mlapplications.comTransparent Taskbar+ Lite: a transparent, stylish taskbar for Windows 11 and 10
Make the Windows taskbar transparent - then go further. Add a thin or thick border line, a gradient, one of 50+ patterns or your own picture, and put glass or coloured buttons and docks behind your app icons. Free on the Microsoft Store.
See every style in 2 minutes
A real recording on Windows 11: transparency, patterns, docks, your own picture and effects. Watch on YouTube
Three layers, combined: line, background, buttons
Most taskbar tools give you one switch: transparent or not. Transparent Taskbar+ Lite builds your taskbar from three layers and draws them together, from the bottom up:
1 · Background
Transparent, a one-colour gradient, a two-colour 50-50 gradient, a pattern, or your own picture.
2 · Buttons
Plain icons, glass buttons, colour buttons, a glass dock or a colour dock behind your app icons.
3 · Border line
No line, or a thin (1 px) or thick (2 px) line in Windows' own text colour or any colour you pick.
Every click previews the full combination on your real taskbar for 5 seconds. Press Apply to keep it - nothing changes until you do.
Your own picture on the taskbar
Turn any PNG or JPG into your taskbar background - a texture, a photo strip, your brand colours. The app keeps its own copy, so you can move or delete the original afterwards.
- Fill, Stretch, Tile or Center - choose how the picture fits the taskbar.
- Opacity - fade the picture into a solid backing colour (automatic from the picture, black, or custom).
- Side taskbars - use a different, tall picture when the taskbar is on the left or right.
- Size hint - the app tells you your taskbar's exact size in pixels, so you can prepare a sharp picture.
50+ patterns, ready to use
Four families of hand-tuned patterns: Dark subtle textures, Light textures, Thin Glow fine grids with soft blue beams, and Heavy Glow & Beams for a bold look. Click one to see it on your taskbar.
Icon magnifier and mouse effects
Icon magnifier (on by default) makes the app icon under the mouse grow out of the taskbar on a small glass bubble, like a dock - live, smooth, and your clicks still go straight to the icon.
Taskbar highlight lights the taskbar when the mouse arrives, Click highlight adds a small bubble burst on each click, and Mouse light shadow follows the pointer with a soft glow. Each is a simple on/off switch; these three are off until you turn them on. Read the Effects Guide →
Transparent Taskbar+ Lite vs TranslucentTB
TranslucentTB is a well-known, free and open-source tool that makes the taskbar clear, blurred or acrylic and can switch looks when a window is maximized or the Start menu opens. If that is all you need, it is a great choice. Transparent Taskbar+ Lite is for people who want to design their taskbar:
| Feature | Transparent Taskbar+ Lite | TranslucentTB |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free (open source) |
| Fully transparent taskbar | Yes | Yes |
| Tint, blur and acrylic | Yes - with sharp buttons, docks and line on top | Yes |
| Different look when a window is maximized, Start or Search is open | No | Yes |
| Border line with thickness and colour | Yes - thin or thick, auto or any colour | Show / hide the line (Windows 11) |
| Gradients (one colour, two colours 50-50) | Yes | No |
| Background patterns | 50+ in four families | No |
| Your own picture as the background | Yes - fit, opacity, backing colour, side picture | No |
| Glass or coloured buttons behind app icons | Yes | No |
| Glass or coloured dock panel behind the icons | Yes | No |
| Icon magnifier - icons grow under the mouse, like a dock | Yes | No |
| Mouse effects (highlight, click bubbles, light) | Yes | No |
| Combine a line, a background and a button style | Yes | - |
| Live preview on the real taskbar before applying | Yes, 5 seconds per click | Changes apply immediately |
| Settings in a browser tab as well as the app window | Yes | No (tray menu) |
TranslucentTB features as documented by its project and Windows community guides in 2026. Both apps can run side by side, but only one should style the taskbar at a time.
How to start in one minute
Install from the Microsoft Store
Get the app for free and open it. It starts in the tray, next to the clock.
Open the settings
The settings open in your browser (or in the app window - your choice). Approve the one-time browser prompt that lets the page talk to the app on your PC.
Pick a line, a background and buttons
Click a card in each row. Your taskbar shows the combination for 5 seconds.
Press Apply
The style is saved and comes back every time Windows starts (if Start with Windows is on).
Full step-by-step guide with screenshots →
All features
- Transparent taskbar on Windows 11 and Windows 10
- Border line: none, thin or thick; automatic (matches Windows' text colour in light and dark mode) or any colour
- Backgrounds: transparent, acrylic (blur + tint), gradient, two-colour 50-50 gradient, 50+ patterns, your own picture
- Buttons: plain, glass buttons, colour buttons, glass dock, colour dock - with your own colours
- Icon magnifier: the icon under the mouse grows out of the taskbar, like a dock
- Mouse effects: taskbar highlight, click bubbles, mouse light
- Works with the taskbar at the bottom, top, left or right, on every monitor
- Live 5-second preview on the real taskbar, Apply and Undo
- Settings in the app window or any modern browser; light and dark theme
- Start with Windows, tray icon, one-click Reload Taskbar
Frequently asked questions
Is Transparent Taskbar+ Lite free?
Yes. It is free on the Microsoft Store for Windows 10 and Windows 11, with no in-app purchases needed for any style or effect.
Is it a good alternative to TranslucentTB?
Yes, if you want more than transparency. TranslucentTB focuses on clear, blur and acrylic modes that change with window state. Transparent Taskbar+ Lite has tint, blur and acrylic too, and adds a styled border line, one- and two-colour gradients, more than 50 patterns, your own pictures, glass or coloured buttons and docks behind your app icons, and mouse effects.
Can I use my own picture as the taskbar background?
Yes. Choose any PNG or JPG, then pick Fill, Stretch, Tile or Center, set the opacity and a backing colour. You can even use a different picture when the taskbar is on the left or right side of the screen.
Does it work with the taskbar at the top, left or right?
Yes. Move the taskbar in Windows Settings (Personalization > Taskbar > Taskbar behaviors > Taskbar position) and the app follows it automatically.
Does it support multiple monitors?
Yes. The style you choose is drawn on the taskbar of every monitor.
Can I combine styles?
Yes. Pick one border line, one background and one button style - they are drawn together, for example a thin line, a picture background and a glass dock.
Do I have to install anything in my browser?
No. The settings open in the app's own window or in your normal browser (Chrome, Edge, Opera, Vivaldi). The browser only talks to the app on your own PC.
Can taskbar icons grow under the mouse like a Mac dock?
Yes. The Icon magnifier effect (on by default) makes the icon under the mouse grow out of the taskbar on a glass bubble. Only the icon you point at grows, so clicks always land on the right app. Turn it off in the Effects tab.
Does it slow Windows down?
No. Styles are drawn once and only redrawn when something changes, so the app uses very little CPU while you work.
How do I remove it?
Exit it from the tray icon, or uninstall it like any Microsoft Store app. Your normal Windows taskbar comes back.
Step-by-step guides
Get Transparent Taskbar+ Lite - free
Free on the Microsoft Store for Windows 10 and Windows 11. Installs and uninstalls like any Store app.
