There are times when you want to hide all the apps on your Windows desktop temporarily. This could be for privacy purposes, such as when you share your screen during an online meeting. Sometimes, you want to keep your desktop clean just before taking a screenshot.

So, how do you easily hide those desktop icons? This article will show you how you can hide your desktop icons by configuring a few settings. We’ll also show you a few third-party programs that can help you with this. Let’s get started.

1. Use the Desktop Context Menu

One of the easiest ways to hide your desktop icons is through the desktop context menu. Let’s take a look at how to use this trick:

  1. First, navigate to the desktop and right-click on a blank space.
  2. Next, click View and uncheck Show desktop icons.
Hiding desktop icons using the desktop context menu

Finally, to restore the icons, right-click on the desktop, click View, and check the Show desktop icons option.

2. Use the Local Group Policy Editor

You can also hide your desktop icons by configuring some settings in the Local Group Policy Editor. However, this tool is only available in the Windows 10 Education, Pro, and Enterprise editions. If you own a Windows 10 Home PC, there is a way to access the Local Group Policy Editor.

Now, here's how you can get started with hiding desktop icons using the Local Group Policy Editor:

  1. Press Win + R to open the Run command dialog box.
  2. Type gpedit.msc and press Enter to open the Local Group Policy Editor.
  3. Navigate to User Configuration > Administrative Templates > Desktop.
  4. Double-click the Hide and disable all items on the desktop option on the right-hand side pane.
  5. In the next window, select Enabled, click Apply, and then click OK.
Hiding desktop icons using the Local Group Policy Editor

To restore your desktop icons, change the Local Group Policy setting back to Not Configured or Disabled.

3. Use the Registry Editor

The Windows Registry Editor also offers an easy way to hide your desktop icons. This built-in Windows tool helps you modify registry keys that control how your PC works.

Before you get started, back up the Windows Registry just in case you end up configuring the wrong settings.

Let’s now take a look at how you can hide desktop icons via the Registry Editor:

  1. Press Win + R to open the Run command dialog box.
  2. Type regedit and press Enter to open the Registry Editor.
  3. Navigate to HKEY_CURRENT_USER > Software > Microsoft > Windows > CurrentVersion > Policies > Explorer.
  4. Next, right-click on a blank area on the right-hand side pane and select New > DWORD (32-bit) Value.
Creating a new value in the Registry Editor

Name the DWORD Value as NoDesktop and press Enter. Next, double-click the NoDesktop value and set its Value data to 1. Finally, press OK and then reboot your PC to save these changes.

Setting the NoDesktop Value data to 1

In case the Explorer key is missing under Policies, you can manually create it by following these steps:

  1. Right-click the Policies key, select New, and click Key.
  2. Name the new key as Explorer.
  3. Next, follow the previous steps to create the NoDesktop value and set its Value data to 1.

Alternatively, you can hide your desktop icons by following these steps:

  1. Navigate to HKEY_CURRENT_USER > Software > Microsoft > Windows > CurrentVersion > Explorer > Advanced.
  2. Locate and double-click the HideIcons value on the right-hand side pane.
Hiding desktop icons using the Registry Editor

In the next window, change the Value data to 1 and press OK. Finally, reboot your PC to save these changes.

4. Create a Hotkey

You can also create a hotkey that’ll quickly hide your desktop icons. This is handy to have on-hand if you want to remove the icons on your desktop repeatedly or at a moment's notice.

For this tutorial, we’ll show you how you can create this hotkey using the AutoHotkey program.

  1. To get started, download and run AutoHotkey. When you get to the setup page, click Express Installation.
  2. When you finish, navigate to This PC > Local Disc (C:) > Program Files > AutoHotKey and double-click the AutoHotkey application to run it.
  3. Close the Help page when it pops up. Next, go to the desktop and right-click on a blank space. From there, select New > AutoHotkey Script and name the script as Hide Desktop Icons or anything similar. Click Enter when you finish.
  4. Next, right-click the Hide Desktop Icons file and select the Edit script.
Right-clicking on a new AutoHotKey script

Clear all the information on the script and then copy and paste the following command:

        ;Press F12 to hide or unhide desktop icons
F12::
ControlGet, HWND, Hwnd,, SysListView321, ahk_class Progman
If HWND =
ControlGet, HWND, Hwnd,, SysListView321, ahk_class WorkerW
If DllCall("IsWindowVisible", UInt, HWND)
WinHide, ahk_id %HWND%
Else
WinShow, ahk_id %HWND%
Return
Editing the Hide Desktop Icons Script

When you finish, save the file and then close it. From there, double-click the Hide Desktop Icons file to run it. This program will run in the background, and you’ll be able to see its icon in the system tray.

Now, you can start hiding and restoring your desktop icons by pressing the F12 hotkey.

5. Use Third-Pary Programs

So far, we’ve explored how you can hide your desktop icons by configuring some settings or creating a hotkey. But if you’re a fan of third-party tools, then there are a few other options to explore.

Let’s take a look at two software programs that can help you easily hide your desktop icons:

Auto Hide Desktop Icons

AutoHideIcons Interface

Auto Hide Desktop Icons is a lightweight program with an intuitive interface. In addition to hiding desktop icons, this program can also help you hide your taskbar.

When you run the program for the first time, it’ll automatically hide your desktop icons. Then, to view your desktop icons again, left-click anywhere on the desktop or press the middle mouse button. By default, this should display the icons for about five seconds.

To configure the settings on this app, click the More options button and then follow the on-screen instructions. To restore your normal desktop settings, check the Disable box under Preferences.

Download: Auto Hide Desktop Icons for Windows (Free)

NiteView

NiteView Interface

NiteView is an easy-to-use tool with a straightforward interface. This program allows you to hide and restore your desktop and taskbar icons with just a few mouse clicks. To get started, download and install NiteView and then run the app.

To hide your desktop icons, check the Desktop box. If you want to display the program in dark mode, check the Nite Colors box. And if you need further assistance, click the Help button.

Download: NiteView for Windows (Free)

Hide Your Desktop Icons Without the Hassle

When you share your screen or capture screenshots, you no longer have to worry about your desktop icons. Now you can simply hide the desktop icons and restore them later by using any of the above methods.