TranslucentTB on Windows 11: what works on 24H2 and 25H2

Support by Windows 11 version

This table combines what the 2026.2 source does on each taskbar with what users have reported on GitHub. We tested 2026.2 ourselves on build 26100 (the 24H2 code base; see how we tested); other builds are not tested by us, and the "reports" column says where problems have been seen.

Check your version with Win+R › winver. 25H2 is an enablement package on the same code base as 24H2, which is why they behave alike.

How TranslucentTB changes the Windows 11 taskbar

TranslucentTB doesn't look at your build number to pick a method. Each time Explorer starts, it inspects the taskbar window: whether it belongs to the Windows 11 taskbar component, and how many XAML islands it contains. That gives three cases:

• XAML taskbar (22H2 and later). The taskbar is drawn with XAML, so the old window-composition trick no longer applies. TranslucentTB loads ExplorerTAP.dll into Explorer through XAML Diagnostics and replaces the taskbar's background brush with a solid color, an acrylic brush or its own blur brush. This is the step that can fail with "Failed to initialize XAML Diagnostics".
• Mixed taskbar (21H2, early 22H2). A classic window with XAML content inside. TranslucentTB uses SetWindowCompositionAttribute, the same accent API as on Windows 10.
• Classic taskbar. If ExplorerPatcher brings back the Windows 10 taskbar, TranslucentTB treats it like Windows 10.

When TranslucentTB exits or crashes, the helper restores the default taskbar look. Full details: How it works.

The five looks on Windows 11

Every look is available on the 22H2+ XAML taskbar. These previews use the same rules as the app; real rendering depends on your wallpaper and Windows theme.

clear with #00000000: the taskbar background is gone.

opaque with #1D4ED820: the alpha (20) is ignored and the bar is solid.

blur with blur_radius 30: shapes become soft.

normal: TranslucentTB hands the taskbar back to Windows.

How these were captured

Captured October 29, 2026 on Windows build 26100 in our hands-on test; only cropped and resized. Settings used:

{ "desktop_appearance": { "accent": "clear", "color": "#00000000" } }

{ "desktop_appearance": { "accent": "opaque", "color": "#1D4ED820" } }

{ "desktop_appearance": { "accent": "blur", "color": "#00000010", "blur_radius": 30 } }

{ "desktop_appearance": { "accent": "normal", "color": "#00000000" } }

Blur strength. On the XAML taskbar, blur is a Gaussian blur with a standard deviation of blur_radius ÷ 3. The default 9 is a light 3-pixel blur; values up to 750 are accepted. Set it in settings.json or with the settings builder. More: Appearance modes.

The thin line on top of the taskbar

Windows 11 draws a 1-pixel border on top of the taskbar. TranslucentTB can hide it per state with show_line (tray menu: Show taskbar border). By default it is hidden on the desktop and with a normal window open, and shown when a window is maximized and while Start, Search or Task View is open. On the XAML taskbar the helper toggles the border element; on the mixed taskbar it clips the top pixel. show_peek, the Show Desktop button option, only applies to classic taskbars.

Windows settings that change what you see

Can Windows 11 make the taskbar transparent without an app?

Not fully. Windows 11's only built-in option is Settings › Personalization › Colors › Transparency effects, which gives the taskbar Windows' own slightly see-through material. There is no setting for a clear, colored or adjustable-blur taskbar, and no supported registry value we can confirm for 24H2 or 25H2. That gap is exactly what TranslucentTB fills.

Using ExplorerPatcher's classic taskbar

TranslucentTB supports ExplorerPatcher (its README says so, and a 2024 commit added proper handling for tools that bring back the classic taskbar). With the classic taskbar, TranslucentTB switches to the Windows 10 method. Two differences on 22H2 and later: blur isn't available, because Windows removed the blur attribute (saved blur settings become acrylic), and show_peek works again because the Show Desktop button is the classic one.

Known Windows 11 issues

• Errors at startup: Failed to initialize XAML Diagnostics.
• After an update: "recently updated, please restart Windows" and not transparent after an update.
• Second monitor: fixes; 2026.2 fixed some cases.
• White squares behind icons: workaround on the development branch.
• Other taskbar mods: conflicts table.

FAQ

Something wrong or out of date? Email hello@translucenttb.dev and we will fix it.