How to Create Virtual Desktops in Windows (No Second Monitor Needed), by Tweak Library on YouTube. 1 min 25 s.
- Video length
- 1 min 25 s
- Time to do it
- 2 minutes
- Difficulty
- Easy
- Steps
- 8
What you need
Steps
Press Windows key + Tab to open Task View. Your current desktop appears as a thumbnail at the top of the screen, with your open windows listed below it.
Click New desktop, shown as a plus icon in Windows 11, to add a second desktop. Windows switches you to it straight away.
Open the apps you want on this desktop, such as your email and work documents. They stay on this desktop only.
Press Ctrl + Windows key + the left or right arrow to flip between desktops. The taskbar shows only the apps open on the desktop you are viewing.
Add another desktop at any time with Ctrl + Windows key + D. Each new one starts empty, ready for a fresh set of apps.
Move a window to another desktop by opening Task View, then dragging the window thumbnail onto the desktop you want.
Rename a desktop in Windows 11 by right-clicking its thumbnail in Task View and choosing Rename. Labels like Work or Personal make switching faster.
Close a desktop you no longer need with Ctrl + Windows key + F4, or hover over its thumbnail in Task View and click the X.
Tips and common mistakes
Closing a desktop does not delete any files, but the windows open on it move across to the desktop beside it.
Give each desktop its own wallpaper in Windows 11 by right-clicking the desktop, choosing Personalize and picking a background per desktop.
All desktops share the same taskbar, clock and notifications, so the clock will not show a different time on each one.
Some full-screen games and video players may pause when you switch desktops, so keep them on their own desktop.
Questions
Do I need any extra software to use virtual desktops?
No. Virtual desktops are built into Windows 10 and Windows 11 and are managed from Task View. Nothing needs to be downloaded or installed.
How many virtual desktops can I create?
Windows does not set a fixed number, but each desktop with apps open uses memory. Most people find two to four is plenty for keeping tasks apart.
How do I know which desktop I am on?
Open Task View with Windows key + Tab and the current desktop is highlighted. In Windows 11 the names you set also show under each thumbnail.
This guide was drafted from the video's details and general task knowledge. It has not been checked against the full video. Check the video and relevant product instructions before following a procedure. Report a correction.
