Configure Multiple Desktops in Windows

Summary

Multiple desktops in Windows let users create multiple workspaces to organize apps and tasks efficiently. You can create, switch, and customize desktops using Task View or keyboard shortcuts. This feature also provides desktop renaming, custom backgrounds, and improved navigation. This helps reduce clutter and improve multitasking productivity.

A desktop in Windows is a work area that contains different groups of apps or content open and available for various tasks or aspects of your life. You can configure multiple desktops to create separate workspaces for different activities, helping you stay organized and enhance your productivity.

Why multiple desktops are useful

Multiple desktops enable you to compartmentalize your tasks, reducing clutter and minimizing distractions. Here are some common use cases:

• Work and personal separation: Keep your work applications and documents on one desktop and personal apps on another, ensuring a clear boundary between work and personal life.

• Project management: Manage multiple projects simultaneously by dedicating a desktop to each project, making it easier to focus and stay organized.

• Meeting preparation: Quickly switch to a desktop with all the necessary applications and documents open before a meeting, ensuring a smooth and professional presentation.

Create a new desktop

Here are the steps to create a new desktop:

1. Hover over the Task view icon on the taskbar, or press the Windows key​​​​​​​  + Tab.

2. Select New desktop.

3. Once created, you can select the name of the desktop and rename it to your liking.

Configure backgrounds for each desktop

Customizing the background for each desktop can help you visually distinguish between different workspaces. Here's how to do it:

1. Hover over the Task view icon on the taskbar, or press the Windows key​​​​​​​  + Tab.

2. Right-click on the desktop that you want to customize and select Choose background.

3. In the Personalize your background section, select Picture from the dropdown menu and choose the image you want to set as the background.

Customize your multiple desktop experience

1. In the Settings app  on your Windows device, select System > Multitasking, or use the following link:

   Open multitasking settings​​​​​​​

2. Expand Desktops.

3. Under On the taskbar, show all the open windows, you can configure how open windows are displayed on the taskbar across multiple desktops. Here are the available options:

   • Only on the desktop I'm using: This setting will show only the open windows from the current desktop on the taskbar. This helps keep your taskbar less cluttered and focused on the tasks at hand on the active desktop.

   • On all desktops​​​​​​​: This setting will show all open windows from all desktops on the taskbar, regardless of which desktop you are currently using. This can be useful if you want quick access to all your open applications without switching desktops.

4. Under Show all open windows when I press Alt+Tab, you can choose whether to display open windows from all desktops or only from the desktop you're currently using.

Multitask with multiple desktops

Do you want to learn more about multitasking in Windows and how to use multiple desktops effectively? Check out the article How to Multitask in Windows.