Another interesting use, even if we don’t use the computer to work, is have certain apps set aside. For example, if we usually listen to music on our computer, we can have a full-screen virtual desktop with Spotify, while we use the main desktop to work. So we can quickly go to the player when we want to change the song.
There are other ways in which these virtual desktops can help us in our day to day. For example, having a desktop for the browser and another for office automation. Or if we are programmers we can have a desktop with the IDE and another with the program in debugging mode. The possibilities are immense and depend on each one.
How to work with a virtual desktop in Windows 10
Next, we are going to see how it works and all the options it offers us in order to get the most out of it from Windows 10.
Create a virtual desktop and give it a name
To create a virtual desktop in Windows 10, all we have to do is press the Windows + Tab keyboard shortcut to go to the operating system timeline. At the top we will see a section reserved for these desks.
By default we will be working with only one, the main one. To create others, what we must do is Click on the “New Desktop” button and automatically we will be able to see this.
How to rename it
By default, Microsoft calls all the desktops that we create “Desktop x”. However, if we want to have these desks more organized, we can give them the name we want to know the purpose of this desk at all times.
To do this, all we have to do is click on the desktop name virtual in question. So we can see the text box that will let us change the name of the desktop.
This option will be available to all users starting with Windows 10 20H1.
How to close a virtual desktop
When we are no longer going to use a desktop, we can close it so that it does not take up space in the upper bar of the Windows 10 timeline. To do this, we only have to place the mouse over it and in the upper right part of its thumbnail we will see the typical X to close.
We make click on this X and the desktop will automatically disappear. If you have windows open, they will become part of the main desktop.
move between them
When we have two or more virtual desktops created on our computer, the next thing is knowing how to move easily between them. For example, if we use the keyboard shortcut Windows+Tab (access the Windows 10 Timeline) we can see at the top all the virtual desktops that have been created.
If we click on one of them we can go to it instantly. Microsoft has greatly optimized this feature. We shouldn’t have any problems.
On the other hand, there is also a faster shortcut to switch from one desktop to another. Using the keyboard shortcut Ctrl + Windows + Arrow (right or left) of the keyboard we will be able to move very easily between all the desktops that we have created.
Can’t change desktop wallpaper
It is likely that after knowing how virtual desktops are created and work in Windows, we wonder how we can change the wallpaper of the different desktops so that it is easier to identify it or simply not have the same wallpaper. Unfortunately, Windows 10 does not allow us, natively, to replace the wallpaper of each of the Windows 10 desktops, a function that is available in Windows 11.
Use virtual desktops in Windows 11
With the arrival of Windows 11, Microsoft decided to maintain this functionality so that users who use the computer to work, and do it with several tasks at the same time, can have a much more organized environment to separate each of the tasks. This function is activated by default in the operating system, and to access it we only have to open the Windows task view from the taskbar icon or with the Win + Tab keyboard shortcut.
Create a new desktop and rename
To create a desktop in Windows 11, the first thing is to access the preview of all the desktops we have on our PC. If we only have one open, which is the one we use regularly, Desktop 1 will be displayed and, just to the right, New desktop. To create a new desktop, we must click on the + sign or on the text New desktop. The new virtual desktop that we create will be displayed between the desktop that we already had created and the option that allows us to create new desktops.
Rename and sort virtual desktops
Once we have created as many virtual desktops as we needed, it is time to put order. If we want to change the name of the desktop, we just have to access the preview of these, Win + Tab, place the mouse over the name of the desktop that we want to modify and click with the left mouse button to edit the text and replace it.
If when we have modified the name of the desktops or we want the available applications the virtual desktops to be displayed in another order, we can change the order of the desktops. To do so, we just have to access the preview, Win + Tab, select and hold down the desktop we want to move with the left mouse button and move it to its final location. Once located in the position where we want it to be, we release the left mouse button.
Clear a virtual desktop
Once we have decided to start working with virtual desktops, it is likely that the first few times we will create more desktops than we are going to need, wasting a series of resources that can be used by the system itself or by applications that we have open in the background. flat. If we want to close or delete the desktops, regardless of whether it has assigned applications or not, we just have to access, once again, the preview, Win + Tab, place the mouse over the desktop that we want to delete and wait until it is displayed. an X in the upper right corner. To close it and eliminate it completely, click on the X. All the applications that we have open on that desktop will not be closed, but will be moved to the desktop located right next to it.
Change a desktop background
Windows 11 offers us a function that has always been missing in Windows 10 and that is the possibility of establishing a different wallpaper for each desktop. When we create a new desktop in Windows 10 and Windows 11, it always shows the same wallpaper as the first one. However, while with Windows 10 we cannot replace it natively, Windows 11 does offer us that possibility. To change the wallpaper of a virtual desktop in Windows 11, we just have to access the preview, Win + Tab, place the mouse cursor over the desktop to which we want to change the background and press the right mouse button. Next, we select the Replace wallpaper option, an option that will open the Windows settings window that allows us to modify the background for the one we want to use.
switch between desktops
Windows 11, like Windows 10, offers us different methods to switch between the different desktops that we have open in Windows. The easiest method is using the graphical interface by accessing the preview, Win + Tab and selecting the desktop we want to use with the mouse. However, this is not the fastest method. If we want to switch to the desktop that we have just to the right, we press the Ctrl + Win + right arrow key combination. If, on the contrary, we want to move to the desktop on the left, the key combination to use will be Ctrl + Win + left arrow.
Other options
When we open the Windows 11 task view we can see on each desktop what programs we have open. If we select one of them and click with the right mouse button, we will be able to choose different options, such as the possibility of moving the window to a specific desktop, or showing said window on all virtual desktops at the same time.
The limitations of virtual desktops
Without a doubt, this function can help us improve our productivity by being able to have our workspaces much more orderly. However, the implementation of Windows virtual desktops has some important limitations that we must be aware of.
For one, all desktops are the same as such. Although we can have programs and windows ordered as we want, in broad strokes the desktop is the same. This means that we will not be able to have the icons ordered in a specific way on each desktop to make it easier to use the program.
Secondly, there are some applications (like Google Chrome, without going any further) that constantly take the focus from the desk. It does not matter which desktop we are on, when using these programs the focus will automatically change to them, especially when we close other windows or programs. Microsoft has worked on this quite a bit and since the Windows 10 2019 updates it happens less frequently. But it is a handicap to take into account.
Finally, it should also be noted that for a function that has been shamelessly copied from Linux, lacks many available features on this operating system. Above all, when it comes to customization and effects. With a few small changes, like making them individual, being able to change the background for each virtual desktop, and even customizing the transition effects, Windows virtual desktops could gain much more value than they already have.