The commonly used name for the notification area of the Windows taskbar is the system tray.
This area usually appears at the taskbar’s right end and contains the clock, network status, volume, power indicators, and icons from background applications. It is designed to show status information and provide quick access to utility programs.
“Notification area” is Microsoft’s formal term, especially in older Windows documentation. “System tray” became popular because Windows 95 used a small program named Systray.exe to manage several of these icons. That historical name led users and software developers to apply “system tray” to the entire area.
The terminology has shifted over time. Microsoft commonly used “notification area” in Windows 8 and Windows 10, while its newer Windows 11 style guidance favors “system tray.” “Quick Launch” is a different taskbar feature for launching programs, and Notification Center is a separate interface for viewing notifications. Thus, system tray remains the standard everyday answer.