How to Install Windows 11 Virtual Desktops

Virtual desktops allow you to switch quickly between work and play when you have too much work.

Virtual Desktop has been an integral part of the Internet macOS Linux and Windows for many years. To get the same functionality in Windows 10, third-party applications were required. Virtual Desktops were a brand new feature in Windows 10. Windows 11 has improved it to an even higher level.

Virtual Desktops in a Nutshell

You can access multiple virtual monitors from one screen with virtual desktops.

Every virtual desktop comes with its own window and configuration. With a keyboard key or mouse shortcut, you can easily switch them between.

Different people use virtual desktops in different ways. Some people use virtual desktops to help keep their work and personal computers separate. Others find it useful to keep different types of tasks separate (e.g. keeping communication apps on one screen and code on another). For some it can be used to help distinguish different projects.  

One example is that you might have your torrent While working on client or video converter jobs from a different computer, you can also use a web browser to access the browser at the front.

Viewing your current Desktops

It’s important to be aware of which desktops are active at the moment and what you can do to inspect them.

You can activate the Task View feature on your Taskbar by pressing the Task View button. This will display a list of all active virtual desktops. As shown below, the Task View icon appears as two squares that are overlapping. One is light and one is dark.

It is possible to quickly access the same overview screen by pressing its keyboard shortcut. Press the button Windows Key + + Tab.

Windows 11: How to Create Virtual Desktops

To create new virtual desktops quickly, hover over the taskbar icon and click the option to select it new desktop button (+)To the right, of existing virtual desktops.

You also have the option to use Windows + Ctrl + + D To make a brand new desktop, click here. The new desktop will be displayed immediately. However, your old desktop and all of its applications are still available.

Virtual Desktops: Naming and Renaming

Your desktops should be named according to their intended purpose. In the preview mode, you can change or give names to your desktops. Click on the name you already have to activate this mode.

You can alternatively, switch to Task View Mode by right-clicking on the virtual desktop thumbnail Choose and Rename.

Desktop1 Desktop2, and so forth is the default naming convention. The default naming convention is Desktop1, Desktop 2, and so on.

Modifying the Order of Your Desktops

Your workflow may dictate the order in which you want your desktops to appear. You can change the order in which virtual desktops are displayed.

You can use the desktop preview feature to quickly and easily see your desktop. Move your mouse pointer to the Task View icon. Drag desktop thumbnails in the order you prefer.

Click on any thumbnail of a desktop from the list, or in Task View mode to select it Move Right or Move Left You can change the order.

Use the keyboard shortcut Alt + + Shift + + Left Arrow or Right Arrow It achieves the exact same result.

Switching between Desktops

You now have several desktops, each with a unique name, and you’re able to switch them between?

It is best to use the “P” key combination in order to quickly switch between computers Win + + Ctrl + + Left Arrow or Right Arrow.

You will be moved along each of the open desktops in a sequential order. To jump straight to a particular desktop, hover your mouse above the Task View icon in the taskbar. To view the desktop, click on the thumbnail.

The full-screen desktop preview can be used to switch between them after you click on the desktops button. While this is not as efficient as the earlier method, it has the advantage that it shows you more previews of each window, so it’s easier to identify what’s on each one.

Every Desktop Gets Its Very Own Wallpaper

A background for each desktop can make it easy to identify the desktops, or personalize them according to your preferences.

It’s not possible to do this using the normal Personalize function from your desktop. You can instead open Task View, the desktop preview mode, or Task View. Right-click the desktop thumbnail to modify the desktop background.

Select Choose Background Then, use the following steps to select background sources from either those already provided or yours Background menu.

This desktop now has its background.

Multiple desktops can show one app

While each desktop is likely to have its own collection of Windows apps and Windows open apps, it’s not uncommon for a specific app to be made available across multiple desktops. An example of this would be Spotify Or your calendar app.

To switch to Task View you will need to right-click the app that is being referred to. You can select Show this Window on all desktops.

There are also options Show windows from this app on all desktops, This ensures apps which generate multiple windows such as web browsers are spawned across all desktops.

Move apps from one desktop to another

You don’t need to close an app and open it again if you want it not to show up on all your desktops Task view. . Drag and drop apps from your selected desktop onto the thumbnail on the destination desktop.

Your app will appear then on the new desktop.

Closing the Virtual Desktop

Once you are done using a specific virtual desktop you can click the close button. It’s easiest to move your pointer to the virtual desktops buttons, and then to highlight the desktop to be closed by moving your mouse pointer.

You can close the desktop by clicking the little “X” located in the upper left corner, much like closing a regular browser.

What happens when you close an open app on a desktop?

The apps you don’t want to close on your desktop can be moved or closed. If you close a desktop virtual, the apps and open windows that are on the desktop move to the desktop one level earlier.

If you would like those apps to appear on one particular desktop, you will need to arrange them in a way that your desktop is right next to the one where you want the apps to be received.

All Apps Shown on the Taskbar Across All Desktops

The taskbar on a virtual desktop displays only those apps and windows that are currently open by default. You can see all open apps on the virtual desktop if you wish Taskbar, No matter what virtual desktop you are currently using, it doesn’t matter.

Open the Start Menu Click here to go there Settings App > System > Multitasking > Desktops > On the taskbar, show all the open windows > On all desktops.

A toggle that makes all Windows visible on the computer appears when you click the button is another useful setting Alt + + Tab key To switch between different applications instead of just the ones on the virtual desktop.

Multi-Monitor Limitations

Virtual desktops in Windows 11 work well, although they have one major drawback. You can’t use virtual desktops in Windows 11 if you don’t have the following: Multiple monitor configuration, Every virtual desktop is able to span all of your displays. Also, each virtual desktop can be switched on simultaneously by switching between them.

Apple’s macOS operating software, however, has dedicated virtual desktops for each monitor so that you can only toggle on the active one.

Windows 11 offers an approximate solution: Move apps in Task View, or allow the same apps to appear on multiple virtual desktops. This allows you, for instance, to keep your mail open on your second desktop when switching desktops.