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    Windows 11 Virtual Desktops: Keep Work and Personal Apps Separate

    Windows 11 lets you create multiple desktops so your work apps and personal apps never get mixed together — here is how to set them up and switch between them.

    3 min read 4 stepsApril 20, 2026Verified April 2026
    1

    Open Task View

    ~22s
    Click the Task View button on the taskbar — it looks like two rectangles overlapping, sitting to the right of the search bar. You can also press Windows key + Tab on your keyboard. Task View shows all your currently open windows and a row of desktops at the top.

    Quick Tip

    If you do not see the Task View button, right-click the taskbar and make sure "Task View" is checked.

    2

    Create a new virtual desktop

    ~17s
    In Task View, look at the row of desktops near the top of the screen. Click the "+" button (labeled "New desktop") to create a second desktop. You can create as many as you need. Name each one by clicking its name and typing something descriptive, like "Work" or "Personal."
    3

    Open apps on the new desktop

    ~16s
    Click the new desktop thumbnail to switch to it. It will be completely empty. Open the apps you want there — for example, your work email and spreadsheet program. These apps will only appear on this desktop and will not clutter your other one.
    4

    Switch between desktops

    ~24s
    Press Windows key + Ctrl + Right arrow to move to the next desktop, or Windows key + Ctrl + Left arrow to go back. You can also click the Task View button and click any desktop thumbnail to jump to it directly.

    Quick Tip

    If you want to close a desktop, open Task View, hover over the desktop thumbnail, and click the X. Apps open on that desktop move to the next available desktop rather than closing.

    You Did It!

    You've completed: Windows 11 Virtual Desktops: Keep Work and Personal Apps Separate

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    If you use your computer for both work and personal tasks, you have probably felt the frustration of a cluttered taskbar filled with apps from both worlds — your work spreadsheet sitting next to your personal email next to a recipe you were looking at.

    Windows 11 has a feature called virtual desktops that lets you create separate "screens" inside your computer. Think of them as separate desks in the same office. You might have one desktop with only your work apps open, and another with your personal browser, photos, and music. Switching between them takes one click.

    How virtual desktops work

    Virtual desktops are not separate computers — they share the same hardware. But they give you separate views. Apps you open on Desktop 1 stay on Desktop 1 and do not show up on Desktop 2. You can switch between them from the Task View button on the taskbar.

    The Task View button

    On the Windows 11 taskbar, look for a button that looks like two overlapping rectangles (right next to the search bar). That is Task View. Click it to see all your open windows and your current desktops at the top.

    Switching between desktops

    Once you have multiple desktops, you can switch between them by opening Task View and clicking a desktop thumbnail — or use the keyboard shortcut Windows key + Ctrl + Left/Right arrow to move between them without taking your hands off the keyboard.

    Quick Tip: You can right-click any open app in Task View and choose "Move to" to send it to a different desktop without having to reopen it.

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    Official Resources

    Microsoft SupportHow-To Geek — WindowsGCFGlobal — Windows Basics

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    Windows 11 Virtual Desktops: Keep Work and Personal Apps Separate — Step-by-Step Guide | TekSure