To make the Windows 11 taskbar look like Windows 10, right-click an empty part of the taskbar and select Taskbar settings. Under Taskbar items, set Search to Search box. Then open Taskbar behaviors, change Taskbar alignment from center to left, and set Combine taskbar buttons and hide labels to Never. Those three changes bring back the Start button on the left, a search box beside it, and a labeled button for every open window, all with built-in settings.
Applies to: Windows 11 (version 23H2 and later for button labels; 2026 updates for taskbar size and position). Checked against Microsoft Support on October 7, 2026.
What you can and cannot change
Windows 11 centers the taskbar by default, while Windows 10 put the Start button and app icons at the far left. Microsoft’s own Settings app lets you move the icons left, show a full search box, show window labels, shrink the taskbar, color it, and on recently updated PCs move it to another edge of the screen. Together these get you very close to the Windows 10 layout. The Start menu itself has its own settings, covered in our guide to making the Windows 11 Start menu more like Windows 10.
What the settings do not do is replace the Windows 11 Start menu with the Windows 10 one. They change how the Windows 11 Start menu is arranged, not which menu you get. This guide sticks to settings that Microsoft documents. It does not cover registry edits or third-party taskbar programs, because those are not supported by Microsoft and can stop working or cause problems after a Windows update. To change the Start menu, File Explorer, colors and desktop icons as well, see our guide to making Windows 11 look like Windows 10.
Before you start
- Update Windows first. Several options in this guide, including Combine taskbar buttons and hide labels, Taskbar size and Taskbar position, only exist on newer builds. Microsoft is rolling the size and position options out gradually, so two PCs on the same version may not show the same list.
- Know which Windows you have. These steps are for Windows 11. If you see a search box on the left already and no centered icons, you may be on Windows 10.
- Work or school PCs. If your organization manages the PC, some taskbar options may be set by your IT department and locked.
- No restart needed. The taskbar changes as soon as you pick an option, so you can see each change and keep or undo it.
Make the Windows 11 taskbar look like Windows 10
- Open Taskbar settings. Right-click an empty area of the taskbar (not an app icon) and select Taskbar settings. The Personalization > Taskbar page opens in Settings. You can also open Settings, select Personalization, and then select Taskbar.
- Show the full search box. Under Taskbar items, open the menu next to Search and choose Search box. A search field appears next to the Start button, as it did in Windows 10. The other choices are Search icon and label, Search icon only and Hide.
- Turn off buttons you do not want. Still under Taskbar items, turn off Widgets if you do not use the weather and news panel. Leave Task view on if you liked the Windows 10 Task View button, or turn it off to save space.
- Expand Taskbar behaviors. Scroll down and select Taskbar behaviors. On PCs with the latest updates this section is already expanded.
- Move the icons to the left. Open the menu next to Taskbar alignment and switch it from center to left. The Start button jumps to the left corner and your pinned apps line up beside it.
- Show a label for each window. Open the menu next to Combine taskbar buttons and hide labels and choose Never. Each open window now gets its own taskbar button with its name, instead of one icon per app. This option arrived with Windows 11 version 23H2, so update Windows if you do not see it.
- Check the result. Close Settings and look at the taskbar. You should see the Start button and search box on the left, followed by your pinned apps and labeled window buttons.
If you use more than one monitor, the Show my taskbar on all displays check box in Taskbar behaviors controls whether the taskbar appears on every screen.
Make the taskbar smaller
Windows 10 had a small-buttons option, and Windows 11 now has its own version. Microsoft added it in the August 27, 2026 preview update (KB5120998) for Windows 11 versions 24H2 and 25H2, and in the September 22, 2026 preview update (KB5124006) for version 26H1, with a gradual rollout.
- Open Settings > Personalization > Taskbar.
- Select Taskbar behaviors.
- Open the menu next to Taskbar size and choose Small.
Both the icons and the height of the taskbar shrink. Microsoft notes that the smaller taskbar currently works only when the taskbar is at the top or bottom of the screen. For more detail, see our guide on how to change the taskbar size in Windows 11.
Move the taskbar to the top or side
Windows 10 let you dock the taskbar on any edge of the screen. For most of Windows 11’s life there was no setting for this, and Microsoft’s taskbar help page still says the taskbar stays at the bottom. The same 2026 updates that added Taskbar size also add a position option:
- Open Settings > Personalization > Taskbar.
- Select Taskbar behaviors.
- Use Taskbar position to choose the bottom, top, left or right side of the screen.
Microsoft says the Search box and the smaller taskbar are currently supported only at the top or bottom, so a side taskbar shows search as a button instead. If Taskbar position is not in your list, your PC has not received the feature yet.
Give the taskbar a dark or colored look
The default Windows 10 taskbar was dark. To get a dark or colored taskbar in Windows 11:
- Open Settings > Personalization > Colors.
- Under Choose your mode, select Dark. If you want apps to stay light, select Custom instead, which lets you set Windows and apps separately.
- Under accent color, leave Automatic or select Manual and pick a color.
- Turn on Show accent color on Start and taskbar if you want the taskbar in your accent color.
Show accent color on Start and taskbar is only available in dark or custom mode; in light mode Windows does not color the taskbar. Our guide on how to change the taskbar color in Windows 11 covers the color choices in more detail.
You cannot bring back the Windows 10 Start menu with its live tiles, but you can make the Windows 11 one simpler. On PCs with the 2026 updates, the Start page in Personalization settings has toggles that show or hide the Pinned, Recommended and All sections independently (Microsoft is renaming Recommended to Recent). A Start menu size option lets you pick a small or large menu instead of Automatic. Showing the All list is the closest match to the Windows 10 alphabetical app list.
Set up pinned apps and the system tray
- Pin apps. Right-click an open app’s taskbar button and select Pin to taskbar. For an app that is not open, search for it, right-click it in the results, and select Pin to taskbar. Drag icons to put them in the order you used in Windows 10. To remove one, right-click it and select Unpin from taskbar. You can also pin a website to the taskbar in Windows 11.
- Show desktop button. Windows 10 users often clicked the far right corner to see the desktop. In Taskbar behaviors, make sure Select the far corner of the taskbar to show the desktop is on.
- Clock with seconds. In the date and time options on the Taskbar page, keep Show time and date in the System tray on. You can also check Show seconds in system tray clock (uses more power).
- Hidden icons. Under Other system tray icons, turn on the hidden icon menu and choose which app icons stay visible next to the clock.
- Badges and flashing. If the unread-count badges or flashing buttons bother you, clear Show badges on taskbar apps or Show flashing on taskbar apps in Taskbar behaviors.
Confirm it worked or undo the changes
Every change shows up on the taskbar immediately. If you want the Windows 11 look back, return to Settings > Personalization > Taskbar and reverse each choice: set Taskbar alignment back to center, set Search to the option you had, change Combine taskbar buttons and hide labels back to its earlier value, and set Taskbar size and Taskbar position back to their defaults. To undo the color changes, go to Personalization > Colors, choose Light and turn off Show accent color on Start and taskbar. Nothing in this guide deletes apps or data.
Troubleshooting
There is no Chat toggle
Older guides, including an earlier version of this one, told you to turn off a Chat button. Microsoft’s current list of taskbar items is Widgets, Search and Task view, with no Chat switch. If you see an app icon you do not want, such as Microsoft Teams, right-click it and select Unpin from taskbar.
Combine taskbar buttons and hide labels is missing
This option arrived with Windows 11 version 23H2. Run Windows Update and install any available updates, then check Taskbar behaviors again.
Taskbar size or Taskbar position is missing
These options come with the 2026 updates named above and are rolling out gradually. Install the latest updates. If they still do not appear, your PC has not received them yet; the other settings in this guide still work without them.
The search box option does not appear
If you moved the taskbar to the left or right edge, the search box is not supported there. Move the taskbar back to the top or bottom to use Search box. For other search options, see how to get rid of the search bar in Windows 11.
Show accent color on Start and taskbar is grayed out
This option is only available in dark or custom mode. Choose Dark or Custom under Choose your mode first.
Settings are locked or keep changing back
On a work or school PC, your organization can control taskbar and Start settings. Ask your IT department before changing them.
Frequently asked questions
Can I get the exact Windows 10 taskbar back?
Not with built-in settings. You can match the layout closely (left alignment, search box, labeled buttons, dark color, small size), but the Start menu and some details stay Windows 11.
Where did the Chat button go?
It is no longer one of the taskbar items in Microsoft’s documentation. Current Windows 11 builds list only Widgets, Search and Task view.
Does turning off Widgets uninstall anything?
Microsoft describes the Taskbar items switches as on and off toggles for the taskbar buttons, not as a way to remove apps. You can turn Widgets back on at any time.
Can I auto-hide the taskbar like in Windows 10?
Yes. In Taskbar behaviors, check Automatically hide the taskbar. Clear the check box to keep the taskbar visible again.
Do I need registry edits or extra software?
No. Everything in this guide uses Settings. Microsoft does not document registry tweaks or third-party taskbar tools for this, and they may break after an update.
Where can I read Microsoft’s instructions?
See Microsoft’s Customize the Taskbar in Windows page, the KB5120998 release notes for taskbar size and position, and Personalize your Colors in Windows.
Once the taskbar looks right, pin the apps you use every day so the left side of your taskbar works the way it did in Windows 10.
Related: How to Make Windows 11 File Explorer Look Like Windows 10.
Related: how to make Windows 11 look like Windows 7.
Matt Jacobs has been working as an IT consultant for small businesses since receiving his Master’s degree in 2003. While he still does some consulting work, his primary focus now is on creating technology support content for SupportYourTech.com.
His work can be found on many websites and focuses on topics such as Microsoft Office, Apple devices, Android devices, Photoshop, and more.