Why can't I disable the system tray icon for Steam?

[Whispering into the Wind]

Topic.

1) My system tray is already crowded enough as it is. Just about every other icon in there I explicitly want to be there and have control over it's presence there.

2) I'd Like to be able to see the Steam application in my taskbar. It's much easier to recognize that it's active that way, for me at least. Though please, try and convince me how implementing such an option would be an undue burden on the Steam developers. (Yes, that's an argument I've seen before...)

3) The Steam client already has a minimize button - what is the logic of having a second button in the top right corner that does the exact same thing as the button two the left of it?

4) The paradigm, for decades now, for Windows as well as most other OS's, and for the vast majority of software, is that the 'X' button in the top right corner exits the application.

5) I really don't like a program telling me that when I think it should stop - all together and completely - that it knows better than me. You can update the next time I launch you, tyvm.

6) Regarding another argument I've seen before: quite frankly, yes, having to click, navigate a menu and then click again is an undue burden, considering (as I've pointed out) there exists an almost universal paradigm that supersedes this implementation, one that has existed for, again, decades.

[ShelLuser]

This can be solved by Windows itself; it has the option to hide system tray icons which aren't being in much use. Check your taskbar properties, in specific the icons which should (dis)appear from the systemtray.

(edit) If your system tray is cluttered by icons then that means you messed with this setting yourself sometime in the past, because by default nearly all system tray icons end up being hidden.

[AmsterdamHeavy]

Every game launcher I have works that way, so youre bucking the trend.

[cinedine]

i have a massive daja-vu. As in "I have read this exact post before and explained why each and eery of your points are actuall false assumptions".

Steam is a process that can survive without the window. So it's mandatory to have a systemtray presence to let users know it's still running.

The paradigm for decades has always been [x] closes the window, not the application. As most applications don't need to be running without a window, they just shutdown.

[Whispering into the Wind]

@ShelLuser:

I'm well aware of this. Doing so only solves one of my 6 points.

<EDIT>: I perhaps should have been a bit clearer in my original post's initial summary as I was trying to be concise as possible with the topic heading. Though, as I noted, considering all my points, in their entirety, should hopefully address this.

Additionally,

"(edit) If your system tray is cluttered by icons then that means you messed with this setting yourself sometime in the past, because by default nearly all system tray icons end up being hidden"

I haven't "messed" with this settings. I knew perfectly well what I was doing. I've been choosing to do so for years. I very much like to have as much control and granularity for my PC's as I can muster. Every icon in my system tray is there for a program I find , if not integral, at least very important to me in utilizing my computer.

</EDIT>

@AmsterdamHeavy:

I'm fine with that.

@cinedine:

"Steam is a process that can survive without the window. So it's mandatory to have a systemtray presence to let users know it's still running."

Completely missed the point of most of the points I listed. I don't want it to survive without the window/or at least I don't won't the system tray icon to be the thing reminding me of the fact that it continues to run. I do want to be able to minimize the window if I want, but when doing so to stay prominent in the taskbar (more on this below).

In any event, just because Steam.exe is a process that -can- survive without a window in no way mandates that it -must-.

Additionally, though it is a bit extemporaneous to the discussion, I'm not sure why you think such system tray icons are mandatory. Just look in your services, you'll find plenty that have no system tray icons associated with them, possibly quite a few non-Microsoft ones too.

"The paradigm for decades has always been [x] closes the window, not the application. As most applications don't need to be running without a window, they just shutdown."

I have to disagree. Perhaps you have references you can cite?

A lot of programs which incorporate the "close to the system tray" behavior have the option to disable that. One quite glaring example is the Windows Task Manager, which is about as ubiquitous as you can get.

Btw, I'm certainly not saying I want this to be the default behavior. I"m merely asking for it to be an option.

"i have a massive daja-vu. As in "I have read this exact post before..."

So, you admit that this is a popular request?

"...and explained why each and eery of your points are actuall false assumptions"."

I've looked into this. Perhaps I've not come across any of your potentially comprehensive explanations. I suppose it would be to much to ask you to address my individual points?

[Zefar]

引用自 That sad walking away music...：

Topic.

1) My system tray is already crowded enough as it is. Just about every other icon in there I explicitly want to be there and have control over it's presence there.

Right click the taskbar and go into it's settings. Somewhere there you're able to select whether the program should constantly be showing or be pushed into the fold up menu.

引用自 That sad walking away music...：

2) I'd Like to be able to see the Steam application in my taskbar. It's much easier to recognize that it's active that way, for me at least. Though please, try and convince me how implementing such an option would be an undue burden on the Steam developers. (Yes, that's an argument I've seen before...)

Pin the Steam.exe to task bar. This has been a basic feature on windows since Win95 I believe.
Or you know you could just let it be visible in the bottom right system tray.

引用自 That sad walking away music...：

3) The Steam client already has a minimize button - what is the logic of having a second button in the top right corner that does the exact same thing as the button two the left of it?

Because Steam is more than just a game launcher and a lot of people want it to run 24/7. Minimize and close the window does two different things too.

引用自 That sad walking away music...：

4) The paradigm, for decades now, for Windows as well as most other OS's, and for the vast majority of software, is that the 'X' button in the top right corner exits the application.

Except for Anti virus programs, chat programs, most gamestore clients and other types of program.
Having Steam exit when you press that button would be making a lot of people mad. Mainly because if you just minimize it might take up more ram instead of closing the window.

引用自 That sad walking away music...：

5) I really don't like a program telling me that when I think it should stop - all together and completely - that it knows better than me. You can update the next time I launch you, tyvm.

Steam will update when it has a new update to install. This is to make sure everyone is on the same patch level.
For games it will always update them unless you've selected that it should only do that when you start them.

引用自 That sad walking away music...：

6) Regarding another argument I've seen before: quite frankly, yes, having to click, navigate a menu and then click again is an undue burden, considering (as I've pointed out) there exists an almost universal paradigm that supersedes this implementation, one that has existed for, again, decades.

What are you talking about?

[僕の名前 (仮)]

Press _ instead of X

[cinedine]

引用自 That sad walking away music...：

"The paradigm for decades has always been [x] closes the window, not the application. As most applications don't need to be running without a window, they just shutdown."

I have to disagree. Perhaps you have references you can cite?

It's called a bloody "CLOSE" button. Not exit or shutdown. Close as in "close the window". "Close the program" might be casual speak, but in technical terms it's always exit or shutdown.
It's probably more clear on MacOS where the close button always closes the window while the application is still available in the docking bar.

引用自 That sad walking away music...：

"i have a massive daja-vu. As in "I have read this exact post before..."

So, you admit that this is a popular request?

No it's not. I just have a pretty good memory. Although the close button issue is a common misconception (same as ALT + F4).

引用自 That sad walking away music...：

Additionally, though it is a bit extemporaneous to the discussion, I'm not sure why you think such system tray icons are mandatory.

To display a notification, you must have an icon in the notification area. In certain cases, such as Microsoft Communicator or battery level, that icon will already be present. In many other cases, however, you will add an icon to the notification area only as long as is needed to show the notification.

https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/desktop/shell/notification-area

Yes, doesn't need to be there all the time, but Steam also misuses it as a quick-access from before the new task bar with sticky programs was a thing.

---

And since you ask so nicely:

(1) Steam adds a transient icon. That means it should be hidden by default. If you absolutely don't want to see it on the fly-out, there are third party solutions for it. Which has the benefit of working for all the other future applications you don't want to see there. Use the right tools for what you want instead of relying on each company to cater to your needs.

(2) Great, make it sticky then and minimize (or close ) the window. Goal accomplished.

(3) Minimize and close are different functions. Minimize saves the state of the window. Close closes the window and you have to re-initialize it, losing previous state. To see the difference: minimize the client while being on a forum page and then open from minimized state. You will be back on the same site and if did so while typing a reply, your text will be still there where you left it. Now close the window and open it anew. You will be at whatever site you have configured to be your starting site (store landing page by default).

(4) Already told you about it. Closing the window closes the window and doesn't exit the application nor shut down the process.

(5) Yeah uhm, don't even know what that's about. Steam updates on start and not on shutdown. If you are talking about it waiting until synchronisation is finsihed - that's called a graceful shutdown and it's actually the right way to do instead of closing mid-upload and corrupting your cloud data.

(6) You are ranting about having to spend half second more for a second click that basically acts as a confirmation. It's far too easy to misclick on the title bar and accidentally shut down Steam which results in havign to wait for a significant amount of time for it to reboot and login again. Also once again, your assumption about how the close button behaves is wrong.

[AmsterdamHeavy]

I wouldnt want Steam to exit from closing the window.

[B-o-B]

Didn't read it all. You can left click and drag Steam icon in notification area to anywhere in that area that you prefer.

OR "Control Panel\All Control Panel Items\Notification Area Icons" and have at it.