How to Fix Windows 10 Not Showing App Icons in the Taskbar

 

1. Restart Windows Explorer

First up, let's try restarting Windows Explorer. Before you follow these steps, be sure to save your work to prevent any loss of data. Then, close all opened windows and apps.

Once you're ready to restart Windows Explorer, here's how to do it via Task Manager:

1. Right-click Start and select Task Manager. Or use the Ctrl + Shift + Esc keyboard shortcut.
2. Open the Processes tab and right-click Windows Explorer.
3. Click Restart.

2. Check the Taskbar Settings

If Windows 10 doesn’t display certain icons within the taskbar, you should check your taskbar's settings. Here is how you can do that:

1. Click Start, then head to Settings > Personalization.
2. From the left-hand menu, select Taskbar.
3. Turn off the toggle below Automatically hide the taskbar in tablet mode.
4. From the Notification section, click Select which icons appear on the taskbar.
5. Turn on the toggle for the icons you want to appear on the taskbar.

3. Delete the Icon Cache

A corrupted App Icon Cache might be the reason why your app icons are missing from the taskbar. Follow these steps to delete the Icon Cache via File Explorer:

1. Press Win + R to bring up a Run dialog.
2. Type appdata, then click OK.
3. Select the View tab and check the Hidden items options to make sure all files are visible.
4. Locate and delete IconCache.db.
5. Restart your computer and check if the taskbar is now displaying the icons.