6 Ways To Open Recycle Bin In Windows 11

The Recycle Bin is one of the key features of the Windows operating system. On Windows running computers, the Recycle Bin stores the files that you delete. With default settings, when you delete a file, it’s moved to the Recycle Bin rather than deleting it permanently so that users can restore those deleted files if and when they want.

Windows 11 offers multiple ways to access the Recycle Bin. The following are the six easy ways to open the Recycle Bin in Windows 11.

Tip: If you do not want Windows 11 to move your deleted files to the Recycle Bin and want to delete them permanently, select the files you want to delete, hold down the Shift key, and then press the Delete key.

Method 1 of 6

Open the Recycle Bin by double-clicking on its icon on the desktop in Windows 11

The easiest way to open the Recycle Bin is to double-click on its icon on the desktop. If the Recycle Bin icon does not show up on the desktop, refer to our how to add Recycle Bin icon to Windows 11/10 desktop guide to learn how to add it to the desktop.

Method 2 of 6

Open Recycle Bin from File Explorer in Windows 11

Step 1: Open the File Explorer using Windows logo + I or using search.

Step 2: In the File Explorer address bar, type Recycle Bin and then press the Enter key to open the Recycle Bin right from your File Explorer.

Method 3 of 6

Open Recycle Bin via Run command in Windows 11

Step 1: Open the Run command dialog using the Windows logo + R hotkey.

Step 2: In the Open field, type or copy and paste:

explorer.exe shell:RecycleBinFolder

Step 3: Finally, press the Enter key to open the Recycle Bin.

Method 4 of 6

Open Recycle Bin using search in Windows 11

Step 1: Type Recycle Bin in the Start menu or taskbar search to see Recycle Bin in the search results.

Step 2: Click the Recycle Bin entry to open the same.

Method 5 of 6

Open Recycle Bin from Command Prompt in Windows 11

Step 1: Type CMD in the Start or taskbar search and then press the Enter key to open the Command Prompt window.

Step 2: In the Command Prompt window, type start shell:RecycleBinFolder to immediately open the Recycle Bin.

Method 6 of 6

Open Recycle Bin from the taskbar in Windows 11

If you need to open the Recycle Bin very often, you might want to pin it to the taskbar for easy access. You can refer to our how to pin the Recycle Bin to the taskbar in Windows 11 guide.

Our how to enable Recycle Bin in USB external drives in Windows 11 guide might also interest you.