Show Windows From All Virtual Desktops on the Taskbar (Windows 11 & 10)

To show windows from all your virtual desktops on the taskbar in Windows 11, open Settings > System > Multitasking, expand Desktops, and set On the taskbar, show all the open windows to On all desktops. On Windows 10 the same option is under Settings > System > Multitasking > Virtual desktops. A second option on the same page does the same for Alt + Tab. Here is why so many people end up searching for this: by default, Windows hides the windows on your other desktops. Open a document on Desktop 2, switch back to Desktop 1, and its taskbar button disappears, as if the app had closed. It has not; it is still open on the other desktop. That one default explains most "my window vanished" and "app is already running but I can't see it" moments, and one setting changes it.

Ethan started using virtual desktops during exam season, one for coursework, one for his part-time job, one for everything else, and loved it for exactly two days. On the third, his spreadsheet for work "disappeared". The taskbar showed no Excel. Clicking the Excel icon opened the file in read-only mode with a warning that it was already open. He was convinced he had lost an evening's work. At Jake's shop, Jake pressed Windows + Tab, and there it was on Desktop 2, exactly where Ethan had left it. Then Jake changed one setting so the taskbar would show every window, whatever desktop it was on. That is where this page starts: the two settings that decide what you see, every shortcut for desktops, how to move and pin windows, and how to make virtual desktops genuinely useful instead of a place where windows hide.

Virtual desktops let you have several separate desktops on one screen, each with its own set of open windows, and switch between them instantly. They are built into Windows 11 and Windows 10, free, and need no extra software. Used well, they turn one cluttered screen into several tidy ones: work on one, personal browsing on another, a project on a third.

Show windows from all desktops on the taskbar (Windows 11)

1. Open Settings with Windows + I, or type ms-settings:multitasking into the Run box (Windows + R).
2. Go to System > Multitasking.
3. Expand Desktops.
4. Next to On the taskbar, show all the open windows, choose On all desktops.

The change is immediate. Now every open window appears on the taskbar no matter which desktop you are on. Clicking a window that lives on another desktop switches you to that desktop and brings it forward. The windows themselves stay on their own desktops; only the taskbar view changes.

The other choice, Only on the desktop I'm using, is the default. It keeps each desktop's taskbar uncluttered, which suits people who use desktops to separate contexts strictly, such as work and personal. Neither is wrong; choose the one that matches how you think.

The same setting on Windows 10

1. Open Settings > System > Multitasking.
2. Scroll to Virtual desktops.
3. Under On the taskbar, show windows that are open on, choose All desktops.

Windows 10's wording is slightly different, but the effect is identical. Windows 10 also shows a small line under taskbar icons for apps open on another desktop when the setting is on, a subtle hint that a click will switch desktops.

If the Virtual desktops section is missing from the Multitasking page on Windows 10, the PC is probably on a very old version of Windows 10 or in tablet mode. Turn off tablet mode from the Action Center, and install pending updates. Windows 10 22H2, the final version, has both settings. Note that on Windows 10 these settings, like the desktops themselves, apply per user account, so another person signing in to the same PC keeps their own choice.

One Windows 10 quirk worth knowing: with the taskbar set to show all desktops, clicking an app icon whose window lives on another desktop switches desktops rather than bringing the window across. Some people find that disorienting. If so, try the "all desktops" setting for Alt + Tab only, and keep the taskbar per desktop.

Show all desktops in Alt + Tab

The same page has a second, separate setting for Alt + Tab, the keyboard window switcher. It also defaults to showing only the current desktop's windows.

• Windows 11: Settings > System > Multitasking > Desktops > Show all open windows when I press Alt + Tab > On all desktops.
• Windows 10: Settings > System > Multitasking > Virtual desktops > Pressing Alt + Tab shows windows that are open on > All desktops.

Many people set both to "all desktops" for a single, predictable list of everything open, and use desktops only to group windows visually. Others keep both on "current desktop only" so each desktop feels like its own computer. Mixed settings are possible too, such as the taskbar showing everything while Alt + Tab shows only the current desktop. If Alt + Tab is leaving out windows for other reasons, such as Edge tabs, our Alt + Tab guide covers the rest of its settings.

Find a window that "disappeared"

If a window seems to have vanished, it is almost always on another desktop, minimized, or off-screen. Check in that order.

1. Press Windows + Tab. Task View shows the current desktop's windows large, and every desktop as a thumbnail along the bottom (or top). Hover over a desktop to see its windows, and click a window to jump to it.
2. Look for an app's taskbar icon. If the app's icon has no underline on this desktop but the app says it is already running, it is on another desktop.
3. Hover over the Task View button on the taskbar (Windows 11). It pops up the list of desktops; hover over each to see its windows.
4. Check for an off-screen window. If a window is on this desktop but invisible, it may be on a disconnected monitor. Click its taskbar button, press Windows + Shift + Left or Right to throw it onto a visible screen, or press Alt + Space, then M, and use the arrow keys to move it.

Ethan's spreadsheet was a classic case of the first: open, safe and unsaved on Desktop 2, while its taskbar button was hidden on Desktop 1.

Every virtual desktop shortcut

Closing a desktop does not close its windows: they move to the desktop on the left. So Windows + Ctrl + F4 is safe to press even with work open. Switching wraps around in neither direction: on the last desktop, Windows + Ctrl + Right does nothing, which is a handy way to know you have reached the end. When you hold Windows + Ctrl and tap an arrow repeatedly, Windows slides through desktops one at a time with a short animation; turning off animations under Accessibility, Visual effects makes switching instant. The touchpad gestures depend on your touchpad settings; our touchpad gestures guide shows how to set four-finger swipes to switch desktops.

Move a window to another desktop

1. Press Windows + Tab to open Task View.
2. Right-click the window you want to move.
3. Choose Move to and pick a desktop, or New desktop to create one for it.

You can also drag a window's thumbnail from the top of Task View onto another desktop's thumbnail. Windows has no built-in keyboard shortcut to move a window between desktops; Task View is the official route. From the keyboard alone, it still works: press Windows + Tab, use the arrow keys to select the window, press Shift + F10 (or the menu key) to open its right-click menu, then choose Move to with the arrow keys and Enter.

Moving a window does not affect other windows of the same app. If you move one Edge window to Desktop 2, other Edge windows stay where they were, which is handy for keeping a work browser and a personal browser apart. New windows usually open on the desktop you are currently using, whichever desktop the app was first started on.

Keep a window or app on every desktop

Some apps belong everywhere: a music player, a chat app, a timer, a notes window. Windows can show them on all desktops.

1. Press Windows + Tab.
2. Right-click the window.
3. Choose Show this window on all desktops for just that window, or Show windows from this app on all desktops for every window the app opens.

Pinned windows follow you as you switch desktops, appearing in the same place on each. Undo it the same way. This is the cleanest answer for people who want strict separation for most windows but a few always-present tools.

Two cautions. A pinned window appears on the desktop you use for screen sharing too, so do not pin a chat app if you present from a "clean" desktop. And pinning an app with many windows, such as a browser, puts every one of its windows on every desktop, which undoes the point of separate desktops. Pin small, single-window tools: a music player, a timer, a sticky note, a calculator.

Rename desktops and give each its own wallpaper (Windows 11)

Windows 11 lets you name each desktop and give it its own background, which makes switching much easier to follow.

• Rename: in Task View, click the desktop's name ("Desktop 1") and type a new one, such as Work, Study or Personal. Or right-click the desktop thumbnail and choose Rename.
• Wallpaper: right-click a desktop thumbnail in Task View and choose Choose background. Settings opens on the Background page for that desktop.

A distinct wallpaper per desktop is surprisingly effective: you know where you are the instant you switch, without reading anything. Windows 10 does not support per-desktop names or wallpapers natively.

Windows 11 vs Windows 10: virtual desktop features

In practice, the Windows 11 additions are what make desktops pleasant for everyday use. Names and wallpapers mean you always know where you are, and hovering over the Task View button lets you peek at a desktop without leaving the one you are on. If you tried virtual desktops on Windows 10 and gave up because everything looked the same, the Windows 11 version is worth another try. The core behavior, including the two taskbar and Alt + Tab settings, is the same on both, so everything else on this page applies to either.

Three virtual desktop setups that work

Virtual desktops are only useful with a clear purpose for each. These three setups suit most people.

Work and life. Desktop 1 for work apps, desktop 2 for personal browsing, music and messages. Set the taskbar to show only the current desktop's windows, so evenings on desktop 2 are free of work reminders. This is the setup that helps most with focus.

One desktop per project. A desktop for each piece of work, such as an assignment or a client, with its documents, browser windows and reference material open together. Switching projects becomes one keystroke instead of rearranging a dozen windows. Show all windows on the taskbar so nothing seems to vanish.

Presenting and screen sharing. A clean desktop with only the presentation and the apps you will show. When sharing your screen in a meeting, switch to it, and nothing private appears by accident. Switch back afterward.

Whatever setup you choose, keep the number of desktops small. Two to four is plenty for most people; more than that and you start losing windows again.

Virtual desktops for students and online classes

Students juggle more windows than almost anyone: a class video call, lecture slides, notes, a browser full of research, chat with classmates, and whatever is meant to be a break. Virtual desktops tame it.

• Class desktop: the video call and the shared slides, nothing else. Join from here, and the screen you share in class never shows your messages.
• Notes desktop: your notes app or document beside the course page, snapped side by side.
• Research desktop: browser tabs for an assignment, kept together until it is handed in, then closed as a set.
• Break desktop: games, videos and social media, out of sight and out of mind while you work.

During exams or deadline weeks, setting the taskbar to show only the current desktop's windows keeps the break desktop's distractions out of view, which is the closest thing to a free focus app Windows offers.

Virtual desktops for gaming and streaming

Gamers and streamers can use desktops to keep a gaming session separate from everything else. A game on its own desktop, with Discord, a browser guide and streaming software on another, means a quick Windows + Ctrl + Left or Right to check something and back again. Full-screen games sometimes resist switching, and some minimize or pause when you leave; running the game in borderless windowed mode, if it offers it, makes switching smoother. Streamers often keep their capture and chat tools pinned to all desktops so they stay visible whichever desktop is showing. As always, test before going live: a quick desktop switch is a common way to accidentally show your audience something private.

PowerToys Workspaces: open a whole set of apps in one click

Microsoft's free PowerToys utilities include Workspaces, which saves a set of apps with their window positions and launches them all together with one click. It pairs well with virtual desktops: create a desktop, launch your "Work" workspace into it, and the whole layout appears at once, instead of opening and arranging each app by hand every morning. PowerToys is an official Microsoft download, available from the Microsoft Store or GitHub. It is optional; everything else on this page works without it.

To try it: install PowerToys, open its settings, turn on Workspaces, then arrange the apps you want on screen and use the Workspaces editor to capture the layout. Give it a name such as "Morning work". From then on, launching that workspace opens the apps and places their windows where they were, even across several monitors. It does not yet assign workspaces to specific virtual desktops by itself, so the simplest routine is: switch to the desktop you want, then launch the workspace there.

Windows that appear on every desktop by design

Some things show up on all desktops whatever you do, and that is normal. The Start menu, the taskbar, notifications, the system tray, Quick Settings and the clock belong to Windows itself, not to any desktop. Some app windows also choose to appear everywhere, such as certain meeting controls, picture-in-picture video and always-on-top widgets. If a window appears on all desktops and you did not pin it, check its own settings for an "always on top" or "show on all desktops" option. Everything else stays on the desktop where you opened it.

Meetings and screen sharing across desktops

Video calls interact with desktops in ways worth knowing before an important meeting. When you share a single window, Teams, Zoom and similar apps keep showing that window even if you switch to another desktop, so participants see only what you chose. When you share your whole screen, they see whatever desktop you switch to, including private ones. The safe habit for presentations is to share a window rather than the screen, or to share the screen from a dedicated "Presenting" desktop and avoid switching away during the call.

The meeting window itself may follow you between desktops as a small floating view, depending on the app; that is the app's own always-visible mini window, not a pinned window. If it gets in the way, most meeting apps let you hide or pop it back into the main window from its own controls.

Virtual desktops and multiple monitors

With two or more monitors, each virtual desktop spans all of them: switching desktops changes every screen together. Windows does not offer separate desktops per monitor. Plan accordingly. A desktop's windows keep their positions on each monitor, so a "work" desktop can have email on the left screen and documents on the right, while "personal" has a browser across both.

If you unplug a monitor, windows that were on it move to the remaining screen on every desktop. When you plug it back in, Windows usually restores them. If one stays stuck off-screen, Windows + Shift + arrow keys move it between screens.

Do virtual desktops survive a restart?

On Windows 11, your desktops, their names and wallpapers are kept after a restart. The windows on them are not reopened automatically, unless the apps themselves restore their windows, as browsers and Office often do. Restored windows reopen on the desktop they were on when supported, but some apps reopen everything on the first desktop.

On Windows 10, desktops are kept after restart on recent versions, but apps reopen on the first desktop more often. If you rely on a particular arrangement, setting it up again takes a minute with Task View.

Two settings influence what comes back after a restart. Under Settings > Accounts > Sign-in options, the option to automatically save restartable apps and restart them when you sign back in reopens supported apps after updates and restarts. Browsers have their own "continue where you left off" setting for tabs. With both on, a restart after Patch Tuesday leaves you with your desktops intact and most of your windows reopened, needing only a quick tidy in Task View.

Show or hide the Task View button

The Task View button on the taskbar, two overlapping squares, opens Task View with one click and, on Windows 11, shows your desktops when you hover over it. If it is missing, turn it on under Settings > Personalization > Taskbar > Taskbar items > Task view. On Windows 10, right-click the taskbar and select Show Task View button. If you never use desktops and prefer a tidy taskbar, the same switch hides it; Windows + Tab still works without it.

On Windows 10, the Task View screen also includes Timeline, a history of files and pages you used across past days, on versions where it is still present. Windows 11 dropped Timeline, so Task View there shows only open windows and desktops. If you used Timeline to find yesterday's documents, the Recent section of the Start menu and File Explorer's Home page are the closest replacements on Windows 11.

A ten-minute setup to try today

1. Set the taskbar and Alt + Tab to show windows from all desktops under Settings > System > Multitasking, so nothing ever seems to vanish while you learn.
2. Press Windows + Ctrl + D twice to create two more desktops.
3. Open Task View with Windows + Tab and rename them, for example Main, Focus and Personal.
4. Right-click each thumbnail and choose Choose background to give each a different wallpaper.
5. Move your open windows to the right desktops with right-click > Move to.
6. Pin one small tool, such as a music player, to all desktops.
7. For the rest of the day, switch with Windows + Ctrl + Left and Right or a four-finger swipe.

After a week, decide whether you prefer the taskbar showing every desktop's windows or only the current one. Most people know by then.

Remote Desktop, virtual machines and desktop shortcuts

If you connect to another PC with Remote Desktop in full-screen mode, Windows key combinations such as Windows + Ctrl + Left go to the remote PC by default, not yours. That is why desktop switching seems to stop working inside a remote session. Either leave full screen with the connection bar at the top, or open the Remote Desktop Connection app before connecting, go to Show Options > Local Resources, and set Apply Windows key combinations to On this computer. Virtual machine apps such as Hyper-V and VirtualBox behave similarly when they capture the keyboard; their host key releases it. A tidy pattern for people who work in remote sessions all day is to keep each session on its own virtual desktop and switch between them like any other window.

Common myths about virtual desktops

• "Each desktop uses extra memory." No. Desktops only group windows; the apps use the same memory wherever they are.
• "Closing a desktop closes its apps." No. Its windows move to the neighboring desktop.
• "Desktops are like separate accounts." No. Files, settings and apps are shared; only the window grouping differs. Use separate Windows accounts for separation between people.
• "You need extra software." No. Everything here is built into Windows 11 and 10. Extras such as PowerToys only add conveniences.
• "Desktops are only for power users." No. Two desktops, one for work and one for everything else, is the simplest setup there is, and it helps beginners as much as experts.

The one real cost of virtual desktops is attention: windows you cannot see are easy to forget. That is what the "all desktops" taskbar setting and Windows + Tab are for.

Virtual desktops on a small laptop screen

On a 13- or 14-inch laptop, snapping four windows side by side leaves each too small to use. Virtual desktops are the better answer there. Give each task its own desktop with one or two maximized windows, and switch with a four-finger swipe instead of shrinking windows. A browser full screen on one desktop, a document full screen on another, and email on a third feels like three monitors you flick between. Combined with the smaller taskbar option in recent Windows 11 updates, which our guide to icon and taskbar size covers, it gives a small screen far more usable space.

Virtual desktops with a keyboard or screen reader

Every desktop action works from the keyboard, which makes virtual desktops fully usable for people who do not use a mouse. Narrator announces the desktop name when you switch with Windows + Ctrl + Left or Right, so naming desktops clearly, such as "Email" and "Writing" rather than "Desktop 3", helps screen-reader users know where they are. In Task View, the arrow keys move between windows and desktops, Enter opens the selected one, and the menu key or Shift + F10 opens the right-click menu with Move to and the pin options.

Virtual desktop problems and fixes

1. A window keeps jumping to another desktop. It is probably pinned to all desktops, or the app opens new windows on the desktop where it first started. Check with right-click in Task View.
2. Clicking a taskbar icon switches desktops unexpectedly. The taskbar is set to show all desktops' windows, so clicking a window that lives elsewhere takes you there. That is by design; choose "Only on the desktop I'm using" if you prefer not.
3. "App is already running" but no window is visible. It is on another desktop. Press Windows + Tab.
4. Desktop switching is slow or stutters. Animations are on and the graphics driver may be outdated. Update the driver, or turn off animation effects under Accessibility > Visual effects.
5. Task View will not open, or the taskbar is frozen. Restart Windows Explorer from Task Manager; our guide to restarting Explorer shows how.
6. Four-finger swipe does nothing. Touchpad gestures are set differently or the precision driver is missing; see our touchpad guides.

Virtual desktops for focus and privacy

Beyond tidiness, desktops are a practical focus tool. Keeping messaging and email on a separate desktop, with the taskbar set to show only the current desktop, removes their flashing icons from view while you work. Combine it with Windows' Focus sessions or Do Not Disturb under Settings > System > Notifications, and the work desktop becomes a genuinely quiet space.

For privacy, a separate desktop helps when someone looks over your shoulder or when you share your screen. It is not a security boundary, though. Anyone using the PC can open Task View and see every desktop. For real separation between people, use separate Windows accounts.

Virtual desktops vs Snap layouts vs multiple windows

Windows 11 has several features for organizing windows, and they work together rather than competing.

• Snap layouts (hover over a window's maximize button, or Windows + Z) arrange windows side by side on one screen. Use them within a desktop.
• Snap groups remember windows you snapped together and bring them back as a set from the taskbar.
• Virtual desktops separate whole sets of windows. Use them between contexts.

A good rhythm is one desktop per context, with snap layouts inside each. Work desktop: browser left, document right. Personal desktop: video on one side, chat on the other.

Snap groups and desktops interact neatly. Snap a group of windows on one desktop, move to another, and the group's taskbar entry, when the taskbar shows all desktops, brings the whole group back on its own desktop with one click. If snap layouts do not appear when you hover over the maximize button, turn on Snap windows under Settings > System > Multitasking, on the same page as the desktop settings.

Workspaces on Kali, Linux and Mac

The same idea exists everywhere under different names. On Linux, including Kali, they are called workspaces. Xfce, Kali's default desktop, shows a workspace switcher in its panel; Ctrl + Alt + Left or Right usually moves between them, and the panel's window list can be set to show windows from all workspaces, the exact equivalent of Windows' taskbar setting. GNOME shows workspaces in the Activities overview. On a Mac, they are Spaces, managed in Mission Control with a three-finger swipe up, and switched with Control + Left or Right. If you move between systems, the habits transfer directly.

On Xfce, the number of workspaces is set under Settings > Workspaces, where you can also name them, much like Windows 11's desktop names. To make the panel's window list show windows from every workspace, open the Window Buttons panel item's properties and choose to show windows from all workspaces. Command-line users can switch workspaces with wmctrl -s 1 (counting from zero), which is handy in scripts that set up a pentest workspace with terminals and a browser.

For IT admins: virtual desktops in managed environments

Virtual desktops are a per-user feature with no dedicated Group Policy to disable them, and there is little reason to: they keep no data of their own and pose no security risk. The two multitasking settings are per user too.

For support teams, the useful knowledge is diagnostic. "My app is open but invisible" calls are very often a window on another desktop, and asking the user to press Windows + Tab resolves them faster than any remote session. Including that line in help-desk scripts, and suggesting "On all desktops" for the taskbar to users who are new to the feature, prevents repeat calls. On shared or kiosk PCs, where a confused user could leave windows on hidden desktops, setting the taskbar to show all desktops' windows keeps every open app visible to the next person.

Virtual desktops in Windows: frequently asked questions

Ethan kept using virtual desktops after that scare, with one change: the taskbar now shows every window on every desktop. He names them Study, Work and Life, each with its own wallpaper, and the spreadsheet that "vanished" has never vanished again. The lesson he took from it applies well beyond this one setting. When something on a computer seems to disappear, it has usually only moved somewhere you are not looking. Windows + Tab is how you look everywhere at once, and it is the first thing to press whenever an app insists it is open but you cannot see it anywhere.

Revision note. Written October 2, 2026, rewriting our 2015 guide for Windows 11 and 10. May your windows always be where you left them.