It is a frustratingly common sight for League of Legends players: the Windows taskbar stubbornly refuses to hide, remaining visible and overlaying the game client.
This issue, which blocks critical interface elements and shatters the immersion of a fully focused match, is typically less a problem with the game itself and more a conflict rooted deep within the Windows operating system or external software interactions.
When a player launches League of Legends, especially in fullscreen mode, the expectation is that the operating system grants the game complete display priority. When the taskbar persists, it is usually a result of the game failing to properly maintain “focus” or an external application forcing a foreground draw.
The Core Causes: Focus Errors and Software Conflicts
Several factors frequently trigger the taskbar overlay, particularly for Windows users:
- The Windows Explorer Bug: The most potent culprit is often a momentary crash or hang in the Windows Explorer process. When this core shell process falters, it can lose track of which applications should receive true fullscreen priority, causing the taskbar to remain drawn over the game window.
- The Borderless Window Trap: League of Legends offers both “Borderless” and “Fullscreen” display modes. Borderless mode is fundamentally a maximized window running on the desktop and relies on Windows’ desktop compositing. Because of this, it is far more prone to issues where the taskbar or other desktop elements can pop over the game than true, exclusive “Fullscreen” mode.
- Background Overlays and Notifications: External applications that feature in-game overlays (such as Discord, NVIDIA GeForce Experience, or Steam) or persistent notifications can steal focus from the game. By forcing a visual element to the front, these overlays can inadvertently compel the taskbar to draw over the game, thinking it needs to be accessible.
- Alt-Tab Focus Issues: Quickly switching between League of Legends and other desktop applications via Alt-Tab can sometimes cause the game to fail to fully re-register as the primary fullscreen window, leaving the taskbar behind as an artifact.
Immediate Fixes: Troubleshooting the Overlay
Fortunately, this common frustration often yields to simple, effective troubleshooting steps that can restore fullscreen immersion immediately.
1. Restart Windows Explorer (The Most Reliable Fix)
Since the taskbar issue often stems from a glitch in the Windows shell, resetting that process is a fast solution:
- Press Ctrl+Shift+Esc to open the Task Manager.
- Find “Windows Explorer” (often under the ‘Processes’ tab).
- Right-click it and select Restart.This action will reset the taskbar and desktop environment, often forcing the taskbar to hide properly behind the game client.
2. Switch to True Fullscreen Mode
If you are playing in Borderless mode, switch to the exclusive “Fullscreen” setting in the game’s video options. This mode gives the game direct control over the display, bypassing the desktop composition issues that plague Borderless mode.
3. Disable Conflicting Overlays
Temporarily disable all third-party overlays (Discord, Steam, GeForce Experience) and check if the taskbar disappears. If it does, you can selectively re-enable them or keep them off while playing.
4. The Alt-Tab Trick
If the taskbar appears after you Alt-Tab back into the game, try this manual re-focus:
- Alt-Tab out of the game.
- Click a blank spot on the taskbar to ensure it has focus.
- Click back into the League of Legends game window.
In summary, the taskbar showing in League of Legends is usually a Windows-related focus error rather than a game defect. By prioritizing the switch to true Fullscreen mode or simply restarting the Windows Explorer process, players can quickly ensure a clean, distraction-free environment on the Summoner’s Rift.
Written by:
Christian