Customizing your taskbar can make your Windows 11 experience more personalized and efficient. While Windows 11 doesn't offer a built-in option to resize the taskbar, you can adjust its size by modifying the Windows Registry. This method allows you to make the taskbar smaller, similar to the compact style available in Windows 10.

Change the Taskbar Size Using Registry Editor

Before proceeding, please note that editing the registry can affect system stability if not done correctly. It's advisable to back up your registry or create a system restore point before making any changes.

  1. Press the Windows key on your keyboard or click the Start button to open the Start menu. Type Registry Editor in the search bar.
  1. Click on the Registry Editor app from the search results to open it.

In the Registry Editor, navigate to the following path:

HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\Advanced
  1. Right-click on the Advanced key in the left sidebar, select New, then choose DWORD (32-bit) Value.
  1. Name the new value TaskbarSi exactly as shown, without any spaces.
  1. Double-click on TaskbarSi to modify it. Ensure the base is set to Hexadecimal.
  1. In the Value data field, enter 0 to make the taskbar smaller. Click OK to save the changes.

Note: To revert to the default taskbar size, change the Value data to 1. To make the taskbar larger, use 2.

  1. After editing the registry, you'll need to restart Windows Explorer for the changes to take effect. Right-click on the Start button and select Task Manager.
  1. In Task Manager, scroll down to find Windows Explorer. Select it and click on Restart at the bottom right corner.

Your taskbar will now appear smaller, with reduced icon sizes.

To restore the default taskbar size, you can remove the TaskbarSi entry from the registry.

  1. Right-click on TaskbarSi in the right pane and select Delete.

Open Registry Editor and navigate to:

HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\Advanced

Restart Windows Explorer or restart your computer to apply the changes.

By following these steps, you can adjust the taskbar size in Windows 11 to better suit your preferences. Always exercise caution when editing the registry and ensure you have backups of important data.