Get more effective desktop space for free. Ekkys/Shutterstock Windows has many useful but hidden features to find, from clipboard history to a set of customization options. One of the best ones that you probably aren’t using is the ability to create multiple desktops. Virtual desktops are a great productivity tool that segments your computer into specialized sections, helping you stay organized and focused. You can do this in broad ways, such as creating separate desktops for personal and work use. Or it can be more granular, with dedicated desktops for various tasks like editing, spreadsheets, and meetings, or for specific clients. All your programs are available on all desktops, but what matters is how you choose to segment them. It is available on both versions of Windows 11 and Windows 10, and setting it up is very easy. How to set up multiple desktops in Windows Creating new virtual desktops in Windows is easy: hover over the Task View icon or press the Windows + Tab keys at the same time. Select New Desktop. You can also press Windows + Ctrl + D to quickly create a new desktop. Once you have the desired number of desktops, you can customize each one to make it easier to tell them apart. Hover over the Task View icon or press Windows + Tab, right-click the desktop you want to edit, and then you can rename it or choose a unique wallpaper (the latter feature is only available in Windows 11). To switch desktops, use the Task View icon or Windows + Ctrl + left/right arrow to cycle through them. To switch faster, reposition each desktop through Task View by right-clicking on one and using Move Right or Move Left, or by dragging them to the bottom of the screen. When you need to move a program from one desktop to another, simply drag and drop an open window on your current desktop onto a different one via Task View. When you no longer need a desktop, close it by clicking the X in the top right corner of Task View or press Windows + Ctrl + F4. How to Get the Most Out of Multiple Garun Desktops .Prdt/Shutterstock For best results, dedicate each desktop to a particular purpose so you don’t get confused. You can keep music, chat, and social apps on one desktop, keeping those potential distractions away from working in Excel or your email client. Using application features like browser profiles can further help with logical separation. If you have a single monitor, virtual desktops are a decent way to effectively get more screen space. You can get even more out of your multi-desktop setup by adjusting a few settings in Windows. To better optimize your taskbar and Alt + Tab functionality on multiple desktops, do the following: Open the Settings app with Windows + I. Select System and then Multitasking. Expand the Desktops section. There, you can choose Only on the desktop I’m using or On all desktops for both available options: On the taskbar, show all open windows and Show all open windows when I press Alt+Tab. For greater targeting, limit app switching to the desktop you’re currently using. This multi-desktop functionality can be enhanced with a small free program called Windows Virtual Desktop Helper, available on GitHub. It’s particularly useful if you use a lot of different desktops and often have trouble navigating or differentiating between them, as it offers the option to display a desktop’s name more prominently when you switch to it, as well as showing which desktop you’re on in the system tray. You can also use it to navigate desktops from the system tray or set up custom navigation hotkeys to quickly switch to different desktops.
