Hello! In this guide, we will show you how to hide desktop icons on Windows 11. There are several reasons why you may want to hide your desktop icons, including a desire to keep your desktop organized and clean, or to be able to view your custom desktop background without any distractions. Follow our step-by-step tutorial to learn how to hide your desktop icons.
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Use the Desktop Context Menu
- Go to the desktop and right-click on an empty area.
- From the menu, select View and uncheck the option for “Show desktop icons”.
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Use the Registry Editor
- Press the Windows key + R to open the Run command dialogue box.
- Type “regedit” and press Enter to open the Registry Editor.
- Go to HKEY CURRENT USER > Software > Microsoft > Windows > CurrentVersion > Policies > Explorer.
- In the right-hand pane, right-click and select “New” > “DWORD (32-bit) Value”.
- Name the new value “NoDesktop” and set the value data to 1 by double-clicking it.
- Click OK to save the changes and restart your computer.
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Use the Local Group Policy Editor
- Press the Windows key + R to open the Run command dialogue box.
- Type “gpedit.msc” and press Enter to open the Local Group Policy Editor.
- Navigate to User Configuration > Administrative Templates > Desktop.
- In the right-hand pane, double-click on the option for “Hide and disable all items on the desktop”.
- Select “Enabled” in the following box, then click Apply and OK.
