What Is A Tray Icon [updated] May 2026

These are officially called Menu Bar Extras (or "Status Items"). They sit on the right side of the top Menu Bar, next to the clock and Siri icon.

In Windows, you can go to Settings > Personalization > Taskbar to choose which icons appear permanently and which stay hidden in the overflow menu. what is a tray icon

Many apps automatically add themselves to the tray when you turn on your computer. You can disable these via the Task Manager (Windows) or Login Items (macOS) to speed up your boot time. These are officially called Menu Bar Extras (or

Depending on the desktop environment (like GNOME or KDE), they are usually found in a "System Tray" or "Status Notifier" widget in the panel. Managing Your Tray Icons Many apps automatically add themselves to the tray

Right-clicking a tray icon usually opens a "jump list" or context menu, allowing you to pause a download, change your volume, or exit an app entirely.