In Windows 10, you can show notification badges on taskbar icons to indicate that a task is running. To do this, open the Taskbar and right-click on one of the taskbar icons and select Show Notifications. This will open the Notifications window. In this window, you can see a list of all the tasks that are running. You can also see which tasks are currently in progress by looking at the green check mark next to the task that you want to show notification badges for. To remove a task from the list, right-click on it and select Remove from Taskbar.
In Windows 11, taskbar icons can include tiny red notification badges that show the number of unread messages in an app. By default, this might be disabled. Here’s how to turn icon notification badges on.
First, open Windows Settings. You can use a link in the Quick Settings menu or press Windows+i on your keyboard, or you might find it pinned to the Start menu.
When Settings opens, select “Personalization” in the sidebar, and then click “Taskbar.”
In Taskbar settings, select “Taskbar Behaviors.”
When the list of options appears, check the box next to “Show badges (unread messages counter) on taskbar apps.”
After that, close the Settings menu. The next time you open a messaging or social media app with unread messages or notifications, you’ll see a red numbered badge right above its icon in the taskbar.
If you ever get tired of seeing the badges, just revisit Settings > Personalization > Taskbar > Taskbar Behaviors and uncheck “Show badges (unread messages counter) on taskbar apps” to turn them off.
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