Click on Get to start downloading the app. Alternatively, you can also click here on Get TranslucentTB to download the app.

1. 2. After the download is complete, click Open in order to open TranslucentTB.

   

2. 3. A pop-up will appear after you open the app. Click Continue.

   

3. 4. Your Windows 11 taskbar will be fully transparent afterward. Note that the app will also make the Windows 10 taskbar transparent.

What features does the free TranslucentTB app offer?

For those trying to figure out how to make my taskbar 100% transparent, it’s possible with TranslucentTB. It’s the best transparent taskbar Windows 11 app, but you can also make it opaque or introduce a blur effect.

In addition to overriding your color and additional settings for the taskbar, this app combines states such as maximized window, Start Menu open, Cortana open, and Timeline open.

Each one of them has a customizable taskbar appearance to offer you an overall pleasant aspect, personalized to your liking.

For a free app, you have quite a few elements to customize the taskbar. And to make things even better, there’s a Tips and tricks option that teaches you some really cool things.

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Get Microsoft TaskbarX

If you are looking for another way to achieve the transparent taskbar effect and more, you can also try the Microsoft TaskbarX app for a very small fee.

1. Go to the official Microsoft Store and look for TaskbarX.
2. Click on Buy.
3. A pop-up will open. Here, select Get started to add a way to pay for the app.
4. Choose the form of payment you want, complete your information in the next windows and click on Save.
5. After the download is complete, right-click on the file and unpack the archive.
6. Open the TaskbarX folder and run the exe file to install the app.
7. After the installation, your taskbar icons will automatically move to the middle of the taskbar.

What features does Microsoft’s TaskbarX offer?

This app is worthy of your attention as there are quite a handful of features to design, customize, or change every aspect of your taskbar.

You can even move it to the left and have it transparent at the same time with the Position option that allows you to adjust the taskbar icons’ placement. Quite neat, isn’t it?

There are other categories on this configurator, such as Style which manages the transparency level or color of your taskbar, and Animation which controls how the taskbar icons move when you open a new app.

Simply put, you can definitely have some fun with TaskbarX as it gives you so many options to choose from to personalize your taskbar.

If you’re looking for more information on the OS’s taskbar, learn how to use the Never combine feature in Windows 11.

Get TaskbarTools

1. Download TaskbarTools.
2. Extract the Zip file and click the executable file to run the app.
3. Set the Accent State to ACCENT_ENABLE_TRANSPARENTGRADIENT.
4. Click on Options, then check the Start minimized, Apply Settings When Started, and Start With Windows options, and uncheck the last one.
5. Now, toggling the Windows Accent Alpha switch to the left and right will determine the level of transparency of the taskbar. Of course, you can also play with all the other settings like the background color and change the Accent state as you prefer.

TaskbarTools is a small free tool that allows you to customize the taskbar to your liking, change its color, and more.

And although its latest version dates from 2017, we tested it on Windows 11, and it worked flawlessly. The great thing about this tool is that you can see the changes in real time. So, if other options for a Windows 11 transparent taskbar are not working, you know which app to go for.

Make the Taskbar transparent with Classic Shell

1. Download Classic Shell and then install it.
2. After the installation, start the app and check the Show all settings.
3. Click on the Taskbar tab, check the Customize taskbar box, and click on the Transparent option right below.
4. You will see the effect immediately, so you can play with all the other options of the app and see what they do.
5. Finally, click the OK button to acknowledge the changes.

Classic Shell was stopped from development in 2017, but it still works perfectly, so you might try it.

For more customization options, we have a great guide on how to change the Taskbar size on Windows 11, as well as a guide on how to move the Windows 11 Taskbar to the top.

You can also set up a vertical Taskbar on Windows 11, and we have a guide that shows you how to do that. If you’re using the older OS, check our guide on how to make the taskbar transparent in Windows 10.

We hope that this guide helps you enjoy Windows 11 a bit more. If you have any questions, feel free to use the comments section below, and we’ll get back to you.