Disable Notification Badges in Windows 11 Taskbar

Notification badges are the little numbered dots that appear on taskbar icons when an app has unread alerts. If you find them distracting or cluttered, Windows 11 lets you turn them off per app or entirely. This guide shows you exactly how to disable them, no extra software needed.

What You’ll Need

A PC running Windows 11 (any recent version, including 22H2 and 23H2)
Administrator access (standard user accounts can usually change settings, but some options may be greyed out without admin rights)

Step-by-Step

Open Settings. Click the Start button (Windows icon) on the taskbar, then click the gear icon labeled “Settings.” You can also press Win + I on your keyboard.
Go to Personalization. In the left sidebar, click “Personalization.” If you don’t see it, widen the window or scroll down.
Select Taskbar. In the Personalization page, click “Taskbar” from the list of options.
Open Taskbar behaviors. Scroll down to find “Taskbar behaviors” and click it to expand the section. (In older builds, this may be labeled “Taskbar corner overflow” or similar, but “Taskbar behaviors” is the correct name in current versions.)
Find “Show badges on taskbar apps.” Look for a checkbox or toggle labeled “Show badges on taskbar apps.” It’s usually near the bottom of the expanded list.
Uncheck the box. Click the checkbox to remove the checkmark. This instantly disables badges for all taskbar icons, including system apps like Mail and Calendar.
Close Settings. The change saves automatically. You can close the Settings window now.

That’s it. After unchecking, you’ll no longer see the red numbered badges or the small dots that indicate unread activity. The icons themselves remain, and you can still open apps normally.

Common Mistakes

Looking in the wrong place. Some guides tell you to go to “Notifications & actions” or “System > Notifications.” That’s for notification toasts (the pop-up banners), not taskbar badges. The correct path is Personalization > Taskbar > Taskbar behaviors.
Toggling “Badges on taskbar buttons” instead. In some Windows 11 versions, there’s a separate option called “Badges on taskbar buttons” under “Taskbar corner overflow.” That only affects overflow icons, not the main taskbar. Make sure you uncheck “Show badges on taskbar apps.”
Restarting unnecessarily. The setting applies immediately. You don’t need to restart Explorer or reboot. If you do, it won’t hurt, but it’s not required.
Confusing badges with live tiles. Windows 11 doesn’t have live tiles on the taskbar. If you’re looking for a way to remove animated icons, that’s a different setting (usually under Personalization > Start).

Tips

Disable per app instead. If you only want to hide badges for one or two apps, you can do that without turning off all badges. Go to Settings > Notifications, find the app in the list, and turn off “Badges on taskbar.” This keeps badges for other apps.
Use Focus assist. If you want to temporarily hide badges (and all notifications) during certain hours, use Focus assist (Settings > System > Focus assist). You can schedule it to turn on automatically.
Check for updates. Microsoft has changed the location of this setting in the past. If you can’t find “Taskbar behaviors,” make sure Windows is updated to the latest version. You can check via Settings > Windows Update.
Combine with “Do not disturb.” Turning off badges doesn’t stop notification toasts. If you want a completely quiet taskbar, also enable “Do not disturb” (click the bell icon in the system tray).

Troubleshooting

I uncheck the box, but badges still appear. This usually means you’re looking at the wrong checkbox. Double-check that you’re in Personalization > Taskbar > Taskbar behaviors and that the “Show badges on taskbar apps” box is unchecked. If it’s already unchecked, try checking it, clicking Apply (if visible), then unchecking again. Also, some third-party apps (like Start11 or taskbar mods) can override this setting. Temporarily disable such apps to test.

The option is greyed out. This can happen if you’re using a domain-joined PC with group policies. Your organization may have locked this setting. Check with your IT admin. If you’re on a personal PC, make sure you’re logged in as an administrator.

Badges disappear but come back after restart. This is rare, but a glitch in the Settings app can cause the change not to save. Restart Windows Explorer (right-click the taskbar, select “Task Manager,” find “Windows Explorer,” right-click and choose “Restart”). Then re-check the setting. If it still reverts, run the Windows Update troubleshooter or check for pending updates.

I can’t find “Taskbar behaviors” at all. In older Windows 11 builds (before 22H2), the option might be under “Taskbar” directly, not inside a submenu. Scroll down the Taskbar settings page. If you still can’t find it, press Win + R, type ms-settings:taskbar, and press Enter. That opens the correct page.

Badges still show on the Start menu icons. This setting only affects the taskbar. If you see badges on Start menu pinned apps, that’s a separate feature. To disable those, go to Settings > Personalization > Start and turn off “Show badges on Start.”

Frequently Asked Questions

Will disabling badges also stop notification toasts?

No. Badges are just the small numbers/dots on icons. Toasts (the pop-up banners) are controlled separately under Settings > System > Notifications. You can turn off toasts for individual apps or globally.

Can I disable badges for only one app?

Yes. Go to Settings > System > Notifications, find the app in the list, and turn off “Badges on taskbar” for that app. This is useful if you want to keep badges for email but not for a game.

Does this affect the system tray icons (like volume or network)?

No. The system tray icons have their own settings. This option only affects apps pinned to the taskbar (the main row of icons).

Will this stop the red dot on the Start button?

No. The red dot on the Start button is a separate notification indicator. To remove it, go to Settings > Personalization > Start and turn off “Show badges on Start.”

Is there a registry hack to disable badges?

Yes, but it’s not recommended unless you’re comfortable editing the registry. The setting is stored under HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\Advanced as a DWORD value named TaskbarBadges. Setting it to 0 disables badges. However, the Settings method is safer and easier.

Does this setting sync across devices with my Microsoft account?

No. This is a local setting and does not sync. You’ll need to change it on each PC you use.

General steps for current mainstream versions; menus can differ by device and version. See the disclaimer or report an error.

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