Windows 11 Virtual Desktops: Shortcuts, Names and Settings

Virtual desktops give you several separate desktops on one screen: one for work, one for personal browsing, one for a project with a dozen windows. Instead of minimising and hunting, you switch the whole set in one keystroke. Windows 11 virtual desktops are built in and need no extra software. This guide covers creating, switching and closing desktops, naming them, giving each its own wallpaper, moving windows, and the settings that decide what the taskbar shows.

The steps apply to Windows 11 version 24H2, 25H2 and 26H2.

Create a desktop

1. Select Task view on the taskbar, or press Windows logo key + Tab.
2. Select New desktop.

Or press Windows logo key + Ctrl + D, which creates a desktop and switches to it immediately. Microsoft’s multiple desktops page covers both methods.

If the Task view button is missing, turn it back on in Settings > Personalization > Taskbar > Taskbar items; see Windows 11 taskbar settings.

Switch, close and see all desktops

Action	Shortcut
Open Task view	Windows + Tab
New desktop	Windows + Ctrl + D
Next desktop	Windows + Ctrl + Right arrow
Previous desktop	Windows + Ctrl + Left arrow
Close current desktop	Windows + Ctrl + F4

These are listed on Microsoft’s keyboard shortcuts page. On a precision touchpad, a four-finger swipe left or right also switches desktops if the gesture is enabled in Settings > Bluetooth & devices > Touchpad.

You can also hover over the Task view button to see a strip of your desktops and click one.

When you close a desktop, its open windows are not closed; they move to the neighbouring desktop.

Name and personalise desktops

Names make desktops far easier to use:

1. Open Task view.
2. Right-click a desktop thumbnail and select Rename (or click the name).
3. Type a name such as Work, Home or Photos and press Enter.

The same right-click menu has Choose background, which opens the background settings for that desktop only. A different wallpaper per desktop is a quick visual cue for where you are. You can also drag thumbnails to reorder desktops.

Move windows between desktops

• In Task view, drag a window thumbnail onto another desktop at the bottom of the screen.
• Or right-click a window thumbnail in Task view and select Move to, then pick a desktop or New desktop.

The same menu has Show this window on all desktops and Show windows from this app on all desktops, useful for a music player, chat app or notes you want everywhere.

Desktop settings in Settings

Open Settings > System > Multitasking and expand Desktops. There are two choices:

• On the taskbar, show all the open windows: on all desktops, or only on the desktop I’m using. Choosing the current desktop only keeps each taskbar uncluttered.
• Show all open windows when I press Alt+Tab: on all desktops, or only on the desktop I’m using.

The same Multitasking page holds the Snap settings; see Windows 11 snap layouts for arranging windows within a desktop.

Ways to use virtual desktops

• Work and personal: keep email, chat and documents on one desktop and personal browsing on another, so screen sharing in a meeting never shows the wrong thing.
• Project desktops: one desktop per project with its files, browser and tools open.
• Presentations: an almost empty desktop for presenting, with notes on another.
• Small laptop screens: desktops make up for a lack of space where a second monitor is not possible.

Virtual desktops work across multiple monitors too: switching desktops switches all screens together. For physical extra screens, see Windows 11 multiple monitors.

Limits and troubleshooting

• Desktops survive restarts: names and the set of desktops are kept, but apps are not reopened on their old desktops unless the app itself restores windows.
• A window keeps jumping desktops: check whether Show this window on all desktops is on for it.
• Shortcuts do nothing: another app may be using the same key combination; close utilities such as screen recorders and test again. Also check that Task view works with the mouse.
• Task view is slow or blank: restart Windows Explorer from Task Manager and install updates. Our Windows 11 slow performance guide covers general sluggishness.

Virtual desktops vs a second monitor

Virtual desktops and extra screens solve different problems. A second monitor lets you see more at once; virtual desktops let you separate tasks so each stays tidy. They also combine: with two monitors, every desktop spans both screens, so switching desktops changes everything you see at once.

If you mostly need two apps side by side, snap layouts on one desktop may be all you need. If you juggle unrelated groups of apps, such as work tools and personal browsing, virtual desktops keep them apart and make screen sharing in meetings safer, because only the current desktop’s windows are visible.

A simple way to start: create two desktops named Work and Personal, set a different wallpaper on each, and set the taskbar to show only the windows on the current desktop. After a week, most people either add a third desktop for a big project or decide one desktop with snap layouts suits them better.

Related guides

For more ways to manage many windows, see Windows 11 snap layouts, File Explorer tabs and Windows 11 keyboard shortcuts. Our multiple desktops guide checklist and the Windows 11 productivity hub collect related tips.