How to Remove Windows Desktop Icons
One way to declutter your Windows desktop is to remove unwanted icons from it. You can remove icons or temporarily hide all icons at once if you want. We'll show you how to perform these tasks on your Windows 10 or 11 PC.
Notes: Removing desktop icons does not remove the apps these icons are for. You will need to go through the app uninstall process if you want to remove the actual apps on Windows 10 and Windows 11.
In this section:
Remove Windows Desktop Icons
To remove one or more icons, first open your desktop by pressing Windows + D.
On the desktop, select the icons to remove. To select multiple icons, click an icon, hold down the Ctrl key, and then click additional icons.
While your icons are selected, right-click on one of the selected icons and choose "Delete".
Your icons have now disappeared from your desktop and you are ready to go.
Another way to remove icons from your desktop is to select all of your icons, then drag and drop them into your desktop's trash can. This does the same job as the steps above.
Hide all icons on Windows desktop
Windows allows you to hide all of your desktop icons at once. This does not remove your icons but just makes them invisible. You can then view all icons with one click. This is great if, for example, you need to give a presentation using your PC and you don't want your audience to see your clutter.
To do this, first navigate to your desktop using Windows + D. Then right-click anywhere on the desktop and select View > Show desktop icons.
Your icons are now hidden and your desktop is as clean as possible.
To show your icons, right-click anywhere on your desktop and choose View > Show Desktop Icons.
And that's all.
Restore Deleted Icons to Windows Desktop
Did you accidentally delete a useful icon from your desktop? If so, use the Trash to restore your icon as follows.
Open the "Start" menu, search for "Trash" and select the application from the search results.
In the trash, find your deleted icon. Then, right-click on this icon and select "Restore".
Windows will put the icon back on your desktop and you're done.
While you're decluttering your desktop, learn some spring cleaning tips and ways to better organize your Windows desktop.
