Desktop icons can be a distraction as well as a source of clutter. One simple way to keep the desktop clean is to make a habit of saving files to properly named directories rather than putting them on the desktop. If you, for example, download an image for wallpaper you can put it in the download file. The best option is to create a special folder for wallpapers and store them there to avoid clutter.
Windows 10 users instinctively place frequently used files, folders, and application shortcuts on the desktop. It serves as a great quick launch location so it’s hard not to put something on top of it. To keep it clean, you can choose to hide desktop icons while you are trying to keep your desktop clean.
There are 2 ways to hide desktop icons automatically in Windows 10, the first is to hide from the desktop context menu and the second is to hide using free software.
1. How to Hide Icons From Desktop context menu
Windows 10 has a built-in option that you can use to hide desktop icons. It is accessible via GUI and there is no need to run a command to enable/disable.
1. Go to desktop (don’t access it in File Explorer).
2. Right-click on an empty area on the desktop.
3. From the context menu, select View>Show desktop icons.
4. Uncheck the option Show the desktop icons.
5. Repeat the above process and tick Show desktop icons when you want to show icons.
2. How to Automatically Hide Desktop Icons
The first option above is easy to use but a little clumsy. To hide desktop icons automatically, use a free application called AutoHideDesktopIcons. Follow the steps below to hide Windows 10 desktop icons:
1. Download AutoHideDesktopIcons full version or portable from here.
2. Run the application.
3. Below Preferencesdisable option Hide taskbar.
4. In the set of options on the right, select How you want to show the desktop icons.
5. Use the slider at the bottom left and select the period inactivityif you don’t click (left, right, or center) on the desktop, the desktop icon will be automatically hidden.
6. Close the application and it will minimize to the system tray.
7. Desktop icons will be hidden automatically when you don’t click on the desktop.
To show the desktop icon again, click with mouse.
AutoHideDesktopIcons works fine but has one limitation. If you access the Desktop in File Explorer and try to organize, add, or delete files from there while the app hides the icon, File Explorer will restart.
A simple solution to this is to arrange the items directly on the desktop after the icon is set to display and then manage them from File Explorer.
Red Thread | Hiding icons on the desktop in Windows 10 is not difficult. There are many apps, free and paid, that you can use. Hopefully this article is useful for you, thank you for visiting. Don’t forget to share yach.
