Windows 11: virtual desktops – definition and tutorial

Windows 11 comes with a built-in and active virtual desktop management tool by default. This makes it easy to manage active applications from the respective active interface. There are two ways to active it:

1. Click ‘Active applications’ in the taskbar.
2. Use the key combination [Windows] + [Shift].

If the taskbar icon isn’t available, you’ll need to activate it first. To do this, right-click on the taskbar and select the menu item ‘Taskbar’. In the following menu, click the ‘Task view’ entry slider to the right (‘On’).

The tool displays two areas. In the upper corner, you will see thumbnails of windows that are currently open on your desktop. Select ‘X’ to close the corresponding program. In the lower area, Windows 11 lists the (virtual) desktops. To create a new desktop, press the ‘New desktop’ button.

Once you’ve created a new desktop, it will be listed in the ‘Active applications’ overview. Windows 11 automatically assigns numbers to identify the different surfaces. The actual desktop is named ‘Desktop 1’; for all other desktops numbering is simply continued.

However, you can edit the name of a virtual desktop by right-clicking on it and choosing ‘Rename’.

To make a virtual desktop stand out more clearly from the standard desktop or all other virtual counterparts, you can set an individual background. To do this, right-click and press ‘Choose background’.

Virtual desktops are a convenient way to manage active applications and structure a user interface. Switching between the different interfaces is simple and fast, either via mouse click or using a key combination.

Desktop change via mouse click:

Call up the ‘Active applications’ tool via the icon in the taskbar. In the list below, you can see an overview of all available desktops. Left-click the virtual Windows 11 desktop you wish to switch to.