The taskbar in Windows 10 by default includes icons that help you monitor and adjust your network/wireless connection, battery, and volume. This icon system makes it easy and convenient to adjust settings on your device without having to open the Control Panel through Windows Explorer.
The minor inconvenience of navigating to volume settings in your computer can be quite annoying if you need to do it on a repeated basis. Thankfully, there is no need to put up with this problem for any prolonged period since there are several known solutions. We will walk through many of these methods on a step-by-step basis in this article.
However, some users have reported that the volume icon is missing from time to time and this problem can occur in various forms. In some cases, the volume icon is greyed out or not functioning properly while in others it is missing entirely.
There are other ways to adjust the volume of your device from the Control Panel, but the taskbar is the most convenient means. This article will explore a few different ways to recover the sound icon if it goes missing from your taskbar. We recommend proceeding in the order listed below to troubleshoot the problem with your device. In most cases, you should be able to sort it out yourself quickly and efficiently. Follow the methods below and get your volume turned back up!
- Check if the volume icon is enabled
- Change the text size
- Log out and log in to Windows 10
- Restart Explorer
- Update your driver
Each of these methods has been tried and tested by users. They are mostly simple solutions that you can try at home.
Method 1 - Check if the volume icon is enabled
If your volume icon is missing from the taskbar, your first step should be to ensure that it is enabled in Windows. The missing volume control can be disabled in Windows, so getting the icon back in your taskbar can be as simple as enabling it again through your device's settings.
- Navigate to the Settings menu through the Start Menu or right-clicking on an empty space on the taskbar.
- In the Taskbar menu under the Notification area, click on the Turn system icon on or off.
- A new panel will display where you can toggle on/off the various system icons. Make sure the Volume control toggle is set to ON.
- Restart Windows and see if the sound icon is back in the taskbar.
Method 2 - Change the text size
If Method 1 doesn't restore the volume onto your taskbar, then changing the text size is the next step to attempt to fix the problem. This method changes your device's display settings and restores them because, in some cases, the missing icon might be caused by a display issue.
- Navigate to the Settings menu through the Start Menu or right-clicking on an empty space on the taskbar.
- Under Display Settings, change the text size to 125% and click the Apply button.
- Once you complete step 2, change the text size back to 100% and click the Apply button again.
- Close the window and your sound icon should be restored to the taskbar.
Method 3 - Log-out and Log-in to Windows 10
If you still find your volume icon missing after the above two methods, then proceed to try logging in and logging out of Windows 10. Some users reported that this simple solution worked for them and it only requires one key step. Just sign out and sign back into Windows 10 and the volume icon should appear again on your display.
Method 4 - Restart Explorer / explorer.exe
Another way to restore the volume icon to your taskbar is to restart Windows Explorer by using the Task Manager. Users reported success using this method for the volume icon missing issue in Windows 10. In some cases, there may be an issue with Explorer that is causing the issue.
- Press Ctrl + Shift + Esc to start the Task Manager.
- Go to the Details tab and locate explorer.exe file and right-click on it. Choose End Task from the available options.
- Press Windows Key + R and enter Explorer. Press Enter or click OK to proceed.
- Windows Explorer will restart and the volume icon should reappear on the taskbar.
Method 5 - Update your driver
The absence of the volume icon in your Windows 10 taskbar might be related to a hardware issue. This is especially true if your volume icon is greyed out instead of missing completely. In either case, if the issue is related to your audio device, you should update the driver for your audio device. Once complete, restart Windows and check to see if the volume icon is back in the taskbar.
- Press Windows Key + X and choose Device Manager from the list.
- Once Device Manager is opened, choose the Sound, video, and game controllers, right-click on your audio device and choose Update Driver.
- Follow the on-screen prompts and let Windows help you choose the best driver to update for your audio hardware device. After updating these settings for your sound device, the volume icon should be restored to your Windows taskbar.
There are many different solutions to restoring the volume icon to your taskbar. By trying each of the methods above, you should be able to quickly get the volume icon back and control your device's sound level from the convenience of your desktop taskbar. As with all the network icons and battery icons, the volume icon makes things more convenient, but it is just one way to change the volume of your device. If the icon is missing and you can't be bothered to restore it immediately, you should be able to control your devices without the icon by accessing the Settings through Windows Explorer.
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