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If you’ve recently switched to Windows 11 from a previous Windows version you’ve probably noticed that the little “Show Desktop” icon that used to be located beside the Start button is no longer there.
The folks at Microsoft really love making changes just for the sake of making changes, and this one is a real head scratcher.
The thing is, Windows 11 still has a “Show Desktop” icon. They’ve simply moved it to the far right-hand side of the Taskbar and changed its appearance a bit. And depending on your settings, it could actually be hidden from view.
Here’s how make sure the “Show Desktop” icon is enabled on your Windows 11 PC…
1 – Right-click the Start button and select Settings from the menu.
2 – Click Personalization.
3 – Scroll down and click Taskbar, then select Taskbar behaviors.
5 – If it isn’t checked already, check the box beside “Select the far corner of the Taskbar to show the Desktop“.
Now that we know the “Show Desktop” icon is enabled, this is how you use it:
1 – Move your mouse to the far-right side of the Taskbar until a thin vertical line pops into view. That vertical line is the new “Show Desktop” icon.
2 – Click the Show Desktop icon (the vertical line) to instantly hide all open windows and reveal the Desktop. Click it again and the hidden windows will be restored.
That’s how you use your mouse to reveal the Desktop in Windows 11. But what if you prefer using your keyboard instead of the mouse? Well, you’re in luck…
Simply press the Windows+D key combination to reveal the Desktop. Then press Windows+D again to place everything back onto the screen.