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Taskbar policy settings

This reference article outlines the policy settings available for customizing the Windows taskbar, using
Configuration Service Provider (CSP) or group policy (GPO). For information about how to configure
these settings, see Configure the Windows taskbar.

The settings are categorized and presented in alphabetical order to facilitate navigation and
configuration.

1. Taskbar layout: settings to control the taskbar layout and appearance

2. Taskbar behaviors: settings to control the taskbar behaviors and the users' allowed actions

Select one of the tabs to see the list of available settings:

Taskbar layout
Taskbar behaviors

✅ ✅
Setting Name CSP GPO
Allow widgets
Configure Start layout ✅ ✅
Configures search on the taskbar ✅ ✅
Do not display or track items in Jump Lists from remote locations ❌ ✅
Hide recent jumplists ✅ ✅
Hide the TaskView button ✅ ✅
Remove Clock from the system notification area ❌ ✅
Remove Notifications and Action Center ❌ ✅
Remove pinned programs from the Taskbar ❌ ✅
Remove Quick Settings ✅ ✅
Show additional calendar ❌ ✅
Simplify Quick Settings Layout ✅ ✅
Turn off automatic promotion of notification icons to the taskbar ❌ ✅
✅ ✅
Setting Name CSP GPO
Allow widgets
Configure Start layout ✅ ✅
Configures search on the taskbar ✅ ✅
Do not display or track items in Jump Lists from remote locations ❌ ✅
Hide recent jumplists ✅ ✅
Hide the notification area ❌ ✅
Remove Clock from the system notification area ❌ ✅
Remove Notifications and Action Center ❌ ✅
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 ❌ ✅
Setting Name CSP GPO
Remove pinned programs from the Taskbar
Remove the battery meter ❌ ✅
Remove the Meet Now icon ❌ ✅
Remove the networking icon ❌ ✅
Remove the People Bar from the taskbar ✅ ✅
Remove the volume control icon ❌ ✅
Show additional calendar ❌ ✅
Turn off automatic promotion of notification icons to the taskbar ❌ ✅
Turn off notification area cleanup ❌ ✅
Allow widgets

This policy specifies whether the widgets feature is allowed on the device.

Widgets are turned on by default, unless you change this in your settings
If you turn on this policy setting, widgets are enabled automatically, unless you turn it off in your
settings

Path
CSP ./Device/Vendor/MSFT/Policy/Config/NewsAndInterests/AllowNewsAndInterests
- Computer Configuration > Administrative Templates > Windows Components >
GPO
Widgets

Configure Start layout

This policy setting lets you specify the applications pinned to the taskbar. The layout that you specify has
an XML format.

Path
- ./Device/Vendor/MSFT/Policy/Config/Start/StartLayout/Configure start layout
CSP
- ./User/Vendor/MSFT/Policy/Config/Start/StartLayout/Configure start layout
- Computer Configuration > Administrative Templates > Start Menu and Taskbar
GPO
- User Configuration > Administrative Templates > Start Menu and Taskbar

For more information, see Customize the taskbar pinned applications.

Configures search on the taskbar

This policy setting allows you to configure search on the taskbar.

If you enable this policy setting and set it to hide, search on taskbar is hidden by default. Users
can't change it in Settings
If you enable this policy setting and set it to search icon only, the search icon is displayed on the
taskbar by default. Users can't change it in Settings
If you enable this policy setting and set it to search icon and label, the search icon and label are
displayed on the taskbar by default. Users can't change it in Settings

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 If you enable this policy setting and set it to search box, the search box is displayed on the taskbar
by default. Users can't change it in Settings
If you disable or don't configure this policy setting, search on taskbar is configured according to the
defaults for your Windows edition. Users can change search on taskbar in Settings

Path
CSP ./Device/Vendor/MSFT/Policy/Config/Search/ConfigureSearchOnTaskbarMode
GPO - Computer Configuration > Windows Components > Search

Do not display or track items in Jump Lists from remote locations

This policy setting allows you to control displaying or tracking items in Jump Lists from remote locations.
The Start Menu and Taskbar display Jump Lists off of programs. These menus include files, folders,
websites, and other relevant items for that program. This helps users more easily reopen their most
important documents and other tasks.

If you enable this policy setting, the Start Menu and Taskbar only track the files that the user opens
locally on this computer. Files that the user opens over the network from remote computers aren't
tracked or shown in the Jump Lists. Use this setting to reduce network traffic, particularly over slow
network connections
If you disable or don't configure this policy setting, all files that the user opens appear in the menus,
including files located remotely on another computer

Note

This setting doesn't prevent Windows from displaying remote files that the user has explicitly pinned to
the Jump Lists.

Path
CSP Not available.
GPO - User Configuration > Administrative Templates > Start Menu and Taskbar

Hide the notification area

This setting affects the notification area (previously called the "system tray") on the taskbar. Description:
The notification area is located at the far right end of the task bar and includes the icons for current
notifications and the system clock. If this setting is enabled, the user?s entire notification area, including
the notification icons, is hidden. The taskbar displays only the Start button, taskbar buttons, custom
toolbars (if any), and the system clock. If this setting is disabled or isn't configured, the notification area is
shown in the user's taskbar. Note: Enabling this setting overrides the "Turn off notification area cleanup"
setting, because if the notification area is hidden, there's no need to clean up the icons.

Path
CSP Not available.
GPO - User Configuration > Administrative Templates > Start Menu and Taskbar

Hide recent jumplists

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Prevents the operating system and installed programs from creating and displaying shortcuts to recently
opened documents.

If you enable this setting:

The system and apps don't create shortcuts to documents opened
The system empties the Recent Items menu on the Start menu, and apps don't display
shortcuts at the bottom of the File menu
The Jump Lists in the Start Menu and Taskbar don't show lists of recently or frequently used
files, folders, or websites
If you disable or don't configure this setting, the system stores and displays shortcuts to recently
and frequently used files, folders, and websites
If you enable this setting but don't enable the Remove Recent Items menu from Start Menu
setting, the Recent Items menu appears on the Start menu, but it's empty.
If you enable this setting, but then later disable it or set it to Not Configured, the document
shortcuts saved before the setting was enabled reappear in the Recent Items menu and program
File menus, and Jump Lists. This setting doesn't hide or prevent the user from pinning files, folders,
or websites to the Jump Lists. This setting doesn't hide document shortcuts displayed in the Open
dialog box

Path
- ./Device/Vendor/MSFT/Policy/Config/Start/HideRecentJumplists
CSP
- ./User/Vendor/MSFT/Policy/Config/Start/HideRecentJumplists
- Computer Configuration > Administrative Templates > Start Menu and Taskbar >
don't keep history of recently opened documents
GPO
- User Configuration > Administrative Templates > Start Menu and Taskbar > don't
keep history of recently opened documents

Hide the TaskView button

This policy setting allows you to hide the TaskView button. If you enable this policy setting, the TaskView
button is hidden and the Settings toggle disabled.

Path
- ./Device/Vendor/MSFT/Policy/Config/Start/HideTaskViewButton
CSP
- ./User/Vendor/MSFT/Policy/Config/Start/HideTaskViewButton
- User Configuration > Administrative Templates > Start Menu and Taskbar
GPO
- Computer Configuration > Administrative Templates > Start Menu and Taskbar

Remove Clock from the system notification area

If you enable this policy setting, the clock isn't displayed in the system notification area
If you disable or don't configure this policy setting, the default behavior accur, and the clock
appears in the notification area

Path
CSP Not available.
GPO - User Configuration > Administrative Templates > Start Menu and Taskbar

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Remove Notifications and Action Center

This policy setting removes Notifications and Action Center from the notification area on the taskbar.

The notification area is located at the far right end of the taskbar, and includes icons for current
notifications and the system clock.

If this setting is enabled, Notifications and Action Center aren't displayed in the notification area.
The user can read notifications when they appear, but they can't review any notifications they miss
If you disable or don't configure this policy setting, Notification and Security and Maintenance are
displayed on the taskbar

Path
CSP Not available.
GPO - User Configuration > Administrative Templates > Start Menu and Taskbar

Remove pinned programs from the Taskbar

This policy setting allows you to remove pinned programs from the taskbar.

If you enable this policy setting, pinned programs are removed from the taskbar. Users can't pin
programs to the taskbar
If you disable or don't configure this policy setting, users can pin programs so that the program
shortcuts stay on the taskbar

Path
CSP Not available.
- User Configuration > Administrative Templates > Start Menu and Taskbar
GPO
- Computer Configuration > Administrative Templates > Start Menu and Taskbar

Remove Quick Settings

This policy setting removes Quick Settings from the bottom right area on the taskbar. The Quick Settings
area is located at the left of the clock in the taskbar and includes icons for current network and volume.

If this setting is enabled, Quick Settings isn't displayed in the Quick Settings area.

Note

A reboot is required for this policy setting to take effect.

Path
CSP ./User/Vendor/MSFT/Policy/Config/Start/DisableControlCenter
GPO - User Configuration > Administrative Templates > Start Menu and Taskbar

Remove the battery meter

With this policy setting you can remove the battery meter from the system control area.

If you enable this policy setting, the battery meter isn't displayed in the system notification area

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 If you disable or don't configure this policy setting, the battery meter is displayed in the system
notification area

Path
CSP Not available.
GPO - User Configuration > Administrative Templates > Start Menu and Taskbar

Remove the Meet Now icon

With this policy setting allows you can remove the Meet Now icon from the system control area.

If you enable this policy setting, the Meet Now icon isn't displayed in the system notification area
If you disable or don't configure this policy setting, the Meet Now icon is displayed in the system
notification area

Path
CSP Not available.
GPO - User Configuration > Administrative Templates > Start Menu and Taskbar

Remove the networking icon

With this policy setting you can remove the networking icon from the system control area.

If you enable this policy setting, the networking icon isn't displayed in the system notification area
If you disable or don't configure this policy setting, the networking icon is displayed in the system
notification area

Path
CSP Not available.
GPO - User Configuration > Administrative Templates > Start Menu and Taskbar

Remove the People Bar from the taskbar

With this policy allows you can remove the People Bar from the taskbar and disables the My People
experience. If you enable this policy setting, the people icon is removed from the taskbar, the
corresponding settings toggle is removed from the taskbar settings page, and users can't pin people to
the taskbar.

Path
CSP ./User/Vendor/MSFT/Policy/Config/Start/HidePeopleBar
GPO - User Configuration > Administrative Templates > Start Menu and Taskbar

Remove the volume control icon

With this policy setting you can remove the volume control icon from the system control area.

If you enable this policy setting, the volume control icon isn't displayed in the system notification
area

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 If you disable or don't configure this policy setting, the volume control icon is displayed in the
system notification area

Path
CSP Not available.
GPO - User Configuration > Administrative Templates > Start Menu and Taskbar

Show additional calendar

By default, the calendar is set according to the locale of the operating system, and users can show an
additional calendar.

For zh-CN and zh-SG locales, an additional calendar shows the lunar month and date and holiday
names in Simplified Chinese (Lunar) by default

For zh-TW, zh-HK, and zh-MO locales, an additional calendar shows the lunar month and date
and holiday names in Traditional Chinese (Lunar) by default

If you enable this policy setting, users can show an additional calendar in either Simplified Chinese
(Lunar) or Traditional Chinese (Lunar), regardless of the locale

If you disable this policy setting, users can't show an additional calendar, regardless of the locale

If you don't configure this policy setting, the calendar will be set according to the default logic

Path
CSP Not available.
GPO - User Configuration > Administrative Templates > Start Menu and Taskbar

Simplify Quick Settings Layout

If you enable this policy, Quick Settings is reduced to only having the Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, Accessibility,
and VPN buttons. The brightness slider, volume slider, and battery indicator and link to the Settings
app
If you disable or don't configure this policy setting, the regular Quick Settings layout appears
whenever Quick Settings is invoked

Path
CSP ./Device/Vendor/MSFT/Policy/Config/Start/SimplifyQuickSettings
GPO - Computer Configuration > Administrative Templates > Start Menu and Taskbar

Turn off automatic promotion of notification icons to the taskbar

With this policy setting you can turn off automatic promotion of notification icons to the taskbar.

If you enable this policy setting, newly added notification icons aren't temporarily promoted to the
Taskbar. Users can still configure icons to be shown or hidden in the Notification Control Panel.
If you disable or don't configure this policy setting, newly added notification icons are temporarily
promoted to the Taskbar

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 Path
CSP Not available.
GPO - User Configuration > Administrative Templates > Start Menu and Taskbar

Turn off notification area cleanup

This setting affects the notification area, also called the system tray. The notification area is located in the
task bar, generally at the bottom of the screen, and it includes the clock and current notifications.

This setting determines whether the items are always expanded or always collapsed. By default,
notifications are collapsed. The notification cleanup << icon can be referred to as the notification chevron.

If you enable this setting, the system notification area expands to show all of the notifications that
use this area
If you disable this setting, the system notification area always collapses notifications
If you don't configure it, the user can choose if they want notifications collapsed or expanded

Path
CSP Not available.
GPO - User Configuration > Administrative Templates > Start Menu and Taskbar

Next steps
The configuration of pinned applications to the taskbar requires the use of an XML file that specifies their
pinning order. To learn more about how to create and apply an XML file to configure pinned applications,
see Configure the taskbar pinned applications.

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