How to Enable or Disable People Bar on Taskbar in Windows 10


Starting with Windows 10 build 16184, there is a new People button on the taskbar notification area. Whether you want to share a photo, make plans for dinner, or get an answer from a friend or coworker – My People is here to take it to the next level and bring the people you care about most to the center of your experience.

If you like, you can enable a policy that allows you to remove the People Bar from the taskbar and disables the My People experience.

This tutorial will show you how to enable or disable the My People experience and People Bar on the taskbar for specific or all users in Windows 10.

You must be signed in as an administrator to enable or disable the People Bar.


My People is no longer being developed in Windows 10 version 1909 and higher. It may be removed in a future update.



Contents

  • Option One: Enable or Disable People Bar on Taskbar in Local Group Policy Editor
  • Option Two: Enable or Disable People Bar on Taskbar for All Users using a REG file



EXAMPLE: My People experience and People Bar enabled and disabled
Enable or Disable People Bar on Taskbar in Windows 10-people_bar_on_taskbar.png
Enable or Disable People Bar on Taskbar in Windows 10-people_bar_taskbar_context_menu_enabled.png Enable or Disable People Bar on Taskbar in Windows 10-people_bar_taskbar_context_menu_disabled.png
Enable or Disable People Bar on Taskbar in Windows 10-people_bar_settings_enabled.jpg Enable or Disable People Bar on Taskbar in Windows 10-people_bar_settings_disabled.jpg






OPTION ONE

Enable or Disable People Bar on Taskbar in Local Group Policy Editor



The Local Group Policy Editor is only available in the Windows 10 Pro, Enterprise, and Education editions.

All editions can use Option Two.

1. Open the all users, specific users or groups, or all users except administrators Local Group Policy Editor for how you want this policy applied.

2. In the left pane of the Local Group Policy Editor, click/tap on to expand User Configuration, Administrative Templates, and Start Menu and Taskbar. (See screenshot below)

Enable or Disable People Bar on Taskbar in Windows 10-people_bar_gpedit-1.jpg

3. In the right pane of Start Menu and Taskbar, double click/tap on the Remove the People Bar from the taskbar policy to edit it. (see screenshot above)

4. Do step 5 (enable) or step 6 (disable) below for what you would like to do.


 5. To Enable People Bar on Taskbar

A) Select (dot) either Not Configured or Disabled, click/tap on OK, and go to step 7 below. (see screenshot below)

Not Configured is the default setting.


 6. To Disable People Bar on Taskbar

A) Select (dot) Enabled, click/tap on OK, and go to step 7 below. (see screenshot below)

Enable or Disable People Bar on Taskbar in Windows 10-people_bar_gpedit-2.png

7. When finished, you can close Local Group Policy Editor if you like.

8. Restart the explorer process, sign out and sign in, or restart the computer to apply.






OPTION TWO

Enable or Disable People Bar on Taskbar for All Users using a REG file



The downloadable .reg files below will add and modify the DWORD value in the registry keys below.

HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\Explorer

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\Explorer

HidePeopleBar DWORD

(delete) = Enable
1 = Disable


1. Do step 2 (enable) or step 3 (disable) below for what you would like to do.


 2. To Enable Show People Bar on Taskbar for All Users

This is the default setting.

A) Click/tap on the Download button below to download the file below, and go to step 4 below.

Enable_People_Bar_on_taskbar.reg

Download


 3. To Disable People Bar on Taskbar for All Users

A) Click/tap on the Download button below to download the file below, and go to step 4 below.

Disable_People_Bar_on_taskbar.reg

Download

4. Save the .reg file to your desktop.

5. Double click/tap on the downloaded .reg file to merge it.

6. When prompted, click/tap on Run, Yes (UAC), Yes, and OK to approve the merge.

7. Restart the explorer process, sign out and sign in, or restart the computer to apply.

8. You could now delete the downloaded .reg file if you like.


That's it,
Shawn