A status bar is located at the bottom of Internet browser windows and many application windows and displays the current state of the web page or application being displayed. For example, in early versions of Internet Explorer, it showed whether the page was secure, its certificate, what loaded, and the web address.

Example of a status bar

Below is an example of what the status bar looked like in Microsoft Internet Explorer.

  • Example of a status bar.
  • Today’s browser status bar.
  • Status bar in other applications
  • How can I view or hide the status bar in a browser?
  • Related information.

Today’s browser status bar

All new and modern browsers have done away with the status bar. Information about what is being loaded is shown in the bottom-left corner as it is happening. When hovering over a link, information about that link is also shown in the bottom-left corner. However, when nothing is being loaded or looked at, nothing is displayed. All other information that was in the status bar was moved to the address bar or omnibox depending on your browser.

Status bar in other applications

Today, some applications still feature a status bar, unlike Internet browsers. Application status bars may show page numbers, number of words in a document, or other information about the application or file currently open.

For example, in Microsoft Word, the status bar is located at the bottom of the Word application window. The Word status bar displays the current page number of the document, total pages, number of words, and if there are any proofing errors. If text is highlighted in the document, the number of words in that highlighted portion of text is displayed. A zoom slider is also displayed, allowing a user to zoom in or out of a document.

How can I view or hide the status bar in a browser?

Windows Explorer

The status bar in Windows Explorer is displayed by default, but only shows basic information about a select file or folder. To see more details about a file, you can enable the Details pane using the steps below.

All new browsers no longer have the option to show and hide the status bar. The below information is for users who are still using older browsers.

  • Open Windows Explorer.
  • Click View.
  • Click the Details pane option.

Internet Explorer browser

  • Open Internet Explorer.
  • Click View in the menu bar at the top. If you don’t see the “File Edit View” menu options, press Alt.
  • Select the Toolbars option.
  • Check or uncheck the Status bar option to view or hide the status bar.

Opera browser

Newer versions of Opera no longer have a full status bar. Instead, a pop-up mini status bar is displayed at the bottom left of the Opera window when hovering over a web page hyperlink.

In older versions of Opera, the status bar can be shown or hidden by following the steps below.

  • Open Opera.
  • Click the View menu.
  • Check or uncheck the Status bar option to view or hide the status bar.

Address bar, Software terms, Status line, Taskbar

  • How to fix Microsoft Windows status bar continues to be disabled.