Over time, a Windows desktop can easily become cluttered with dozens of software shortcuts, random downloaded images, and temporary folders. If you want to enjoy your beautiful desktop wallpaper without taking the time to actually organize or delete all those files, Windows 11 has a legacy feature that lets you instantly make every icon invisible with just two clicks.
How to Hide All Desktop Icons
You do not need to delete any files to do this. This setting simply makes them invisible while leaving the actual data perfectly intact.
- Navigate to your Windows 11 Desktop and close or minimize all open windows.
- Right-click on any empty space on the wallpaper.
- Hover your mouse over the View option at the very top of the context menu.
- A secondary flyout menu will appear. Look at the very bottom of this list for an option named Show desktop icons.
- By default, this option will have a small checkmark next to it. Click on Show desktop icons to uncheck it.
Instantly, every single shortcut, folder, and file (including the Recycle Bin) will vanish from your screen. You can still access all of these files anytime by opening File Explorer and clicking on the “Desktop” folder in the left sidebar. Whenever you want to see the icons on your screen again, simply repeat the exact same steps to re-check the option.