However, all operating systems share a common starting point, and that is to right-click on an empty space in your desktop taskbar and select Properties. The steps and interface to hide notification icons in the Windows taskbar are a bit different between Windows 7, Windows 8, and the upcoming Windows 10, so we’ll highlight the differences below. Here’s how you can manage and hide notification icons in the Windows taskbar. But as you install more apps on your PC, this notification area can get cluttered with information you don’t always need to see, taking up space on your taskbar and making it more difficult to keep track of the notifications that matter most to you.
Examples include your current network connectivity status, OneDrive or Dropbox syncing, new emails in Outlook, or Chrome notifications.
The notification area in Windows (the set of icons to the left of the clock in the desktop taskbar) is an important feature that lets your apps, and Windows itself, keeps you apprised of various settings, alerts, and status updates.
How to Manage and Hide Notification Icons on the Windows Taskbar