Windows 11 features small notification counters that appear directly over the icons on your taskbar. For example, if you receive three new emails in the Mail app, or a message in Microsoft Teams, a small red circle containing a number will hover over the application’s icon.
These “Taskbar Badges” are designed to keep you informed, but for many users, they create a constant sense of anxiety and distraction. If you are trying to focus on a Word document, seeing a bright red “unread” counter in your peripheral vision can easily break your concentration. Fortunately, you can disable these badges entirely.
How to Disable Taskbar Notification Badges
You can turn off these small red counters quickly using the Windows 11 Taskbar settings menu.
- Right-click on any empty, blank space on your Windows 11 Taskbar (the bar across the bottom of your screen).
- A small menu will appear. Click on Taskbar settings.
- The Settings app will open. Scroll down to the bottom of the page and click on the section labelled Taskbar behaviours to expand it.
- Look for the checkbox labelled Show badges on taskbar apps.
- Uncheck this box.
The change is instantaneous. The red notification counters will immediately vanish from your taskbar icons. You will still receive standard slide-out banner notifications in the bottom-right corner of your screen (unless you have Focus Assist turned on), but the persistent, stressful red unread counters will no longer clutter your taskbar.