How to build a Windows tray app with Tauri 2 (step by step)

1. 1

   Rust (stable)

   Install with rustup; MSVC toolchain on Windows.

2. 2

   Microsoft C++ Build Tools

   "Desktop development with C++" workload.

3. 3

   WebView2

   Already on Windows 11 and up-to-date Windows 10.

4. 4

   Node.js LTS

   For the front end and the Tauri CLI.

rustc --version
cargo --version
node --version

npm create tauri-app@latest my-tray-app
cd my-tray-app
npm install
npm run tauri dev

Pick any front-end template (vanilla, React, Vue...). A window should open.

Enable the tray feature in src-tauri/Cargo.toml:

tauri = { version = "2", features = ["tray-icon"] }

Build the tray in src-tauri/src/lib.rs:

use tauri::{
    menu::{Menu, MenuItem},
    tray::TrayIconBuilder,
    Manager,
};

pub fn run() {
    tauri::Builder::default()
        .setup(|app| {
            let show = MenuItem::with_id(app, "show", "Show", true, None::<&str>)?;
            let quit = MenuItem::with_id(app, "quit", "Quit", true, None::<&str>)?;
            let menu = Menu::with_items(app, &[&show, &quit])?;

            TrayIconBuilder::new()
                .icon(app.default_window_icon().unwrap().clone())
                .menu(&menu)
                .on_menu_event(|app, event| match event.id.as_ref() {
                    "show" => {
                        if let Some(w) = app.get_webview_window("main") {
                            let _ = w.show();
                            let _ = w.set_focus();
                        }
                    }
                    "quit" => app.exit(0),
                    _ => {}
                })
                .build(app)?;
            Ok(())
        })
        .run(tauri::generate_context!())
        .expect("error while running tauri application");
}

// on the Builder, before .run(...)
.on_window_event(|window, event| {
    if let tauri::WindowEvent::CloseRequested { api, .. } = event {
        let _ = window.hide();
        api.prevent_close();
    }
})

npm run tauri add global-shortcut

Register it from Rust inside setup:

#[cfg(desktop)]
{
    use tauri_plugin_global_shortcut::{Code, GlobalShortcutExt, Modifiers, Shortcut, ShortcutState};
    let hotkey = Shortcut::new(Some(Modifiers::CONTROL | Modifiers::SHIFT), Code::Space);
    app.handle().plugin(
        tauri_plugin_global_shortcut::Builder::new()
            .with_handler(move |app, shortcut, event| {
                if shortcut == &hotkey && event.state() == ShortcutState::Pressed {
                    if let Some(w) = app.get_webview_window("main") {
                        let _ = w.show();
                        let _ = w.set_focus();
                    }
                }
            })
            .build(),
    )?;
    app.global_shortcut().register(hotkey)?;
}

"permissions": [
  "core:default",
  "global-shortcut:allow-register",
  "global-shortcut:allow-unregister"
]

import { register } from '@tauri-apps/plugin-global-shortcut';

await register('CommandOrControl+Shift+Space', (e) => {
  if (e.state === 'Pressed') console.log('hotkey pressed');
});

npm run tauri add autostart

import { enable, isEnabled } from '@tauri-apps/plugin-autostart';

if (!(await isEnabled())) await enable();

Add autostart:allow-enable and autostart:allow-is-enabled to your capability. Put this behind a settings toggle rather than forcing it on.

npm run tauri build

Installers land in src-tauri/target/release/bundle/ (nsis/ and msi/).

1. "not allowed" errors in JS

   Add the plugin permission to capabilities/default.json.

2. Hotkey does nothing

   Another app may own that combo, so register() fails. Pick another.

3. No tray icon

   Check the tray-icon feature and that .icon(...) is set.

4. SmartScreen warning

   Unsigned installers get flagged. Sign with a code-signing certificate.

1. Runs in dev

   npm run tauri dev opens a window.

2. Tray works

   Show and Quit respond; close hides to tray.

3. Hotkey works

   Even with the window hidden.

4. Installer tested

   On a clean Windows machine.