Windows 11’s Multiple Desktops saved my sanity—even when I missed one big feature

I’ve lived a multi-monitor lifestyle since the CRT days. I’ve since upgraded over the years, most recently to an ultrawide monitor paired with a portrait 1080p screen, and didn’t think much of it… until I decided one day that maybe my fellow PCWorld staffers were right about virtual desktops.

Windows has long offered the ability to create additional desktops—you can open apps in different desktops, corralling them based on function or need. Most commonly, people use these to separate work and play. I’ve always just kept whole separate PCs for that, and otherwise, my open apps tended to be condensed. Until they weren’t.

That’s especially so as I began to move around my house more, sometimes working from other spots than my main desk in order to get more sunlight or to relieve some pressure off my back. I like my laptop, but it’s not my main desk setup. It has just one, small screen.

So, not long ago, I gave multiple desktops a try. The only thing I regret? Not paying closer attention when I first set up my desktops, because I missed an important setting. You know, the one that lets you set a window or all windows belonging to one app in multiple desktops.

(That would have saved me a lot of screen switching on a couple of calls…)

Anyway, the way to get started is to click on the task view (the icon with overlapping gray squares) on the Windows 11 taskbar. Don’t see it? You might have removed it earlier if you weren’t using multiple desktops until now. Right-click on the taskbar, choose Taskbar settings, then make sure the toggle for Task View is on.

You can also bring up the task view by hitting WIN + TAB on your keyboard. Click the + button at the bottom of the screen to start a new, fresh desktop.

And if you want to jump straight into a brand-new desktop, you can just hit CTRL + WIN + D. Once you’ve opened a desktop, you can customize it with a different background (helpful for telling them apart) and right click on open windows per background to adjust your view settings.

To switch between desktops quickly, hit WIN + RIGHT ARROW KEY or WIN + LEFT ARROW KEY.

I still love my multi-monitor life, but I have started using virtual desktops on my main setup, too. It’s just a bit tidier this way. I think eventually I’ll step into using Powertoys to create custom workspaces, too.