The tray menu: switching modes without opening the window
The three things you do most — toggling the system proxy, switching outbound mode, checking the port — need no main window at all. Right-click the cat icon in the bottom-right corner of the taskbar and it is all there.
What the menu holds
- System Proxy: the checkmark is the current state; clicking toggles it immediately;
- TUN Mode: the same, except service mode must already be installed or the click does nothing;
- Rule / Global / Direct: pick one outbound mode; the active one is marked;
- Ports: shows the current mixed port — the quickest place to look when configuring Git or a terminal proxy;
- Quit: actually exits. Clicking the X on the main window only hides it back to the tray.
Keeping the icon out of the overflow area
Windows hides new tray icons behind the little arrow by default, costing you an extra click every time. On Windows 11: Settings → Personalisation → Taskbar → Other system tray icons, and switch Clash for Windows on. On Windows 10: Settings → Personalisation → Taskbar → Select which icons appear on the taskbar.
Clicking does nothing
A single left click should open the main window. If it stubbornly refuses, the renderer process has usually hung: open Task Manager, end every Clash for Windows process, and start it again. Note that the system proxy setting stays in the registry while the app is gone — if you need the internet before restarting, turn the proxy off manually in Windows settings.