The best programs for minimizing any window to the system tray
Sometimes it may happen that we do not need a program responsible for cluttering our taskbar, since it is usually very busy. This can happen if we only want the program to run in the background, or if we want to download files from our browser. In these situations, it may be a good idea to be able to send programs to system tray …
Some programs have this feature built in by default, while others do not. Unfortunately, Windows not natively supports minimizing windows to the system tray or notification area.
To do this, use third party tools designed to ship any program Windows 10 to the taskbar using the hotkey for the minify option. Likewise, it is also a great option if what we are looking for is to hide a running program from prying eyes, so it is effective as a privacy measure.
Lightweight, portable and free software
Next, we’re going to show you a series of free apps that can be used to minimize apps on the taskbar, usually in a simple way. They are perfect for testing and determining which one is best for us.
Minimize to tray, discreetly and using hotkeys
We are talking about a portable application, quite simple, which will allow us to send any window to the system tray so that we can restore and expand it at any time. It is very invisible and allows us to perform a function with Hotkeys … It allows you to access the complete list with all minimized applications by simply right-clicking on its icon.
We can minimize any window in the foreground to the system tray by pressing Alt + F1, and restore it by pressing Alt + F2. We can also expand all the items by pressing “F10” or individually by clicking any of the items in the list.
Minimize to Tray is a discreet, portable and very easy-to-use application that we can download for free from here.
RBTray, send apps to the taskbar with the click of a button
This is a simple application that will automatically send any application to the system tray. Has 32-bit and 64-bit versions. As soon as we launch it, it will be downloaded in the background. From now on, every time we want to minimize the application, we just need to do it in the usual way, but using the right mouse button instead of the left one. What happens, however, is that instead of being minimized to the toolbar, it will be minimized to the system tray.
RBtray is software no graphical interface is free, open source, and distributed under the terms of the GNU General Public License. We can download it from this web page. Its main drawback is that, since it does not have a graphical interface, in case we want to shut it down, we will have to resort to the task manager to disable it.
Traymond, send apps to the system tray with a keyboard shortcut
Another really simple application that we can use to minimize any application that we open in the foreground to send it directly to the system tray. We’re talking about portable software, so it doesn’t require any installation to run, and once launched, it stays active in the background. Plus, it will remove all real traces after you close the app.
Its operation is simple because it only requires a shortcut combination to perform its function. By simply opening the application in the foreground, we press “Win + Shift + Z” to minimize it directly to the taskbar, showing us its icon inside the taskbar. We can restore the program at any time by clicking on its icon. If we have several saved programs, we can restore them all at once by clicking the Traymond icon and choosing Restore All Windows”.
We can download Traymond for free from its repository on the GitHub website.
Trayconizer, run applications minimized
This free program will allow us to minimize any program in the system tray, being able to work with almost all applications that we open in the foreground. For this utility to run with a specific application, you will need to enter Properties program shortcut. In the Shortcut tab, we will add white space and the path to the application that we want to collapse to the system tray, as shown in this example image.
Has the ability to run the application in minimized mode and it turns off automatically when we press the close menu button in the title bar of a program that uses “Trayconizer”. While useful, it is a little more difficult to configure than the other options available.
We can download Trayconizer for free from here.
Payment programs with great control possibilities
If we want to take another step in optimizing our computer for submitting applications to the taskbar, we can opt for paid applications. With its help, we will have complete control, and we will have access to more customization options, as well as additional features that may be of interest to us.
Actual Window Minimizer, offers full control over applications
This little piece of software will be responsible for adding a new option to minimize to each window for applications running in Windows 10. Thus, we will have a button for minimizing to the taskbar and one more button for minimizing to tray. system or notification area. Thus, with one click of the mouse, we can send any application directly to the system tray.
In the application, you can configure the use of hotkeys, change the minimization mode and how windows are restored. This is a more complete option if we want complete control when it comes to minimizing apps to the taskbar.
Actual Window Minimizer is not a free application, so you will need to pay for a license to use it permanently, which costs $ 19.95. We can try it for free for 14 days and see if we like it before deciding to buy it. We can download it directly from the developer’s site.
4t Tray Minimizer, lightweight and powerful window manager
It’s about a small window manager. It is both lightweight and powerful, and allows us to free up space on the taskbar. We can send any application to the system tray, and also make the window semi-transparent in the foreground. It will also allow us to customize keyboard shortcuts to perform other options, such as restoring or hiding actions.
The 4t Tray Minimizer starts at $ 19.95 with 1 year support and allows us to download a free trial from their website. Honest Sign website.
What programs are the most recommended?
As we can see, we have different tools that will allow us to minimize any application in a simple way to the system tray. Most of them are free and portable, so we can try each one to see which one works best for us. When it comes to being alone Minimize to tray may be the most convenient and easiest to use as the whole process is done with customizable keyboard shortcuts.
In the event that we want to go even further and not don’t pay for it, option Actual Window Minimizer must be taken into account, as it allows us to personalize and completely control, being a program with an interface in Spanish, full of options. Plus, since it has a trial period, we have plenty of time to find out if we really need it or if we finally choose the free option.
