How To Hide/Show Files & Icons On Desktop In Windows 10/11

On Windows-running computers, the desktop is often used to save files, folders, and app icons. Many users save everything, from documents to pictures, right on the desktop so that they can access them quickly.

However, if you have many icons on the desktop and do not want to organize the desktop by moving files and folders to other areas of the computer, you might want to hide desktop icons to keep your desktop look neat and clean and to enjoy that beautiful desktop wallpaper!

On Windows 10 and Windows 11, hiding desktop icons is easy. This guide shows you how to hide the desktop icons in Windows 10/11.

Tip: Did you know that you can view files and folders on the Windows 10/11 desktop even when they are hidden? Yes, you can view all files and folders on the desktop by visiting the Desktop folder.

In the File Explorer left pane, click on the Desktop folder or type shell:desktop in the File Explorer address bar to open the Desktops folder.

Hide icons and files on the desktop in Windows 10/11

Step 1: Perform a right-click on an empty area on the desktop, click View, and then deselect Show desktop icons.

The icons on the desktop should be hidden now.

Show files and icons on the desktop in Windows 10/11

Step 1: Right-click anywhere on the desktop, click View, and then select the Show desktop icons option.

All icons on the desktop will appear now.

Keyboard shortcut to show/hide desktop icons in Windows 10/11

While the Windows operating system offers keyboard shortcuts for multiple functions, it does not offer a dedicated keyboard shortcut to show/hide desktop icons.

That said, when you are on the desktop, use the Shift + F10 keys to show the context menu and then use the arrow keys to show/hide the desktop icons.

If you do not mind installing a third-party program, you can refer to our how to create keyboard shortcut to show/hide desktop icons in Windows 10/11 guide for directions.