How to Change Minimize Narrator Home to Taskbar or System Tray in Windows 10


Narrator is a screen-reading app built into Windows 10.

Starting with Windows 10 build 18298, Narrator Home replaced Narrator QuickStart. Every time you turn on Narrator, you will be taken to Narrator Home by default, which gives you one place where you can access everything you need for Narrator—whether you want to change your settings or learn Narrator basics with QuickStart.

If you turn off show Narrator Home when Narrator starts, then Narrator Home will be minimized by default when Narrator starts.

Narrator Home will minimize to the system tray by default, but you can select to minimize Narrator Home to either the taskbar or system tray (notification area) by default for what you want.

This tutorial will show you how to change Narrator Home to minimize to the taskbar or system tray (notification area) by default for your account in Windows 10.


 CONTENTS:

  • Option One: Change Minimize Narrator Home to Taskbar or System Tray in Settings
  • Option Two: Change Minimize Narrator Home to Taskbar or System Tray using a REG file


EXAMPLE: Narrator Home, and minimized to taskbar and system tray
Change Minimize Narrator Home to Taskbar or System Tray in Windows 10-narrator_home.jpg
Change Minimize Narrator Home to Taskbar or System Tray in Windows 10-narrator_home_system_tray.jpg
Change Minimize Narrator Home to Taskbar or System Tray in Windows 10-narrator_home_taskbar.jpg






OPTION ONE

Change Minimize Narrator Home to Taskbar or System Tray in Settings


1. Open Settings, and click/tap on the Ease of Access icon.

You can press the Win+Ctrl+N keys to directly open to Narrator settings.

2. Click/tap on Narrator on the left side, and check (on - default) or uncheck (off - taskbar) Minimize Narrator Home to the system tray for what you want on the right side under the Start-up options section. (see screenshot below)

3. You can now close Settings if you like.

Change Minimize Narrator Home to Taskbar or System Tray in Windows 10-minimize_narrator_home_settings.jpg






OPTION TWO

Change Minimize Narrator Home to Taskbar or System Tray using a REG file



The downloadable .reg files below will modify the DWORD value in the registry key below.

HKEY_CURRENT_USER\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Narrator\NarratorHome

MinimizeType DWORD

0 = System tray (notification area)
1 = Taskbar


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


 2. To Minimize Narrator Home to System Tray

This is the default setting.

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

Minimize_Narrator_Home_to_the_system_tray.reg

Download


 3. To Minimize Narrator Home to Taskbar

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

Minimize_Narrator_Home_to_the_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. You can now delete the downloaded .reg file if you like.


That's it,
Shawn


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