How to Hide Specific Desktop Icons in Windows 11: A Step-by-Step Guide

By / October 25, 2025

Do you feel like your Windows 11 desktop is getting a bit too crowded with icons? Maybe you want to hide work files before a presentation, remove distractions, or just give your desktop a clean, minimalist look.

Whatever your reason, knowing how to hide specific desktop icons in Windows 11 gives you control over how your workspace looks — without deleting anything permanently.

In this complete guide, we’ll explore multiple easy methods to hide or show specific desktop icons — using File Explorer, Settings, the Registry Editor, and Group Policy.

Whether you want to hide only certain icons (like “This PC,” “Recycle Bin,” or personal folders) or hide all icons temporarily, this tutorial has you covered.

Table of Contents

🧭 Quick Summary: 5 Ways to Hide Specific Desktop Icons in Windows 11

Method Tool Used Difficulty Result
1 Right-click & View Menu Easy Hide all desktop icons temporarily
2 Personalization Settings Easy Hide system icons (e.g., Recycle Bin, This PC)
3 File Explorer Attributes Moderate Hide selected custom icons or files
4 Registry Editor Advanced Permanently hide or restrict certain icons
5 Group Policy Editor Advanced Hide system icons for all users

✅ Works on: Windows 11 Home, Pro, Enterprise
⏱️ Time needed: 5–10 minutes
🎯 Goal: Hide specific icons without deleting them

🖥️ Why Hide Specific Desktop Icons in Windows 11?

Before diving into the steps, let’s understand why hiding desktop icons can be useful.

🌟 1. Reduce Clutter

A cluttered desktop can make it harder to find important shortcuts and affect your productivity.

🕵️ 2. Maintain Privacy

If you share your PC or use it for presentations, hiding personal folders and files helps keep them private.

🎮 3. Create a Distraction-Free Workspace

Minimalist desktops look clean, load faster, and make your workflow smoother.

🧰 4. Prevent Accidental Deletions

Hiding system icons like “This PC” or “Control Panel” can prevent others from tampering with settings.

🧭 Method 1: Temporarily Hide All Desktop Icons Using the View Menu

This is the quickest and easiest way to hide every icon from your desktop in one click.

🔹 Step-by-Step Instructions

  1. Right-click on an empty space on your desktop.

  2. Hover over View in the context menu.

  3. Click Show desktop icons to uncheck it.

That’s it! All icons disappear instantly.

✅ To bring them back:
Repeat the same steps and check “Show desktop icons.”

💡 Tip: This method hides all desktop icons temporarily — perfect for screenshots or presentations.

🧭 Method 2: Hide System Desktop Icons via Personalization Settings

Windows 11 lets you manage system icons such as This PC, Recycle Bin, Network, Control Panel, and User’s Files directly from Settings.

🔹 Step-by-Step Instructions

  1. Press Windows + I to open Settings.

  2. Go to Personalization → Themes.

  3. Scroll down and click Desktop icon settings under “Related settings.”

  4. In the popup window, uncheck the icons you want to hide:

    • Computer (This PC)

    • User’s Files

    • Network

    • Recycle Bin

    • Control Panel

  5. Click Apply → OK.

✅ Result: The unchecked icons will disappear from your desktop.

To make them reappear, simply recheck the boxes later.

💡 Best for: Users who want to hide default Windows system icons without using technical tools.

🧭 Method 3: Hide Specific Custom Icons Using File Explorer

If you want to hide only certain icons or folders (for example, “Work Documents” or “Screenshots”), you can do so using File Explorer’s hidden file attributes.

🔹 Step-by-Step Instructions

  1. Open File Explorer (press Windows + E).

  2. Navigate to your Desktop folder:

    C:\Users\<YourUsername>\Desktop

  3. Right-click on the file or shortcut you want to hide → select Properties.

  4. In the General tab, check Hidden under “Attributes.”

  5. Click Apply → OK.

Now, that specific item is hidden — but you can still make it visible later.

💡 To Hide Multiple Icons

  • Select multiple files (hold Ctrl and click each one).

  • Right-click → Properties → Hidden → Apply.

👀 To View Hidden Icons

  1. Open File Explorer.

  2. Click View → Show → Hidden items.

  3. Hidden icons will appear slightly faded on the desktop.

✅ This method hides only the icons you select, giving you precise control.

🧭 Method 4: Hide Icons via Registry Editor (Advanced Users)

If you want a permanent, system-level solution — especially to prevent others from changing visibility — use the Windows Registry.

⚠️ Warning: The Registry is powerful. Always create a backup or system restore point before editing.

🔹 Step-by-Step Instructions

  1. Press Windows + R, type regedit, and press Enter.

  2. Navigate to the following path:

    HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\HideDesktopIcons

  3. You’ll see two subkeys:

    • ClassicStartMenu

    • NewStartPanel

  4. Choose the subkey that applies to your Start Menu view.

  5. In the right pane, create a New → DWORD (32-bit) Value.

  6. Name it with the GUID of the icon you want to hide.

For example:

Icon GUID
This PC {20D04FE0-3AEA-1069-A2D8-08002B30309D}
Network {F02C1A0D-BE21-4350-88B0-7367FC96EF3C}
Recycle Bin {645FF040-5081-101B-9F08-00AA002F954E}
Control Panel {5399E694-6CE5-4D6C-8FCE-1D8870FDCBA0}
User Files {59031a47-3f72-44a7-89c5-5595fe6b30ee}

  1. Set the value data to 1 to hide it.

    • 0 = Show

    • 1 = Hide

  2. Close the Registry Editor and restart your PC.

✅ The chosen desktop icons will be hidden system-wide.

💡 Pro Tip: You can later delete the DWORD or change its value back to 0 to show the icon again.

🧭 Method 5: Use Group Policy Editor to Hide Icons for All Users

For Windows 11 Pro and Enterprise users, you can hide icons globally using the Local Group Policy Editor.

This is great for shared PCs, classrooms, or office environments.

🔹 Step-by-Step Instructions

  1. Press Windows + R, type:

    gpedit.msc

    and press Enter.

  2. Navigate to:

    User Configuration → Administrative Templates → Desktop

  3. Double-click “Hide and disable all items on the desktop.”

  4. Select Enabled, then click Apply → OK.

✅ This hides all icons and shortcuts from every user’s desktop.

If you want to hide specific icons only, go to:

User Configuration → Administrative Templates → Windows Components → File Explorer

Then:

  • Enable “Remove Recycle Bin icon from desktop.”

  • Enable “Hide My Computer icon on desktop.”

  • Enable “Hide Network Locations icon on desktop.”

💡 Pro Tip: Use Group Policy for enterprise-level control where multiple users access the same system.

🧭 Bonus: Hide Desktop Icons via Command Prompt (For Power Users)

If you prefer using commands, you can toggle icon visibility using Command Prompt.

🔹 Step-by-Step Instructions

  1. Open Command Prompt (Admin).

  2. To hide desktop icons, type:

    reg add "HKCU\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\Advanced" /v HideIcons /t REG_DWORD /d 1 /f

  3. Restart Windows Explorer:

    taskkill /f /im explorer.exe
    start explorer.exe

✅ Icons are now hidden.

To show them again, change /d 1 to /d 0 and rerun the command.

🧰 Bonus: Hide Desktop Icons Automatically Using Third-Party Tools

If you want a quick toggle or automation, try these tools:

Tool Description
AutoHideDesktopIcons Free utility to auto-hide icons after inactivity.
Fences by Stardock Organizes and hides icons into categories.
DeskHide One-click icon hiding and showing.

💡 Tip: These apps are safe, lightweight, and perfect for users who frequently toggle icon visibility.

🧠 Troubleshooting: Common Issues & Fixes

❓ Hidden icons still appear after restarting

  • Make sure File Explorer → View → Hidden items is unchecked.

  • Check the Registry Editor or Group Policy if it’s overriding your settings.

❓ Icons keep reappearing after updates

  • Major Windows updates can reset personalization settings.

  • Reapply your preferred hiding method after updates.

❓ Accidentally hid an important file

  • Enable Hidden items in File Explorer → Show it again → Uncheck “Hidden.”

🧹 Bonus: How to Organize Your Desktop After Hiding Icons

Once you’ve hidden unwanted icons, you can make your workspace look even cleaner.

💡 Tips for a Tidy Desktop

  • Group shortcuts into folders (e.g., “Work,” “Games,” “Personal”).

  • Pin frequently used apps to the Taskbar or Start Menu.

  • Use Widgets or Quick Access for quick file access.

  • Try a minimalist wallpaper to enhance the clean aesthetic.

⚙️ Summary: Best Ways to Hide Specific Desktop Icons in Windows 11

Method Use Case Skill Level
View Menu Temporarily hide all icons Beginner
Settings Hide system icons Beginner
File Explorer Hide custom files or folders Intermediate
Registry Editor Permanently hide icons Advanced
Group Policy Hide icons for all users Advanced

🏁 Conclusion

And that’s it! 🎉

You now know how to hide specific desktop icons in Windows 11 using multiple methods — from simple right-click options to advanced Registry tweaks.

Whether you want a clean, distraction-free desktop, protect sensitive files, or hide icons before a meeting, Windows 11 gives you the flexibility to do it easily.

Try the method that best fits your needs, and enjoy your newly organized desktop!

❓ FAQs About Hiding Desktop Icons in Windows 11

1. Can I hide only one desktop icon in Windows 11?

Yes. Right-click the icon → Properties → Check “Hidden” → Apply → OK.

2. Will hiding an icon delete the file?

No. The file remains on your PC; it’s just not visible unless you show hidden items.

3. How do I hide system icons like Recycle Bin?

Go to Settings → Personalization → Themes → Desktop icon settings and uncheck Recycle Bin.

4. Can I prevent other users from unhiding icons?

Yes. Use Group Policy Editor or Registry Editor to apply system-wide restrictions.

5. Why did my icons reappear after a Windows update?

Updates can reset personalization settings — simply redo the steps to hide them again.

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