Control Windows Taskbar App Badges via Registry

This guide explains how to control taskbar notification badges on Windows application icons by modifying the Windows Registry. You will learn the exact registry key, value name, and value data required to enable or disable these badge counters, along with the step-by-step process to apply the changes without navigating through the standard Windows Settings interface.

The Registry Value

Windows controls the display of notification counters (badges) on taskbar buttons using the TaskbarBadges DWORD value located in the user’s Explorer preferences key.

Step-by-Step Configuration via Regedit

  1. Press Win + R, type regedit, and press Enter to launch the Registry Editor.

  2. In the address bar at the top, navigate to the following path:

    HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\Advanced

  3. Look for the DWORD (32-bit) value named TaskbarBadges in the right-hand pane.

    • If TaskbarBadges does not exist, right-click an empty space in the right pane, select New > DWORD (32-bit) Value, and name it TaskbarBadges.

  4. Double-click TaskbarBadges to open its edit window.

  5. Set the Value data field to:

    • 0 to turn off notification badges.
    • 1 to turn on notification badges.

  6. Ensure the Base is set to Hexadecimal, then click OK.

Applying the Changes

For the registry change to take effect immediately without restarting your computer, restart the Windows Explorer process:

  1. Press Ctrl + Shift + Esc to open the Task Manager.
  2. Under the Processes tab, locate Windows Explorer.
  3. Right-click Windows Explorer and select Restart.

Alternatively, you can apply the change via Command Prompt (Admin) with the following commands: