Masquer les icônes de la zone de notification sous Windows 11
Windows 11 gives you a few built-in ways to tidy the system tray: the notification area in the bottom-right corner, next to the clock. They are worth knowing, and for many people they are enough. This guide walks through each one, then covers the case they don't handle: hiding a specific app's tray icon on demand, together with its window, and bringing it back a second later.
1. Move icons into the hidden-icons menu
The quickest way: drag an icon from the corner onto the ^ arrow. It moves into the hidden-icons menu (the "overflow"). Drag it back out to show it again.
You can do the same from Settings:
- Right-click an empty part of the taskbar → Taskbar settings.
- Expand Other system tray icons.
- Turn an app off to move its icon into the hidden-icons menu, or on to keep it in the corner.
What this does not do: the icon is still there, one click away under the arrow. The app keeps running, its window and taskbar button are unaffected, and the setting is permanent rather than something you switch on in a hurry.
2. Turn off the app's own tray icon
Many apps that sit in the tray, such as chat clients, launchers and cloud-sync tools, have an option in their own settings to close to tray or show a tray icon. Turning it off removes the icon completely, but usually also changes how the app behaves when you close it (it may quit instead of staying in the background).
3. Stop the app from starting with Windows
If an icon appears every time you sign in and you rarely use the app, the cleanest fix is to stop it launching at all: Settings → Apps → Startup, then turn the app off. It will only run, and only show an icon, when you open it yourself.
4. Auto-hide the whole taskbar
Taskbar settings → Taskbar behaviors → Automatically hide the taskbar slides the entire taskbar, tray included, off the screen until you move the mouse to the bottom edge. It's tidy, but everything reappears the moment the pointer touches the edge, so it's no help when someone is looking over your shoulder.
5. Virtual desktops: close, but not the tray
Press Ctrl+Win+D for a new desktop and Ctrl+Win+←/→ to switch. Windows and their taskbar buttons stay on the desktop they belong to. The notification area, however, is shared by every desktop, so the tray icons of apps on another desktop are still visible, and their sound keeps playing.
Quick comparison
| Method | Hides the tray icon | Hides the window & taskbar button | On demand, one key | Easy to undo |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hidden-icons menu (^) | Moves it under the arrow | No | No | Yes |
| App's own setting | Yes | No | No | Yes, in the app |
| Disable at startup | Until you open the app | n/a | No | Yes |
| Auto-hide taskbar | Until the mouse hits the edge | Taskbar only | No | Yes |
| Virtual desktops | No (tray is shared) | Yes | Yes (Ctrl+Win+→) | Yes |
When you need it gone right now
The built-in options are about tidying. The common real-world need is different: a screen share starts, a colleague walks over, someone borrows your laptop, and a few specific apps need to disappear completely (window, taskbar button, tray icon, sound), then come back exactly as they were.
That is what a boss key is for. gohide is one: you pick the apps once, press Ctrl+Alt+H, and their windows, taskbar buttons and tray icons are hidden together, including on current Windows 11 builds where many older hiders no longer clear tray icons. Ctrl+Alt+Shift+H brings everything back in place. See tray hiding on Windows 11 for what to expect, or compare it with other tools in the best boss key apps for Windows 11.
Download gohide: free for up to 3 apps, with no time limit, no account and no telemetry.