Controlling the Display of System Icons in the Notification Area

Written by Barry Dysert (last updated September 14, 2020)

Windows has various system icons that can be displayed in the notification area (otherwise known as the systray). If you are using Windows 7 or Windows 8, the available system icons are Clock, Volume, Network, Power, and Action Center. Windows 8 added a sixth possible system icon (Input Indicator) and the latest version of Windows 10 added Location, Touch Keyboard, Windows Ink Workspace, Touchpad, and Microphone for a total of 11 possible system icons. You can easily control which (if any) of these system icons are displayed.

Windows 10

  1. Type "Turn system icons on or off" (without quotes) in the search box to the right of the taskbar. Windows displays controls for the available system icons in the Turn System Icons On or Off section of the Settings dialog box. (See Figure 1.)
  2. Figure 1. The Turn System Icons On or Off section of the Settings dialog box.

  3. Click on the toggle switch to the right of any of the system icons to indicate whether that icon will be displayed (turned "On") or not (turned "Off").
  4. Close the Settings dialog box.

The new behaviors go into effect immediately

Windows 7 and Windows 8

  1. Right-click the date and time display at the very right of the systray. Windows displays a Context menu.
  2. Choose the Customize Notification Icons option. Windows displays the Notifications Area Icons portion of the Control Panel.
  3. Click the Turn System Icons On or Off link. Windows displays controls for the available system icons.

For each of the available system icons you can click the drop-down list in the "Behaviors" column to indicate whether that icon will be displayed (turned "On") or not (turned "Off"). After you've set the behaviors to what you want, click OK and close the Control Panel if it is open. The new behaviors go into effect immediately.

 This tip (11882) applies to Windows 7, 8, and 10.

Author Bio

Barry Dysert

Barry has been a computer professional for over 35 years, working in different positions such as technical team leader, project manager, and software developer. He is currently a software engineer with an emphasis on developing custom applications under Microsoft Windows. When not working with Windows or writing Tips, Barry is an amateur writer. His first non-fiction book is titled "A Chronological Commentary of Revelation." ...

MORE FROM BARRY

Freeing Up Disk Space by Deleting Old OS Files

I'm always looking for ways to free up disk space. Even with a 1 TB drive I want to be a "good disk citizen." If you're ...

Discover More

Changing the Default Program for a File

Files are opened by programs depending upon the file's type. If you want to change this association so that a different ...

Discover More

Using Powercfg to Query an Existing Power Scheme

This tip shows you how to use the command-line Powercfg utility to query a given power scheme from your current environment.

Discover More
More WindowsTips

Moving the Taskbar to a Different Edge of the Screen

The Taskbar is normally displayed along the bottom edge of the screen. Windows gives you the flexibility to decide where ...

Discover More

How to Remove Cortana's Search Box

If you want to free up some space on the taskbar, consider eliminating Cortana's search box. This tip tells you how.

Discover More

Adding the Day of the Week to the Taskbar Clock

Sometimes it is helpful to know the day of the week. How do you get the taskbar clock to show the day of the week?

Discover More
Comments

If you would like to add an image to your comment (not an avatar, but an image to help in making the point of your comment), include the characters [{fig}] (all 7 characters, in the sequence shown) in your comment text. You’ll be prompted to upload your image when you submit the comment. Maximum image size is 6Mpixels. Images larger than 600px wide or 1000px tall will be reduced. Up to three images may be included in a comment. All images are subject to review. Commenting privileges may be curtailed if inappropriate images are posted.

What is 7 - 0?

There are currently no comments for this tip. (Be the first to leave your comment—just use the simple form above!)


Newest Tips