How do you use the Microsoft Flight Simulator toolbar?
The Microsoft Flight Simulator toolbar is the in-flight strip at the top of the screen. It opens panels for ATC, cameras, checklists, maps, weather and other flight tools without leaving the cockpit. Move the pointer to the top edge, select an icon, then close, pin, resize or reposition the panel as required.
Toolbar panels and their purpose
The toolbar provides quick access to simulator-level tools rather than the controls built into your aircraft’s cockpit. Its exact contents depend on the simulator edition, aircraft, activity, assistance settings and installed add-ons.
- Flight operations: Open ATC, checklists, objectives and navigation information where available. Our explanation of making radio calls through the ATC panel covers its context-sensitive requests and replies.
- Views and awareness: Change camera settings or open a map. A toolbar map is primarily a situational-awareness tool; it does not necessarily programme the aircraft’s GPS or flight-management system.
- Aircraft and environment: Adjust weather, time, fuel, payload or assistance options when the chosen flight mode permits it. These panels can alter the live flight, so they are not all read-only displays.
- Add-on tools: Compatible third-party packages may add their own toolbar icons and panels.
Some activities deliberately lock weather, time or other options. A missing panel is therefore not always a fault.
Using the toolbar on PC and console
On PC, reveal the toolbar with the mouse pointer; on Xbox and PlayStation in Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024, use the toolbar or pointer command assigned to the active controller profile.
- Load into a flight. The toolbar is an in-flight overlay, not part of the main menu. Move the pointer to the top-centre edge of the screen; an auto-hidden toolbar may initially show only a small handle.
- Select a toolbar icon. Its panel opens over the cockpit or external view. More than one panel can usually remain open.
- Arrange the panel. Drag its title bar to reposition it. Resize it from an edge when supported, or use its pin control to keep it visible after the toolbar retracts.
- Use the panel’s controls. Changes to items such as fuel, payload and weather may take effect immediately. Camera and map controls affect the view or displayed information instead.
- Close or customise it. Select the panel’s close control when finished. Where a toolbar customisation control is provided, use it to show or hide individual icons; hiding an icon does not uninstall the associated add-on.
If the pointer method is inconvenient, search the active Controls Options profile for toolbar and assign a suitable command. Our MSFS keyboard and control reference is a useful companion when setting up panel shortcuts.
MSFS 2020 and MSFS 2024 toolbar differences
Microsoft Flight Simulator 2020 and 2024 share the same basic top-screen toolbar idea, but their panel selection and planning workflow differ.
| Edition | What to expect |
|---|---|
| Microsoft Flight Simulator 2020 | Separate panels such as VFR Map, Navlog, ATC, Camera and Checklist are prominent. The available set changes with the flight mode and installed content. |
| Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024 | The EFB handles much of the route-planning, weather, fuel, payload and performance workflow. See our breakdown of the 2024 EFB’s flight-planning tools for that separate interface. |
Why is the Microsoft Flight Simulator toolbar missing?
A missing toolbar is usually caused by hidden interface controls, an unassigned command, toolbar customisation or restrictions imposed by the selected activity.
- No toolbar appears at the top: Move the pointer fully against the top-centre edge and wait briefly. Check that the toolbar or user-interface command has not been removed from the active keyboard, mouse or controller profile.
- Only one icon is missing: Open the toolbar customisation control and re-enable it. Also check whether the activity permits that panel.
- A third-party icon is absent: Confirm that the package is installed, enabled and compatible with the simulator edition. Restart the simulator after installation; community add-on panels are intentionally unavailable when the simulator loads in Safe Mode.
- The stock toolbar stopped working after an add-on change: Temporarily disable recently installed toolbar add-ons and reload the flight. Test the default toolbar before considering a full simulator reinstall.
- An icon responds but no window is visible: A detached panel may be sitting on a disconnected monitor. Restore the previous display arrangement or reconnect that screen, move the window back, then close it normally.
Can toolbar panels be moved to another monitor?
Supported panels can be detached into a separate operating-system window on PC and moved to another display. Dragging a panel’s title bar alone only moves it inside the main simulator window; use its detach or pop-out control when one is shown.
Not every toolbar panel or cockpit display supports detaching, and extra rendered windows may reduce performance. Our panel and cockpit-instrument pop-out instructions explain the supported methods and common multi-monitor problems.
Does opening the toolbar pause the flight?
No. Opening the toolbar or one of its panels does not pause Microsoft Flight Simulator; the aircraft, simulation clock and ATC continue operating. Use the simulator’s pause control before spending time on a checklist or configuration panel, and do not treat an open map or EFB as a pause screen.