How to Resize the Taskbar Icons in Windows 11

Windows has refined the taskbar area with Windows 11. Now the icons are placed in the middle, which makes it easier to access. While there are several customization options, there is no native way to resize taskbar icons or change the size of the taskbar. You can use the registry editor to edit it.

The Windows Registry Editor opens up your world to a range of tweaks and customizations. Using it, you can change existing app settings and built-in settings. And as you might expect, the Registry Editor also lets you play around with the settings and aesthetics of the taskbar. However, there is a slight catch.

The registry editor allows you to resize the taskbar and not directly the icons. When you reduce the size of the taskbar, the size of the icons also change.

Now that that’s fixed, let’s take a look at how to resize the taskbar icons in Windows 11.

Preconditions

As stated earlier, the Registry Editor contains configuration settings and system files for your entire system. And if this is your first time playing with Registry Editor, the best option would be to back up the registry. This is because modifying a bad entry can damage your Windows system or render it unusable.

To take a backup of Registry Editor, follow the steps below,

Step 1: Open Registry Editor in Windows and right-click Computer. Then select Export.

2nd step: Name the file and save it in a location where you can easily access it.

If you plan to edit multiple items simultaneously, back up the file. Alternatively, you can also take a backup of the registry editor.

How to resize taskbar icons in Windows 11

You will need to work with the Registry Editor until Microsoft adds a direct option to resize taskbar icons.

Step 1: Open the Start menu, locate Registry Editor. Alternatively, you can press Win + R key and type the following command,

regedit

On the folder path, paste the following path,

HKEY_CURRENT_USERSoftwareMicrosoftWindowsCurrentVersionExplorerAdvanced

This will highlight the Advanced folder on the left panel as shown in the screenshot below.

2nd step: Right-click on the Advanced folder and select New, then DWORD (32-bit) Value.

Rename the folder to “TaskbarSi”.

Step 3: Next, right-click on the value and select Edit. Replace the value data with 0. That’s about it.

Now all you have to do is restart your PC / Laptop, and you will be greeted with a little taskbar with little icons.

If you are not happy with the new changes, you can always go back to the original look. To do this, open the folder again and change the value data to 1. Once done, do a quick restart of your laptop / PC.

The opposite is also true. You can also increase the size of the taskbar and its icons. To do this, change and update the data value to 2.

From now on, you can change the size of the taskbar as per your choice. Just change the data value. And since the folder has already been created, you don’t have to worry about creating the folder and likes.

Bonus: Customize the Quick Action Center

Now that the taskbar is to your liking, why leave out the Quick Action Center. Unlike Windows 10, the new version of Windows gives you several options to customize the Quick Action Center.

Unlike the previous iteration, the new Quick Action Center features a series of toggles for easy access. And depending on your usage, you can choose to add or remove some of them.

Step 1: Open the Quick Action Center by clicking the Battery icon in the lower right corner.

2nd step: Click on the small pencil icon. Here you’ll find all the pinned buttons like Wi-Fi, Battery Saver, and Focus Assistant at the top.

If you want to remove some of the icons from the menu, click the Un-Pin icon. To pin icons to the Quick Action Center, click the Add button and choose your options.

For now, Windows 11 offers you fifteen options to add to the menu. You benefit from the standard rate such as Wi-Fi, Bluetooth and Airplane mode. You can also choose from other options like keyboard layout, focus assist, or broadcast.

Once you have changed it to your preference, press the Done button to save the settings.

At the same time, you can also change the position of the buttons. Drag the button to the location of your choice.

Big and small

With Windows 11, there are several options for customizing the taskbar. And these are accessible from the taskbar settings. Whether it is changing the alignment from center to left or showing / displaying taskbar items, there are several things you can do.