How do I get rid of the shortcut bar on my apps?

The shortcut bar, also known as the quick access toolbar, is a small customizable toolbar that sits above the ribbon in Microsoft Office apps like Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and Outlook. It provides quick access to frequently used commands and features. However, some users find the shortcut bar cluttered or unnecessary and prefer to remove it from view.

What is the shortcut bar?

The shortcut bar contains buttons for common commands like Save, Undo, and Redo. You can customize it by adding or removing buttons as needed. By default, it shows just the Save, Undo, and Redo buttons on the left side of the title bar.

The shortcut bar is designed to provide easy access to commonly used features so you don’t have to navigate through all the tabs and menus to find them. For example, adding the Print button to the bar means you can quickly print a document without opening the File tab.

Why would you want to remove the shortcut bar?

There are a few reasons why you may want to remove the shortcut bar:

• You find it distracting or cluttered – The shortcut bar takes up some extra screen space which you may prefer to reclaim.
• You don’t use the buttons – If you don’t use the default options like Undo/Redo or any customized buttons, the bar may just be unnecessary clutter.
• You want a cleaner look – Removing the bar can give a cleaner, more streamlined look across the top of your Office apps.
• You want more space for the ribbon – Eliminating the shortcut bar means the ribbon takes up the full width of the window, giving you more space to see tabs, commands, and features.

So in summary, the main reasons for removing the shortcut bar are to minimize clutter, simplify the interface, and reclaim screen space.

How to remove the shortcut bar in Word

Here are the steps to remove the shortcut bar in Microsoft Word:

1. Click the File tab to open the Backstage view.
2. Select Options from the left menu.
3. On the Word Options window, navigate to the Customize Ribbon tab on the left.
4. Under the Main Tabs section, check the box next to Shortcut Bar.
5. Click OK to close the Word Options window.

This will immediately hide the shortcut bar at the top of the Word window. The bar and any customized buttons will still be there, they are just hidden from view.

Alternative method

You can also right-click directly on the shortcut bar itself and select Minimize the Ribbon. This toggles between showing and hiding the ribbon and shortcut bar together.

How to bring back the shortcut bar in Word

If you change your mind and want the shortcut bar back, follow these steps:

1. Return to the Customize Ribbon tab in the Word Options window.
2. Uncheck the box next to Shortcut Bar.
3. Click OK to close the window.

This will make the shortcut bar visible again at the top of the Word window.

You can also use the right-click minimization method again to toggle the ribbon and shortcut bar back on.

How to remove the shortcut bar in Excel

The process for removing the shortcut bar in Excel is very similar:

1. Click the File tab.
2. Select Options.
3. Go to the Customize Ribbon tab.
4. Check the box next to Shortcut Bar under Main Tabs.
5. Click OK.

This will hide the shortcut bar in Excel. Follow the same steps to make the bar visible again if needed.

How to remove the shortcut bar in PowerPoint

Here is how to remove the shortcut bar in PowerPoint presentations:

1. Click the File tab.
2. Choose Options.
3. Navigate to the Customize Ribbon tab.
4. Check the Shortcut Bar box under Main Tabs.
5. Click OK.

The shortcut bar will now be hidden from view in PowerPoint. Reverse the steps to show the bar again.

How to remove the shortcut bar in Outlook

In Outlook, use these steps to remove the shortcut bar from the window:

1. Click the File tab.
2. Select Options from the menu.
3. Go to the Customize Ribbon tab.
4. Check the box next to Shortcut Bar under Main Tabs.
5. Click OK.

This will hide the shortcut bar in Outlook. The process is the same for bringing the bar back if desired.

How to customize the shortcut bar

In addition to removing the shortcut bar, you can also customize it by adding or removing buttons:

• Right-click on the shortcut bar and select Customize Quick Access Toolbar.
• In the dropdown menu, choose the commands you want to add or remove.
• Use the up and down arrows on the right to reorder the buttons.
• Select OK when you are done customizing.

This allows you to tailor the shortcut bar to your workflow by including the commands you use most frequently.

Add useful shortcut buttons

Here are some handy buttons you may want to add to the shortcut bar:

• Save – For quick access to saving documents.
• Undo – To reverse your last action.
• Redo – To reapply an action reversed with Undo.
• Print – To quickly print the active document.
• Copy – For quick access to copying text or objects.
• Paste – To quickly paste content from the clipboard.
• Format Painter – To easily copy formatting in Word, Excel, and PowerPoint.

Customizing the shortcut bar with your most used features can save you time and clicks!

Remove distracting buttons

Here are some buttons you may want to remove from the shortcut bar to declutter:

• Touch/Mouse Mode – Toggles between touch and mouse input, not needed for most users.
• Share – Opens share options rarely used by many people.
• New – Adds a new document, you may prefer using File > New instead.
• Blog Post – Special button for Word bloggers, not useful for most.

Don’t be afraid to remove buttons you don’t regularly use to streamline the shortcut bar.

Other tips for managing the shortcut bar

Here are a few additional pointers for working with the shortcut bar:

• You can right-click on individual buttons to remove them.
• Drag buttons around to reorder them.
• Ctrl + click allows you to add or remove multiple buttons at once.
• Shift + click lets you select a range of buttons to move together.
• Alt + drag duplicates a button for easy adding.

Use these tips and tricks to customize the shortcut bar to your preferences.

Reset the shortcut bar

If you want to undo your customizations and restore the shortcut bar to its original default state, here’s how:

1. Right-click on the shortcut bar.
2. Select Customize Quick Access Toolbar.
3. Choose Reset Only Quick Access Toolbar.
4. Confirm by selecting Reset.

This will reset the shortcut bar buttons and order back to the original defaults.

Conclusion

The shortcut bar provides quick access to common commands, but it can also add clutter. Removing the shortcut bar in Office apps like Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and Outlook only takes a few clicks. You can bring it back any time if needed. Customizing the buttons to your workflow allows you to tailor it to your needs.

With these tips, you can manage the Office shortcut bar to remove distraction and create an optimal interface for your work.