Sticky Notes program was first introduced with Windows Vista. While there have been tens of alternatives to the built-in Sticky Notes in Windows operating system, the integrated Sticky Notes program is perfect for most users.
With Windows 10 Anniversary Update, Microsoft has replaced the classic desktop version of Sticky Notes with the modern version of Sticky Notes. The new Sticky Notes app in Windows 10 looks and works more or less like the classic Sticky Notes. The only immediately noticeable change is the default size of notes and the delete icon. That said, according to Microsoft, the new Sticky Notes app can be used to set reminders when used to Cortana.
Using Sticky Notes is reasonably straightforward in Windows 10. You just need to launch Sticky Notes and begin typing the note. You can even change the background color of Sticky Notes by clicking the three dots next to the delete note icon.
Interestingly, a small number of PC users not aware of the fact that the Sticky Notes program/app can be closed without deleting current sticky notes. Many users want to know if it’s possible to minimize Sticky Notes to Windows 10 taskbar.
To close Sticky Notes in Windows 10
If you have multiple Sticky Notes on your Windows 10 desktop and want to close all Sticky Notes without deleting them, here is how to do that.
Step 1: Select one of the Sticky Notes on your desktop.
Step 2: Simultaneously press Alt + F4 keys to close all Sticky Notes without actually deleting them.
NOTE: It’s not possible to close a single sticky note. When you close Sticky Notes using the method mentioned above, all notes will be closed. However, you can delete individual notes by clicking the delete icon.
To view Sticky Notes again, type Sticky Notes in the Start menu or taskbar search and then press Enter key.
To minimize Sticky Notes In Windows 10
To minimize all Sticky Notes to the taskbar, follow given below directions:
Step 1: When Sticky Notes is running, simply click on its taskbar icon to minimize it.
To maximize all Sticky Notes again, click once again on its taskbar icon. As simple as that.
Tip: There are many alternatives to the built-in Sticky Notes app. Some of the third-party Sticky Notes app allows you to pin Sticky Notes to Start menu as well. Do check them out in Windows Store.
You might find our How to recover deleted Sticky Notes in Windows guide useful as well.
CM says
what a horrendous and innefficient update- stopping using sticky notes now
Mark Scott says
I came here to find out how to minimize the open notes I don’t want to view. Through trial and error if you have two open, click on the icon in the taskbar and select the thumbnail of the note you want to close. Right click and select ‘Minimize’. Now all I need is that fundamental functionality to be added so I can minimize the active individual sticky note within the ‘menu’ of the active Note AND, a new fundamental functionality of ‘close all other sticky notes’ so I can open them all and then hide all but one.
Next, I’m going to ask for the moon and have a ‘send to background’; ‘send all to background’ and ‘send all others to background’ feature so I can quickly push a note behind what I’m working on but leave it displayed and then Alt-Tab back to the note I want back on top. How about it msft?
‘little frustrated
Yen says
Now Sticky Notes is of no use. I can’t see which sticky notes to open when I try to maximize it. The new update sucks and is very inefficient.
Pablo says
I was a bit frustrated at the recent updates but it looks like Microsoft kept the ability to minimize just the sticky notes.
Here is how to minimize the sticky notes in newer versions of Windows (1909/2004 and newer):
With sticky notes running, right click on the sticky notes icon in your taskbar and there should be an option to hide all notes. When you need to show the notes again, just right click on it again and select show all notes.
Hope this helps!
David says
yeah, this doesn’t work. Clicking on the sticky notes icon in the task bar does nothing.
Vaibhav says
I used Windows+d to minimize everything.
Ken says
Click the desktop button over in the bottom right corner of the taskbar. Its that little area that doesnt looks like much but a little sliver. That will minimize everything thing, and from there you can leave the sticky notes hidden.
Jerr ~ A Sticky Note User Says says
I Agree with Mary ~ Since the latest update was forced on me, I can no longer minimize sticky notes by clicking on the icon in the taskbar. ~ now they all open in a row which is hard to read and I have a couple dozen notes ok maybe more ~ Please put it back the old way and leave us old timers in a frizzy is not nice… I used to do one click on taskbar icon for sticky notes and now they open in a small try near the bottom and I have trouble reading ~ What the heck were you geniuses thinking ~ PLEASE I BEG YOU TO PUT IT BACK LIKE IT WAS ~ Thank You ~ Jerr
Jessica O says
I agree, should be able to minimize, but I figured out that if you right click the sticky notes icon then select the close all windows, it will close them, but not LOSE them. Then click the icon again and select NOTES LIST – you can then select whichever note you want. NOT TIME EFFICIENT, but it works at least for me. Now I leave everything in the NOTES LIST.
Zachary Charoenset says
since the most recent update, this does not seem to work
Mary says
Since the latest update was forced on me, I can no longer minimize sticky notes by clicking on the icon in the taskbar. Also, my keyboard doesn’t have an F4 key. How do I minimize them now?
robert miller says
MY taskbar has a sticky note icon for each sticky note, I need the old single icon back !
ilafrone says
i have to agree why in the hell would I want all sticky notes on the desktop at once, why not the option to mininize the rest that u dont need? That is a clutter on the desktop and in my mind seeing all the sticky notes at once… this goes against the purpose of using them
rapper450 says
I agree with the above statements, Sticky Notes use is contratry to what you would expect, for sure. Why does MS launch a product then let it rust on the sidelines? So disappointing. Here it is at least 1 year after the above remarks and nothing has changed.
Dennis says
dumb, you cannot get sticky notes off of taskbar without closing off desktop too. How hard is it to understand? People want to see the sticky to remind them without using up taskbar space. Microsoft has the dumbest smart people i’ve ever seen.
Sticky User says
I cant click the sticky notes taskbar to minimize but i can click to maximize all notes. Any idea?
frustrated user says
Windows sticky notes is stupid, downright dumb and primitive! Why would you want to close all sticky notes at the same time? What if you want to have only one sticky note that you want to refer to at a moment instead of cluttering up the whole desktop? The idiot developers at MSFT should be fired and stupid MSFT should fix this or not have this feature available.