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Windows 10 Turn on or off Animations in Taskbar on Windows 10

Turn on or off Animations in Taskbar on Windows 10

By Michael | Last Updated

Do you want to turn off or turn on animations in the taskbar to improve performance or simply prefer a smoother experience? This guide walks you through simple methods using Windows settings or tweaking the registry—plus a restart tip to apply changes effectively.

Why Toggle Taskbar Animations?

Animations like taskbar icon effects or window minimization can slow down older devices or annoy users who prefer streamlined performance. Disabling them can make your system feel snappier without affecting functionality.

Method 1: Use Performance Options

Step 1: Press Windows+Pause (or Pause Break) to open System.

press Windows and pause

Step 2: Choose Advanced system settings on the left.

choose Advanced system settings

Step 3: As the System Properties dialog appears, click Settings in Performance.

open performance settings

Note:

  • There is a faster way to access Performance Options panel: Press Win + R, type SystemPropertiesPerformance.exe and press Enter.

Step 4: Deselect or select Animations in the taskbar to turn it off or on, and then hit OK.

deselect animations in taskbar

Method 2: Registry Tweak (Advanced Users)

If the Performance Options aren't sufficient or you want more granular control:

Step 1: Open Registry Editor.

Step 2: Navigate to HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Control Panel\Desktop\WindowMetrics .

Step 3: Look for the MinAnimate string value and set its value to: 0 to disable window and taskbar animations and 1 to enable them.

Step 4: Close the editor and restart your PC for changes to take effect.

change minanimate value

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