Using full screen mode in Windows 10 is as simple as it gets. If you do not want any distractions and want to focus on what is on screen, the Windows full-screen mode is the best solution.

People generally use Windows full screen mode while playing games or watching videos. You can do these activities using a browser such as Chrome, or a video player such as VLC Media Player on your PC.

But there are several users who are facing an issue where the taskbar is not hiding in full screen mode. This can get very annoying when you have so many distractions from icons in the taskbar, especially when you just want to focus on your work or a movie.

Here are a few ways by which you can fix the Windows 10 taskbar not hiding in full screen error.

Update Windows and Restart your PC

The first and foremost thing is to make sure that your computer is running the latest version of Windows. Press Windows Key+I to open Settings and click on Update & Security.

If you do not see an update available right away, you can get the update manually (if available) by clicking on Check for updates button. If there are any, please go ahead and install the updates immediately and then try the full screen mode again to see if the taskbar hides or not.

Enable Autohide Settings

Windows 10 comes with a lot of options to personalize your computer. One among them is a simple setting to hide the taskbar automatically when you are not using it. This means the taskbar will stay hidden and will not show up until you hover the mouse pointer at the bottom of the screen. Here’s how the desktop appears when the taskbar is hidden.

To do this, open Settings by pressing Windows Key+I and click on Personalization.

Select Taskbar in the left windowpane and toggle the Automatically hide the taskbar in desktop mode option on. Now, hover your mouse at the bottom of the screen to reveal it on any window. If you are using the tablet mode, there is a separate option for that as well.

Check if you can still see the taskbar in full screen mode while watching videos or playing games on your computer. You can also access the taskbar settings quickly by right-clicking on the taskbar and selecting Taskbar Settings.

Enable Full-Screen Mode with F11 Keyboard Shortcut

This is probably the simplest and easiest way to activate full-screen mode in Windows. Simply press the F11 key on your keyboard, and the window of the app you’re using will go into full screen mode immediately.

The F11 key is the universal shortcut key for all Windows versions and works flawlessly. No matter what app or screen you are currently on, Windows will go fullscreen hiding the taskbar.

On some keyboards (especially laptops), you might have to press Fn+F11 keys together to activate Windows Fullscreen Mode.

Restart Windows Explorer

Windows Explorer is the main process that shows the entire UI to the user and lets them interact with Windows.

Restarting Windows Explorer usually helps solve a lot of issues. And also, restarting it is a lot faster/easier than having to restart Windows 10 completely.

It only takes a few seconds and will solve the taskbar not hiding error in Windows 10. Right-click on the taskbar and select Task Manager. You can also try the CTRL+SHIFT+ESC shortcut.

Scroll down a little bit if needed till you find the Windows Explorer process under the Apps column. Right-click on it and select Restart. Once you do that, your windows will disappear momentarily, and some apps will shut down; this is expected – no need to panic.

Another way to do that without entering the task manager is to press and hold the CTRL+SHIFT keys and right-click on the taskbar. You should now see a new option at the bottom named Exit Explorer.

Disable Hardware Acceleration in Google Chrome

Sometimes, the taskbar will give issues when you are using the Chrome browser too. When watching a YouTube video on full screen mode, do you see the taskbar? If yes, here are a few solutions.

Open Chrome’s menu and click on Settings.

Scroll to the bottom of the screen and click on Advanced.

Under the System settings, disable ‘Use hardware acceleration when available’ option. You will be asked to relaunch Chrome.

Try going fullscreen in Chrome to check if the taskbar is hiding or not.

Use Chrome Alternatives

Chrome is the most famous and useful browser but it sure has some flaws just like any other piece of software. If the problem persists and you believe it to be Chrome specific, maybe it is time to check out alternatives.

Canary is a version of the Chrome browser made by Google meant for developers and early adopters. It is expected to come with a few bugs but it works fine most of the time.

Download Chrome Canary

Reset Chrome Settings

As one last way to fix the taskbar autohide issue on Chrome browser, you can reset your browser to restore it to the original settings.

Open Settings on Chrome again and click on Advanced at the bottom. Under Reset and clean up, select Restore settings to their original defaults.

Click on Reset settings in the next pop-up. That will reset all settings that you may have changed after installing Chrome. You can always set them back.

I hope these steps helped you fix the Windows 10 Taskbar Not Hiding in Fullscreen Issue for you.