Instantly Fix Taskbar Icons Missing Error on Windows

The taskbar is an integral part of the Windows operating system, which has been around for eternity and has evolved significantly over the years. One can hardly imagine a Windows PC without a taskbar. While it has become a part of every Windows user’s daily life, it has had its ups and downs. With every update it got, some issues were resolved, while some new ones appeared.

One of the most common issues with the taskbar is the missing icons. Irrespective of whether you are using Windows 7,8,10, or 11, the issue has been around for years now. Some users have reported that missing taskbar icons is a problem that appears when they restart the PC, while for some, the issue appeared after an update.

Some of the top reasons why you may not be able to find icons on your taskbar are as follows –

You are using tablet mode on your PC.
There is an issue with Windows’ Icon Cache
The display drivers have become outdated
You have corrupt system files
A recent update is causing the error

Irrespective of the cause, the icons disappearing from the taskbar are frustrating. Hence, every user facing the issue looks for fixes. In this post, let us look at the issue closely and identify how it can be resolved!

5 Ways to Fix Windows Not Showing App Icons in Taskbar

Since we have already talked about the causes, you might have an idea about the sectors we will try to repair. Let’s look at fixes that can help you resolve the taskbar not showing on your PC without further ado.

Fix 1 – Restart Windows Explorer

The taskbar is an integrated part of the Windows Explorer that helps you interact with the OS. If it is acting weird or not showing any icons, restart its process. But since the Explorer is integrated with it, you will have to restart the entire Windows Explorer.

Here’s how you do it –

Step 1 – Press Ctrl+Shift+Esc to bring up the Task Manager on your PC.

Step 2 – Look for Windows Explorer or explorer.exe in the Task Manager under the Processes tab.
Step 3 – Select the process and right-click on it to find the Restart option.
Step 4 – Click on Restart, and you are good to go.

Once the Explorer restarts, wait for a while to let it settle. You can observe that all your icons have now appeared in the taskbar, resolving your problem completely.

Fix 2 – Check Taskbar Behaviour

Sometimes, when you have unknowingly set a few preferences for your taskbar, these preferences often result in hiding badges and app icons from the destination. Also, when the auto-hide feature is not working properly, it hides icons instead of hiding the entire taskbar. Hence, checking and managing the taskbar behavior on your PC can greatly help.

For Windows 11 –

Step 1 – Go to the Start menu and search for taskbar settings.
Step 2 – Open the settings and scroll down to find taskbar Behaviour.

Step 3 – Uncheck the Auto-hide taskbar option from the list
Step 4 – Enable “Show badges on taskbar app” to enhance your icon visibility.
Step 5 – Scroll up and check if you have enabled the basic icons related to search, widgets, etc.

For Windows 10 –

Step 1 – Press Start, And open Settings.

Step 2 – Go to Personalization.
Step 3 – Select taskbar From the left-hand menu.
Step 4 – Turn off the toggle below Automatically hide the taskbar in tablet mode.

Step 5 – From the Notification section, click Select which icons appear on the taskbar.
Step 6 – Turn on the toggle for the icons you want to appear on the taskbar.

Keep in mind that these steps will help you manage how your taskbar behaves. In case this fixes your icon requirements, save the changes and exit. In case not, feel free to try other fixes!

Fix 3 – Quit Tablet Mode

If you have been using your Windows PC in tablet mode, all your taskbar icons are bound to hide. The taskbar is usually unavailable during tablet mode. Hence, it is recommended that you turn it off.

Fix 4 – Update Display Adapter Driver

Sometimes, all the settings are fine, but the icons are unavailable. That is because the display adapter drivers are unable to support the icons. The ideal way to handle this situation is by updating your display drivers.

You can do so by navigating to the Device Manager on your PC via the Start menu search. However, keep in mind that manually updating a display driver might not be the most feasible, considering the lengthy process. If other drivers are also outdated, you may not get the perfect fix to your taskbar icon missing or invisible issue.

Hence, we recommend you go for a more effective way of updating drivers, i.e., Advanced Driver Updater. The tool offers a 3 step solution to updating all the outdated drivers on your PC instantly! Here’s how it works –

Step 1 – Download and install the app on your PC using the link below.

Step 2 – Run the application and click the Start Scan Now button to initiate the scan.

Step 3 – Once the scan is over, the tool highlights all the outdated drivers. Click on Update All, and it will start updating the device.

Once your display adapter driver is updated, relaunch your Windows Explorer using the Fix-1, and you may find all the icons have reappeared.

Fix 5 – Delete Icon Cache

Corrupt Icon Cache can also cause your taskbar to stop showing icons. The easiest way to deal with the corrupt cache is by deleting it. To delete the cache, all you have to do is –

Step 1 – Press Win+R to open the run search.
Step 2 – In the Run, use the appdata command.

Step 3 – In the opened folder, locate the folder named Local.

Step 4 – Click on View from the Explorer menu and click on Show to find Hidden items. Enable it.

Step 5 – Scroll in the Local folder to find the IconCache.db file.

Delete this file from your PC and restart your computer. This way, you will have successfully deleted the corrupt icon cache from your PC.

Taskbar Icons Missing Issue RESOLVED!

You can also use the SFC command in the Command Prompt to examine your PC’s system files. taskbar not showing icons on Windows is an issue that can bug anyone, irrespective of how you use your PC. Hence, you should be able to fix the error on your own.

Bookmark this guide to ensure you do not face trouble resolving the error if you ever encounter it again. If you have any doubts about the steps shared or have encountered something bizarre while performing the fixes, drop us a line in the comments, as we would love to help you!

That brings us to the end of this post. Thanks for reading, good luck!

Dishank Sharma

A creative tech-writer who loves to explore latest tech-trends & convey them to his readers in the simplest way possible. He loves to blend the crispness of technology with a pinch of creativity while curating best practices for the readers. In his free time, he likes to scribble poetry, listen to rap & travel.