Windows 10 lets you create several virtual desktops, each with its own set of open windows, so you can keep work, school, and personal apps apart. Press Windows + Ctrl + D to add a desktop, and Windows + Ctrl + Left or Right arrow to switch between them. Task View (Windows + Tab) shows all your desktops at once, so you can manage them with the mouse.
Note: Windows 10 reached end of support on October 14, 2025. Consumer Extended Security Updates (ESU) now run until October 12, 2027. These steps still work on Windows 10, but upgrading to Windows 11 is the long-term way to keep getting security fixes.
Create a new desktop
- Select the Task View button on the taskbar (the icon next to the search box), or press Windows + Tab.
- Select + New desktop at the top of the screen.
The shortcut Windows + Ctrl + D creates a desktop and switches to it in one step.
Switch between desktops
- Keyboard: press Windows + Ctrl + Left arrow or Right arrow.
- Task View: press Windows + Tab and select the desktop you want.
- Touchpad: on laptops with a precision touchpad, swipe left or right with four fingers.
Rename a desktop
- Open Task View.
- Click the desktop’s name (such as “Desktop 2”), or right-click its thumbnail and choose Rename.
- Type a new name like “Work” or “School” and press Enter.
Move a window to another desktop
- Open Task View on the desktop that has the window.
- Drag the window’s thumbnail onto another desktop at the top of the screen.
Or right-click the window’s thumbnail, choose Move to, and pick a desktop. In the same menu, Show this window on all desktops keeps a window (for example, a music player or chat app) visible everywhere, and Show windows from this app on all desktops does the same for every window of that app.
Close a desktop
- Press Windows + Ctrl + F4 to close the desktop you’re on.
- Or open Task View, hover over the desktop’s thumbnail, and select the X.
Closing a desktop doesn’t close its apps. Its open windows move to the desktop to its left.
Change how the taskbar and Alt + Tab work with desktops
- Go to Settings > System > Multitasking.
- Under Virtual desktops, choose whether the taskbar shows windows from Only the desktop I’m using or All desktops.
- Choose the same for Pressing Alt+Tab shows windows that are open on.
Keeping both on “Only the desktop I’m using” makes each desktop feel like a separate workspace.
Tips for using multiple desktops
- Give each desktop one job, such as email and chat on one and focused work on another.
- Put presentation material on its own desktop before screen sharing, so other windows stay out of view.
- Virtual desktops all appear on every monitor at once; they aren’t separate displays. If you have two monitors, each desktop includes both screens.
- Each desktop shares the same wallpaper and icons in Windows 10. Windows 11 adds per-desktop wallpapers.
Related: Switch between windows on Windows.
Related: Make a new desktop in Windows.
Related: See all open windows.
Frequently asked questions
Do virtual desktops slow down my PC?
The desktops themselves use very little memory. Performance depends on how many apps you have open across all of them.
How is this different in Windows 11?
Windows 11 uses the same shortcuts and adds a desktop switcher when you hover over Task View. See how to switch desktops in Windows 11 and how to close desktops on Windows 11.
Kermit Matthews is a freelance writer based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania with more than a decade of experience writing technology guides. He has a Bachelor’s and Master’s degree in Computer Science and has spent much of his professional career in IT management.
He specializes in writing content about iPhones, Android devices, Microsoft Office, and many other popular applications and devices.