The Cluttered System Tray
In Windows 10, the “notification area” (commonly known as the system tray) resides at the far right end of the taskbar, next to the clock. By default, Windows attempts to keep this area tidy by hiding less frequently used application icons behind a small upward-facing arrow (the “chevron”). You click the arrow to see the overflow of background apps.
However, there is a master switch in the Windows settings called “Always show all icons in the notification area.” When enabled, it completely eliminates the chevron and forces every single background application to display its icon permanently on the taskbar. If you have many background utilities running (like Dropbox, Steam, antivirus, VPNs, and printer monitors), this setting will instantly clutter your taskbar, shrinking the space available for your actual open windows. If your system tray is overflowing, you need to disable this master switch.
How to Hide the Notification Area Icons
You can restore the hidden overflow menu via the Taskbar settings.
- Right-click on any empty space on your Taskbar (the black bar at the bottom of the screen).
- Select Taskbar settings from the context menu.
- The Settings app will open directly to the Taskbar page. Scroll down until you find the Notification area section.
- Click on the blue link that says Select which icons appear on the taskbar.
- At the very top of the next screen, you will see a master toggle switch labelled Always show all icons in the notification area.
- Toggle this switch to the Off position.
Immediately, your taskbar will consolidate. A small upward arrow will reappear, and all non-essential background application icons will be swept inside it, instantly cleaning up your desktop interface.