How do I make taskbar icons smaller

I am using Windows 11, version 24H2 and would like to find out the best way to make taskbar icons smaller.

Any ideas?

Thank you for all help.

This program below may help you in your quest...

Windhawk

As mentioned already, Windhawk program should help with the "Taskbar height and icon size" mode installed.

Can it also remove or make the spacing between items smaller?

Tester said:

Can it also remove or make the spacing between items smaller?

Click to expand...

For the taskbar? Maybe you could take a look at what is available?

Tester said:

Can it also remove or make the spacing between items smaller?

Click to expand...

If you want to adjust desktop icons, Winaero tweaker does that.
Or you can do it yourself via the registry.



Or you can use Winaero Tweaker

I have used Winaero Tweaker for the taskbar already, have set it on smallest size possible.
But like my tabs in my browser, i want then more compact together. So the spacing is more like in the browser.


For The winarea Tweaker icon part, have used that aswell for my desktop icon spacing, but it sadly does not effect my taskbar.
example from my desktop (could space them more together but then the text from icon becomes unreadable:


Will be checking windhawk today.
Have tried looking up registery keys for the spacing, but sadly not found anything that works.

OMG lol
Man you have great eyesight. My head would explode at my age, I think I'd end up in the fetal position looking at that.
If there are more than 4 people in a room I end up going postal. I can't enter a supermarket to buy toothpaste or cereal or anything because they have to have 300 different types of everything.
Oh to be young again in the 70's.

How many icons do you want on your taskbar, wouldn't it be easier to organize your start menu and use the Win key?

I had a nasty fall 7months ago, and broke a few bones including some in my mouse hand. So my hand starts to hurt after a while when doing to much mousing/clicking. So i try to show/setup as much as possbile, for fast access.
The start menu i only use for things i rarely use.
The top taskbar i use incombination with the top bar of the browsers, so i don't have to mouse down from browser to taskbar, and then up to again. Making it a lot fast to switch between windows.

This is why I use Start11

One could if they wanted to, create a folder and fill it with icons/shortcuts and pin the folder to the Taskbar, treat them like a menu. . Or have a folder with other folders to act as a menu.
Pin "All Apps" to the taskbar, whatever.


I added some to my taskbar as an example:

jaburmester said:

I am using Windows 11, version 24H2 and would like to find out the best way to make taskbar icons smaller.

Any ideas?

Thank you for all help.

Click to expand...

You may want to consider re-designing how you do things.
In your pictures, I see a LOT of icons and shortcuts.


Granted, I'm on a 30" screen, and I consider this... a LOT of icons and shortcuts...




Yes... on Win 11 Microsoft buried everything 2 or 3 mouse clicks deep.
When I first saw that I was upset. I still don't "like" it.

But, when I realized that Microsoft didn't really care what I liked, I decided on a new method.

Now, I only have icons and shortcuts for the things I absolutely need to get to... fast.
For all the other things, I just decided to learn to live with Microsoft's "new methods".

It was either that or cover my desktop with shortcuts, or use a bunch of 3rd party tweaking programs.

You may want to look at @antspants solution (post #10). That may work for you.



The only 3rd party tweaking program that I use is Winaero Tweaker.
For everything else, I just use the tutorials.



Here's some other things that may help...

Tester said:

I had a nasty fall 7months ago, and broke a few bones including some in my mouse hand. So my hand starts to hurt after a while when doing to much mousing/clicking. So i try to show/setup as much as possbile, for fast access.
The start menu i only use for things i rarely use.
The top taskbar i use incombination with the top bar of the browsers, so i don't have to mouse down from browser to taskbar, and then up to again. Making it a lot fast to switch between windows.

Click to expand...

Terrible thing, I hope you're healing well.

I would say try voice commands, but unless they have improved the process, the last time I tried that (whenever that was) it wasn't exactly productive.

How about a trackball mouse? There are so many available.

Tester said:

I had a nasty fall 7months ago, and broke a few bones including some in my mouse hand. So my hand starts to hurt after a while when doing to much mousing/clicking. So i try to show/setup as much as possbile, for fast access.
The start menu i only use for things i rarely use.
The top taskbar i use incombination with the top bar of the browsers, so i don't have to mouse down from browser to taskbar, and then up to again. Making it a lot fast to switch between windows.

Click to expand...

That's rough. I hope you... heal fast.
Voice control is.... lacking at best. And although I've never tried it, they also have eye control?
I find it difficult to imagine eye control working very well, either.






On a side note, I've found that yelling at the computer helps sometimes.

Ghot said:

On a side note, I've found that yelling at the computer helps sometimes.

Click to expand...

Bahahaha

@Tester

These kind of things, really help with rehabilitating... hands and forearms.



They also come in various strengths...




More info...




NOTE: The only ones I've ever used are like the ones in the Amazon links above.



There are ofc, other exercises for fingers and hands... Youtube

Tester said:

But like my tabs in my browser, i want then more compact together. So the spacing is more like in the browser.

Click to expand...

So you use your “Web Broser” as a means to open apps and things? If so, that’s clever. (I may very well be confusing that image)

antspants said:

I added some to my taskbar as an example:

Click to expand...

I will be adding some of that to the taskbar, thats for me useful!

Ghot said:

Granted, I'm on a 30" screen, and I consider this... a LOT of icons and shortcuts...

Click to expand...

Thats in my eyes a waste of space lol.
For example this is a waste of space aswell, i like the settings menu of win11, hoever if you go to privacy & security. Why do you get a list of big buttons, and needs to scroll down, while there is a lot of space, to just put 2 or 3 colomns next to eachother. And once you change a settings for example the last item (lowest one) , and then press back, your all the way at the top again.

Voice control.. My wife has bad hearing so when i start talking to the computer, she would think i talk to her, and then she says what did you say? Then computer goes, i did not quite understand what you said, can you repeat your last sentence. Then wife goes again, who are you talking to!
Eye tracking, i will watch some youtube video's on how good it is, seems like a good idea. Hope it is mature enough to work ok with.

Ghot said:

These kind of things, really help with rehabilitating... hands and forearms.

Click to expand...

I have one, but that is one i can't press in anymore with my right hand. So i will order a weaker one, to start out with it again. Thanks did not think of that.

antspants said:

So you use your “Web Broser” as a means to open apps and things? If so, that’s clever.

Click to expand...

No, all those icons are just websites i use, and i never close any of those tabs. All tabs reopen when i relaunche browser. But only load the content when i click an icon. Using chrome on my main screen, with Catorogy Groups with those letters. Can collapse / open them when needed. On my second screen i use Brave with same config/setup, but diffrent Catogory Groups and diffrent sites. This way i don't have to use the favorites folders, to reopen websites, and everthing is ready to use.
I like your idea for opening apps trough this way, but don't think that is possible.

Tester said:

Thats in my eyes a waste of space lol.

Click to expand...

Well, when I'm using the computer, I have multiple windows open on the screen.
I don't run any window at full screen.

You'll get an extra brownie point if you can guess which one is mine.

Lucas North said:

This program below may help you in your quest...

Windhawk

Click to expand...

I ran across the Windhawk tweak this afternoon and I'm interested. Like Lucas I can adjust the height and length of the taskbar resulting in two rows of icons. This actually increases space on the taskbar. Will Windhawk do this?

And...does Windhawk allow the creation of a Quick Launch bar?