How to create virtual desktops with Windows 11
Make yourself some new workspaces
- By
- on October 20, 2021 9:48 am
Part of
The Verge Guide to Windows
Virtual desktops aren’t new to Windows. In Windows 10, it was a simple matter to create a separate desktop so that, for example, you could have one desktop for one project and a second for another, or one for your work and a second for your personal apps.
However, in Windows 11, there has been an upgrade. Now, you can also have a different wallpaper for each desktop, making it easier to distinguish one from another [and offering you a different mood, depending on what you’re using it for]. And there are a number of other features that make the use of virtual desktops easy and efficient. Note that some of these were actually introduced in Windows 10, but together with the new features of Windows 11, they make a handy toolbox.
Windows 11 Productivity Features You Should Know About
Get more out of your computer with features like multiple virtual desktops and snap layouts on Microsoft's latest OS.
Feb. 16, 2022 5:20 a.m. PT
Shelby Brown
Staff Writer
Shelby is a staff writer for CNET, covering software, apps and services. She served as Editor-in-Chief for the Louisville Cardinal newspaper at the University of Louisville. She interned as a creative non-fiction editor for Miracle Monocle literary magazine. Her work appears in Glass Mountain Magazine, Bookends Review, Soundings East and on Louisville.com. Her cats, Puck and Koda, are the best cats ever.
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Bring together groups of apps and windows with Snap Layouts, and easily maximize and minimize the entire bunch with Snap Groups in Windows 11.
Microsoft's latest OS, Windows 11, brings afresh design, improvements to Microsoft Teams and forthcomingsupport for Android apps, among otherfeatures. And many of these new features are useful for productivity and multitasking, whether you need help organizing files for school or have to do three things at once for work.
These features include virtual desktops, which let you organize different workspaces on one monitor, and Snap Layouts, which allow you to structure your screen for maximum multitasking. We'll break down how to use the new features to boost your productivity and make the most of your Windows 11 upgrade.
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Here's what you need to know if you're unsure about upgrading to Windows 11fromWindows 10, how to check your computer's compatibility requirementsand how to download Microsoft's latest OS now.
Create separate desktops for work, home and school.
MicrosoftView Your Virtual Desktops
You can manage your desktops by clicking the Desktops icon on the taskbar—it looks like two gray squares—which will display all your open programs and any virtual desktops you have created. [Or use the Win + Tab shortcut.]
2. From the menu shown at the bottom of your screen, click the New desktop option. This action will immediately open a new virtual desktop with no active foreground applications.
[Image credit: Laptop Mag]How to Switch Between Virtual Desktops
1. Hover your mouse pointer on or click the virtual desktops button on your taskbar. This should open the same menu that you saw in the guide above. But this time, you’ll see multiple active desktop screens instead of one.
[Image credit: Laptop Mag]2. Click on your chosen virtual desktop to jump into it.
[Image credit: Laptop Mag]Alternatively, you can follow the steps below.
1. Press the Windows key and Tab on your keyboard simultaneously. This will open the Task View interface.
2. From the menu shown in the first step, use your arrow keys to select your preferred desktop.
[Image credit: Laptop Mag]3. Press the enter key to jump to your selected desktop.
How to Create Multiple Desktops in Windows 11
To create multiple desktops, make use of the Task view button in the taskbar – this should appear next to the search button [the Virtual Desktop icon looks like two overlapping squares], then tap the + sign in the New desktop space.
If, for some reasons, you don’t find the Task view icon in the taskbar, you might have disabled it at some point. You will need to enable it to use it. To do this, right-click an empty section of the taskbar and tap Taskbar settings. Then, toggle-on Task view.
Using Multiple Desktops in Windows 11
To switch between virtual desktops, hover your cursor over the Task View icon and when the pop-up appears showing a preview of all your virtual desktops, place your cursor on the virtual desktop you would like to access. You can also name all your open Virtual desktop. This will make them easier to identify. To do this, right-click a preview and select Rename from the options that appear, then, type your preferred name and press Enter.
To close any desktop, just tap the x button on the virtual desktop. Also, you should know that even after your virtual desktop is closed, all running foreground programs will be moved to the desktop. So you don’t have to worry about accidentally closing all your work.
Related
- Windows 11 Multitasking: How to Multitask on Windows 11
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- In "PC How-tos"
- Office 365 is Microsoft's best shot at maximising productivity and how we work.
- 29/06/2016
- In "personal computing"
- What's new in Windows 11?
- 24/06/2021
- In "PC Software"
Step 1: Enable or find the feature
Virtual Desktops should be turned on by default in Windows 11. You can find it by hovering your mouse over the third icon from the left on the Taskbar [the one that looks like two squares.] If you don't see this icon, then chances are it was turned off. You can enable it by right-clicking the Taskbar and choosingTaskbar settings. Then, make sure the toggle switch for the Task view is turned on.