How to Remove People from Your Taskbar in Windows 11
The Windows 11 taskbar has a new feature that displays recent users' profiles, making it convenient to switch between accounts. However, sometimes you might want to remove people from the taskbar to maintain privacy or for other reasons. This guide will walk you through the process of removing people from your Windows 11 taskbar.
Understanding the Feature
The "people" section on the taskbar in Windows 11 isn't actually showing a list of people. Instead, it shows recent user accounts that have logged into the device. This means that if you've used a guest account, a temporary administrator account, or even a user account on another computer connected to your network, their profiles might appear on the taskbar.
Why Remove People from the Taskbar?
There are several reasons why you might want to remove people from your taskbar:
- Privacy: You might not want others to see who else has been using your computer.
- Security: If you share your computer with others, you might not want them to be able to quickly switch to their accounts.
- Organization: If you're using multiple accounts, the taskbar can become cluttered, making it difficult to find the account you're looking for.
How to Remove People from the Taskbar
There are two main ways to remove people from your taskbar:
1. Removing Accounts from the Taskbar Directly:
- Right-click on the "people" icon in the taskbar (the icon with multiple user profiles).
- Select "Taskbar Settings".
- Toggle the "Show recent accounts" setting to "Off".
2. Using the Settings App:
- Press Windows key + I to open the Settings app.
- Navigate to "Personalization" > "Taskbar".
- Scroll down to the "Taskbar Items" section.
- Toggle the "Show recent accounts" setting to "Off".
Additional Tips
- Clear Recent User Accounts: If you want to completely remove all recent user accounts from the taskbar, you can use the "Clear recent accounts" option in the taskbar settings. This will remove all entries from the recent accounts list.
- Use a Local Account: If you're concerned about privacy and security, you can consider using a local account instead of a Microsoft account. Local accounts do not sync with the cloud, making it harder for others to access your data.
- Manage Account Access: If you want to control which accounts can access your computer, you can use the "Family & other users" settings in the Settings app. Here, you can create accounts, set permissions, and manage account access.
Conclusion
Removing people from your Windows 11 taskbar is a simple process that can help to improve your privacy, security, and organization. By following the steps outlined in this guide, you can easily customize your taskbar and ensure it's displaying the information you want.