A minimal, modern taskbar replacement for Windows 11. A small pill at the edge of your screen that expands into a panel for controls, apps, windows, clipboard and more.
Features · Get started · Usage · Customize · FAQ · Support · Deutsch
- Light. One C# file, built with the compiler that already ships with Windows. No runtime to install, no background services, no telemetry.
- Out of the way. The pill shows the time, the current song and your open apps, and hides itself in fullscreen games and videos.
- Keyboard first. Press Win and start typing. Every tab works with the arrow keys, F1 lists every shortcut.
- Yours. More than 80 options in a built-in settings editor with live preview and search.
Clock, date, the current song, a running timer, a muted-mic indicator and your open apps. Hover an app to pick one of its windows, right-click for its jump list (e.g. "New incognito window"), scroll to change the volume, drag the pill anywhere. It hides itself in fullscreen games and videos.
Press Win or click the pill and it grows into a panel with six tabs:
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| Controls · Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, audio, night light, dark mode and mic tiles, volume, media with cover art and seeking. Audio opens a window to switch output devices and set volume per app. | Today · clock, week overview, timer with presets, to-dos and weather. |
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| Apps · fast search with calculator, favorites, recently used, quick links and web search. Right-click to run as admin, open the file location or uninstall. | Taskbar · every open window, grouped by app and searchable. |
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| Clipboard · history with search, filters for text, images and links, preview and pinning. | Power · lock, sleep, sign out, restart and shut down, with uptime. |
- English and German UI
- Automatic scaling from Full HD to 4K
- Hides the Windows taskbar without rearranging your desktop icons
- Optional global shortcut, start with Windows, per-user installer
- Test channel that runs next to your stable install
| OS | Windows 11 (Windows 10 should work but isn't tested) |
| Runtime | .NET Framework 4.8, already part of Windows 10/11 |
| Rights | No administrator rights needed, installs per user |
- Download
NookSetup.exefrom the latest release. - Run it and click Install. No administrator rights needed: Nook is installed for your user only, to
%LOCALAPPDATA%\Programs\Nook. - Setup adds a Start menu shortcut and, if you leave the box checked, starts Nook with Windows. A desktop shortcut is optional.
Updating: run the newer NookSetup.exe, your settings stay. Uninstall: Settings → Apps → Nook.
Windows SmartScreen may warn because the files are unsigned: More info → Run anyway.
Download Nook.exe from the same release, put it in its own folder (e.g. C:\Tools\Nook) and run it. Settings are stored next to the exe.
git clone https://github.com/NixFabo/Nook.git Nook
cd Nook
build.bat
installer\build-installer.bat &:: optional, builds NookSetup.exebuild.bat uses csc.exe from .NET Framework 4.x, which is part of every Windows 10/11 installation. Nothing gets installed. It builds the full variant (media with cover art and seeking) and falls back to a basic variant if the Windows media API isn't available.
On first start Nook creates config.json and a data folder next to the exe.
Start with Windows: right-click the pill → Start with Windows, or Settings → General → Start with Windows.
| Action | Result |
|---|---|
| Win alone | Open the panel |
| Win + any key | Works as usual (Win+E, Win+L, …) |
| Click the pill | Open the panel |
| Just start typing | Jumps to app search |
| Click outside / Esc | Close the panel |
| Scroll over the pill | Volume |
| Drag the pill | Move it |
| App icon: click / middle-click / hover | Focus or minimize / close / pick a window |
| Right-click an app | Jump list, windows, close, end task |
| Right-click pill or panel | Settings, shortcuts, Task Manager, config folder, quit |
| F1 in the panel | All keyboard shortcuts |
| Ctrl+, in the panel | Settings |
Shortcuts inside tabs use Alt+letter, because plain typing goes to search.
Right-click the pill → Settings. Search on the left, options in the middle, live preview on the right. Ctrl+S saves and applies instantly. The editor is only loaded while it's open, so Nook stays light.
| Section | Highlights |
|---|---|
| General | Language, UI size, Win key, extra global shortcut, type-to-search, Windows taskbar, start with Windows |
| Pill | Always / at edge / off · height, font size, roundness, border · order of all elements · clock with seconds, date format · song width · grouped or per-window app icons, icon size · click, scroll and middle-click behavior · edge-line size and delay |
| Panel | Size, radius, border · tab style (pill / underline / text), labels (text / icons / both), alignment · start tab · open effect (morph / fade / slide / none), duration, shadow |
| Design | Presets (some with gradients) · every color · gradient background · card style (filled / outline / flat) and radius · opacity · font |
| Position | Edge, alignment, distance, monitor, drag behavior |
| Tabs | Turn tabs on/off and reorder them · reorder control tiles and power buttons · per-tab options |
Everything is stored in config.json. Back it up or share it via right-click → Open config folder. All keys and defaults are listed in config.standard.json.
Try a new version without touching your daily install:
- Put the new files in a folder whose name contains
test, e.g.Nook-Test, and runbuild.bat. It buildsNookTest.exe. - On start it closes the stable Nook and copies its settings once.
- Switch back with right-click → Switch to stable version.
- Happy? Copy
Nook.csinto your main folder and runbuild.batthere.
The Windows taskbar is gone after a crash.
Start Nook and quit it from the menu, or restart "Windows Explorer" in Task Manager.
"End task" is missing in the app menu.
Windows only allows it when Settings → System → For developers → End task is turned on.
No cover art or seeking for media.
You're running the basic variant. Check build.log to see why the full variant didn't build.
Bluetooth and night light open Settings instead of toggling.
Windows doesn't offer a public API for toggling them, so Nook opens the right settings page.
Something went wrong.
Errors are written to data\error.log. The running version is shown at the bottom of the right-click menu. Please attach both to an issue.
Nook.cs the whole app (C# 5, WPF, .NET Framework 4.x)
build.bat one-click build with the compiler built into Windows
nook.ico app icon
config.standard.json all settings with default values
installer/ NookSetup.exe: per-user installer (Setup.cs, manifest, build script)
.github/workflows CI build; tags like v1.0.0 publish a release with NookSetup.exe and Nook.exe
Push a tag and GitHub Actions does the rest:
git tag v1.0.0
git push --tagsThe workflow builds Nook.exe and NookSetup.exe, stamps the version into both and publishes them as a GitHub release.
Nook is free and open source, and it stays that way: no ads, no tracking, no paid features. If it makes your desktop a little nicer, you can buy me a coffee:
You'll also find Support Nook in the pill's right-click menu. Starring the repo and reporting bugs help just as much. Thank you!
Issues and pull requests are welcome. Nook targets the C# 5 compiler that ships with Windows, so please avoid newer syntax ($"...", ?., nameof, out var, expression-bodied members). The CI build checks every push.
Nook does not collect, store or send any personal data, and has no telemetry. It only goes online for one optional feature: if you set a weather location, the city name is sent to Open-Meteo to look up the forecast. Leave the location empty and Nook never connects to the internet. Web search and quick links simply open your default browser.
Release binaries (NookSetup.exe, Nook.exe) are built from this repository by GitHub Actions. Only builds of tagged releases are signed, and every signing request is approved manually.
| Role | Members |
|---|---|
| Authors / committers | NixFabo |
| Reviewers | NixFabo |
| Approvers | NixFabo |
Changes from outside contributors are merged only after review.