If the taskbar has disappeared from the bottom of your Windows screen, the computer is usually still working normally. The taskbar may simply be set to hide automatically, Windows Explorer may have stopped displaying it properly, or the computer may be showing the desktop on a different monitor.
This can happen after an update, after connecting or disconnecting a second screen, after an app is used in full-screen mode, or sometimes for no obvious reason.
Start with the simple checks below before changing anything major in Windows.
Move the mouse to the bottom of the screen
Move the pointer all the way to the bottom edge of the display.
If the taskbar slides back into view, automatic hiding is probably turned on.
You can also press the Windows key. If the Start menu opens and the taskbar appears with it, Windows itself is still responding.
Exit full-screen mode
A browser, video player, remote-access program, or another app can cover the taskbar when it is running full screen.
Press F11 once if you are in a browser or another program using full-screen mode. You can also close or minimize the program you were using when the taskbar disappeared.
If the taskbar returns, no Windows repair is needed.
Turn off automatic taskbar hiding
Press Windows + I to open Settings.
Windows 11
Go to Personalization > Taskbar > Taskbar behaviors.
Make sure Automatically hide the taskbar is not selected.
Windows 10
Go to Personalization > Taskbar.
Turn off Automatically hide the taskbar in desktop mode. If you are using a touchscreen or 2-in-1 computer, also check the tablet-mode taskbar setting.
The taskbar should remain visible after the setting is changed.
Check whether Windows is using another screen
If the problem started after using a monitor, television, docking station, or projector, Windows may still think another display is connected.
Press Windows + P and choose PC screen only.
Wait a few seconds and check whether the taskbar has returned to the main screen.
If you actually use two monitors, open Settings > System > Display and make sure the correct screen is selected as your main display.
Restart Windows Explorer
The taskbar is part of Windows Explorer. If Explorer has temporarily stopped responding, the desktop may still be visible while the taskbar disappears.
Press Ctrl + Shift + Esc to open Task Manager.
Find Windows Explorer in the list, select it, and choose Restart.
The desktop and taskbar may disappear briefly and then reload. This is normal.
Restart the computer
If the taskbar is still missing, restart Windows normally.
A restart clears many temporary Explorer and display problems, especially after a Windows update or after a program has crashed.
After the computer starts again, check Settings > Personalization > Taskbar one more time to make sure automatic hiding has not been enabled.
If the taskbar keeps disappearing every time Windows starts, install any available Windows updates and restart again. If it only disappears while one particular program is open, the problem is more likely related to that program or its full-screen setting than to the taskbar itself.
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