Taskbar showing over a full-screen game? How to fix it on Windows 11

1. Bring the game back to the front

Click inside the game once, or press Alt+Tab away and back. If something else took focus (for example, you clicked a notification), the game isn't the active window any more, and the taskbar can stay on top of it.

2. Toggle the game's display mode

Many games switch between windowed and full screen with Alt+Enter, and some use F11 (it depends on the game). Toggle it once or twice. If the game has a Display mode setting, pick Fullscreen or Borderless rather than Windowed.

3. Stop apps from flashing on the taskbar

When an app needs your attention, Windows can flash its taskbar icon. Microsoft says this "typically happens when an app opens minimized or behind another window and requires your interaction", and a flashing app is a common reason the taskbar pops up while you play.

• Right-click the taskbar and select Taskbar settings (or go to Settings > Personalization > Taskbar), expand Taskbar behaviors, and uncheck Show flashing on taskbar apps.
• Or close the app that keeps asking for attention while you play.

4. Hide the taskbar automatically

In the same Taskbar behaviors section, check Automatically hide the taskbar. The taskbar stays hidden until you hover your mouse over (or touch) the bottom edge of the screen.

If the game runs in windowed mode, the taskbar is supposed to be there

A normal window stops at the taskbar. If your game only runs well in Windowed mode, or its full-screen mode causes trouble when you alt-tab or use a second monitor, you can make that window borderless. It then fills the whole monitor, taskbar area included.

Some games have a Borderless or Windowed fullscreen option in their display settings. Use it if yours does.

The one-click route: our Solace Borderless

Free 14-day trial, then $6.43 once. Every feature works for 14 days, then the app asks you to buy. No subscription and no automatic renewal.

Disclosure: we (SolaceSoftware) make and sell Solace Borderless.

If your game runs in a window and has no borderless option, our Solace Borderless makes that window fill the screen with no borders, covering the taskbar.

• One click or Ctrl+Alt+B (you can change the hotkey) makes a window borderless full screen.
• Pick the monitor, or a custom size such as 2560x1080 centered on it.
• Remember a game once and it goes borderless every time it opens. If a game puts its border back, Solace Borderless removes it again.
• Every window is restored when you quit, even after a forced quit.
• Nothing is injected into your games. No account, no telemetry and no admin rights.

Limits: the game must run in windowed mode; exclusive full screen isn't changed. You need Windows 10 or 11, 64-bit, with Microsoft Edge WebView2 Runtime (built into Windows 11 and current Windows 10). It's a per-user install, a download of about 3 MB, with no administrator rights needed. The app isn't code-signed yet, so on first launch Windows may show "Windows protected your PC". Click More info, then Run anyway.

Try our Solace Borderless free for 14 days, then $6.43 once

Our Solace Borderless is also in the Solace Gamer Pack: 7 apps for games and streams for $29.00 once ($54.21 separately). It's in Solace Complete too: 25 Solace apps for $45.00 once.

Questions before you buy: solacesoftware@smilingface.cloud

Quick answer

• Taskbar over a full-screen game: click into the game, or toggle its display mode (often Alt+Enter).
• It keeps coming back: uncheck Show flashing on taskbar apps, or check Automatically hide the taskbar (Taskbar settings > Taskbar behaviors).
• The game is windowed: use its Borderless option, or try our Solace Borderless free for 14 days, then $6.43 once.