Windows provides its users with many customization options so that they can change the look of their windows to their liking. What people usually customize in their Windows look and feel is the background wallpaper or the taskbar.
Most people want to make their taskbar transparent when it comes to customizing the taskbar. If you want to do the same, you have landed on the right article. In this article, we will list a few simple methods that you can use to make the taskbar transparent. So, without further ado, let’s get started.
Solutions How to make the taskbar transparent
- Windows personalization option
- Visual effects option
- Turn on transparency with Registry Editor
- Aero Tool for Windows 7
- Third party apps to make the taskbar transparent
Solutions for Creating a Transparent Taskbar
1. Windows personalization option
Using Windows personalization settings is the easiest and most common way
Make the taskbar transparent. Here’s how you can do it by following these simple steps:
- Press the Windows key to open the Start menu and click Settings.
- Now select personalization on the left side of the screen.
- Next, click on colors.
- Switch the switch in front of the transparency effect to the right side.
- Look, now your taskbar is transparent.
The transparency effect of this method is limited, as it only makes the taskbar slightly more transparent. You can choose a taskbar color that matches your wallpaper and see if it looks better than the transparency effect.
Otherwise, you can move on to the next solution, which will add more transparency to your taskbar.
2. Visual effects option
Like the personalization option, the Visual Effect option is also a built-in feature that can make your taskbar transparent. Here’s how to do it:
- Press the Windows key again to open the Start menu and go to Settings.
- Click “Accessibility”on the left side of the screen.
- Now click on the “Visual Effects”option.
- The switch will be in front of the transparency effects. Switch it to the right to enable the transparency effect.
- See if this affects the transparency of the taskbar.
If you are still not satisfied with the level of transparency, you can try the following method, which will surely increase the transparency.
3. Turn on transparency using the registry editor.
If you cannot get the transparency you want with the above methods, then a registry editor can help you. The Registry Editor allows you to tweak Windows settings and achieve even more transparency than usual when you turn on transparency effects. There are two ways to make the taskbar transparent using the Registry Editor, which we will discuss below.
OLED Taskbar Transparency
- Open the Windows Run dialog by pressing Windows + R.
- When it opens, type
Regeditand press OK or press Enter. - Now find
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\Advanced - In the white zone, right-click and select New, then select DWORD (32-bit) Value.
- Right click on the value you just created and rename it to UseOLEDTaskbarTransparency or whatever.
- Now right click again and click Edit, then change the value from 0 to 1.
- Click OK to apply the settings and see if the transparency of the taskbar changes.
Adjust ForceEffectMode
- Follow the previous method up to step 3.
- Then go to
Computer\HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\DWM - Find ForceEffectMode, right-click it, and choose Edit.
- Change its value from 0 to 1 as in the previous method.
- Please restart your computer and see how this affects the transparency of the taskbar.
4. Aero tool for Windows 7
You must enable the Windows aero tool to make the taskbar transparent in Windows 7. By enabling transparency with this method, the margins of all windows and the start menu will become transparent. Here is how you can do it.
- Click the Start button, search for Aero or “Change Windows glass color”in the search box.
- Do not type “Find and fix problems with transparency and other visual effects”in the search bar and click on it.
- Click Next to start the troubleshooting process. The process may take several minutes; do not close the troubleshooter until it has scanned for problems.
- If the troubleshooter finds any issues, it will fix them automatically. Otherwise, if no problem is found and you get a message saying no problem found, close the troubleshooter.
- Right-click on the desktop screen and select “Personalization”to open the “Personalization”section of the Control Panel.
- Select a theme under “Aero Themes”and click “Windows 7″as the transparency option is not available in the Basic, Classic, or High Contrast themes.
- Select the Enable transparency check box to make the taskbar, start menu, and windows transparent.
- Now adjust the transparency by dragging the color intensity bar left and right. Click Save Changes to apply and save your new settings.
- You can also change the colors of windows, the start menu, and the taskbar by selecting different colors. If you want to create your own color, click Show Color Mixer and then use the Hue, Saturation, and Luminance panels to adjust the color. Click “Save Changes”once you’ve created the desired color.
Note:
For Aero to work properly on your system, you need to install the latest drivers for your graphics card and then run the Aero Troubleshooter.
5. Third party apps to make the taskbar transparent
If you need more taskbar customization beyond transparency, a few third-party apps can help you get there. Below we will mention some of the best taskbar customization apps.
- translucentTB
Translucent TB is a free and easy-to-use application that allows you to make your taskbar transparent. It can be downloaded from the Microsoft App Store. Here are a few steps to make your taskbar transparent with Translucent TB:
- Download Translucent TB from the Microsoft App Store.
- When the download is complete, click Open.
- Click Continue on the pop-up menu that appears.
- Your taskbar will now become transparent.
Other Features TranslucentTB Offers
The TranslucentTB app will make your taskbar transparent, but that’s not the only thing it does. You can also make the taskbar translucent or opaque if you wish.
In addition, it also allows you to change the color of the taskbar and combine states such as open start menu, maximized window, open timeline and open Cortana, open timeline. All in all, this is a great app that allows you to customize some of the items on your taskbar for free.
- TaskbarX
Taskbar X is another application that can make the taskbar transparent. This paid application can be downloaded from the Microsoft App Store. Here’s how you can use it to make the taskbar transparent.
- Find the X taskbar in the Microsoft App Store.
- Click “Buy”and choose a payment method.
- Add details for this payment method and click Save.
- Right-click the file and extract the archive after the download is complete.
- Launch the TaskbarX folder and run the executable to install the application.
- When the installation process completes, the taskbar icons will automatically move to the middle of the taskbar.
Other features that taskbar X offers
Taskbar Offers a wide range of features that can change every aspect of your taskbar and give it a whole new look.
You can make the taskbar vertical and place it on the left or right side of the screen with the position option.
Other interesting features of this application include Style, which can change the color and transparency level of the taskbar. Animation controls the movement of icons on the taskbar when a new application is opened.
- TaskbarTools
Taskbar Tools is a free application that allows you to make changes to the taskbar. You can use the app to make the taskbar transparent by doing the following:
- Download the application from the Internet.
- Click on the Zip file and run the executable to run the application.
- Change the accent state to ACCENT_ENABLE_TRANSPARENTGRADIENT.
- Under Options, check Start Minimization, Apply Setting at Startup, and Start with Windows Setting. Uncheck the last option to use a different setting when windows are maximized.
- On Windows Accent Alpha, slide the button left or right to adjust the transparency of the taskbar.
Note:
Although the latest version of taskbar tools was obtained in 2017, this application works for Windows 11 as well.
Other features that taskbar tools offer
Taskbar tools are best for making small changes to the taskbar. It can change the color and transparency of the taskbar whether the windows are maximized or not. All in all, this is a great app for those who want to customize their taskbar for free.
- ClassicShell
The classic shell software allows you to customize your computer the way you like. Therefore, it also has the function of adjusting the opacity of the taskbar to make it transparent. Here are the steps to make the taskbar transparent using the Classic Shell software:
- GO to the classic shell download page and download it from there.
- After downloading the file, run the file. exe and run the installation wizard to install the application.
- When the installation process completes, the application will automatically launch. At the top of the screen, click “Show all settings”and select the “Taskbar”tab.
- Now click “Customize Taskbar”. Then select the radio buttons “Transparent”or “Glass”(to your liking) and then adjust the opacity of the taskbar by adding a number from 0 to 100 in front of the opacity of the taskbar.
- Once you’ve set everything up, click OK.
Other features that Classic Shell offers
- Can customize start menu with multiple styles and skin
- Provides quick access to recent, frequently used, and pinned programs.
- Finds files, documents, programs and settings
- live wallpaper
Live Wallpaper is another free application with which you can make the taskbar transparent. Here are the steps to make your taskbar transparent with Live Wallpaper:
- Download the Lively Wallpaper app from the official website or the Microsoft store.
- Once you have installed it, open the app.
- After that, click the “Settings”icon in the lower left corner.
- Find the “System”tab in the settings.
- You will find the Taskbar Theme option under the System tab, it is disabled by default.
- Click on it and select Clear. Your taskbar will now become transparent.
- To prevent this setting from changing each time you boot Windows, go to the General tab and enable Start with Windows.
Other Features Lively Wallpaper Offers
Apart from customization, the main feature of Lively Wallpaper is that you can choose animations, GIFs, videos, and even multiple games as your wallpaper.
Completion
All the solutions mentioned in this article are effective for making the taskbar transparent. But the degree of their effectiveness is different. If you want to make the taskbar a little transparent, you can use the built-in features of the computer.
Otherwise, if you want a completely transparent taskbar and want to add some other customizations, you should try the third-party Windows customization apps mentioned in this article.
FAQ
How to change the color of the taskbar?
1. Right click on the desktop and select personalize.2. Select color Windows.3. Then select the color mixer to get the color you want and click Save Changes.
How to make the Windows 10 taskbar transparent without editing the Windows Registry?
You can make Windows 10 transparent without Registry Editor in the following ways: – Windows personalization option – Visual effects option – Third party Windows customization apps
How to make the taskbar in Windows 10 transparent?
1. Go to Windows 10 settings and select Customize Windows Taskbar. 2. Then turn on transparency.3. Now adjust the taskbar opacity value.4. After that click OK.
How to fix transparent taskbar?
1. Right click on the desktop and select personalize.2. Select color Windows.3. Uncheck transparency