Original Article: https://www.lifewire.com/change-taskbar-alignment-in-windows-11-5189959


What to Know

  • Right-click taskbar > Taskbar settings > Taskbar behaviors > Left or Center.
  • Otherwise, create and edit the TaskbarAl registry value if Windows isn't activated.
  • The only way to resize the taskbar is through the Windows Registry, but you can hide the taskbar.

This article describes how to change where the Windows 11 taskbar is positioned at the bottom of your screen.

How to Make Your Taskbar Centered (or Not) in Windows 11

Items on the Windows 11 taskbar can be aligned in the middle or left. If Windows isn't activated, you have to use the Windows Registry; otherwise, there's a handy taskbar setting that makes the switch really easy.

How to Customize Your Windows 11 Taskbar

If Windows Is Activated

Changing the Windows 11 taskbar alignment when Windows is activated with a valid product key is simple.

  1. Right-click an empty space on the taskbar and choose Taskbar settings.
  2. Expand the Taskbar behaviors section.
  3. Next to Taskbar alignment, select the menu and choose either Left or Center. The taskbar will adjust accordingly immediately.

If Windows Isn't Activated

Some personalization settings are inaccessible if Windows 11 isn't activated. The workaround is to edit the registry.

  1. Open Registry Editor by searching for it.

Using these steps to edit the registry won't cause any damage to your computer. However, it's remarkably easy to delete or edit something that shouldn't be changed. Be sure to back up the registry before starting. If you need to undo an edit later, you can always restore the registry from the backup.

  1. Navigate to this location using the folders on the left side:

HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\ Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\Advanced\


  1. Right-click the Advanced key and go to New > DWORD (32-bit) Value.


  1. Name the value TaskbarAl (that's a lowercase L, not an uppercase i), and press Enter.


  1. The taskbar will immediately align to the left since a 0 value is for left-alignment. To center the taskbar, double-click the value and change it to 1.