How to Use Windows 11 Virtual Desktops (Task View)

Windows 11 lets you create multiple desktops to separate your work, personal apps, and projects. Here's how to set up and switch between virtual desktops.

In this guide (5 steps):

1.Open Task View
2.Create a New Desktop
3.Move Windows Between Desktops
4.Switch Between Desktops
5.Name and Customize Each Desktop

Open Task View

~15s

Click the Task View button on the taskbar — it looks like two overlapping rectangles (to the right of the search bar). Or press Windows key + Tab. Task View shows all open windows and your desktops at the top of the screen.

Create a New Desktop

~23s

In Task View, click "New desktop" (a "+" icon at the top of the screen). A new empty Desktop 2 appears. Click on it to switch to it — you see a blank desktop. Open apps here that you want to keep in this workspace.

Quick Tip

Press Windows key + Ctrl + D to create a new desktop without opening Task View — the fastest way to add a desktop.

Move Windows Between Desktops

~15s

In Task View, right-click any open window preview. Select "Move to" → choose the destination desktop. This moves the window to that desktop without closing it.

Switch Between Desktops

~18s

Press Windows key + Ctrl + Left or Right Arrow to move between desktops. Or open Task View (⊞ Win+Tab) and click the desktop you want. The switch is instant.

Quick Tip

You can also hover over the Task View button in the taskbar — a small desktop preview appears showing your open desktops. Click any to switch directly.

Name and Customize Each Desktop

~15s

In Task View, double-click the name of a desktop ("Desktop 1," "Desktop 2") to rename it — type a descriptive name like "Personal" or "Work." Right-click a desktop thumbnail → "Choose background" to give each desktop a different wallpaper for easy visual identification.

You Did It!

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Windows 11 has a built-in feature called virtual desktops (accessed through Task View) that lets you create multiple separate desktop environments on one computer. Each desktop can have its own set of open windows and apps. You switch between desktops with a keyboard shortcut or by hovering over the Task View button.

Virtual desktops help you organize your work. For example: Desktop 1 has your email and browser for personal use. Desktop 2 has a Word document and spreadsheet for a project. Desktop 3 has Zoom and calendar for work calls. Switching between desktops is instant — apps and windows on each desktop stay exactly where you left them.

This is different from minimizing windows or using Alt+Tab to switch between apps — virtual desktops create entirely separate workspaces, as if you had multiple computer screens but without extra monitors.

Virtual desktops are common on Mac (called "Spaces") and have been available on Windows since Windows 10. In Windows 11, the feature is more polished — each desktop can have a custom wallpaper, and you can name them.

The keyboard shortcuts are the fastest way to use virtual desktops once you learn them. Windows key + Ctrl + D creates a new desktop. Windows key + Ctrl + Left/Right arrow moves between desktops. Windows key + Ctrl + F4 closes the current desktop.

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