This free Windows feature turns one monitor into as many monitors as you need

It is very rare that you have only one window open on your PC. Most of the time, you’re probably juggling at least three, switching between them with Alt+Tab or the taskbar. While this works well for general use cases, it’s not the most effective approach for power users or multitaskers with too many active windows. You’ll probably end up pressing Alt+Tab multiple times just to get to the window you need. And even finding that single window on your taskbar becomes an unnecessarily tedious task.

To resolve this issue, you will normally need to use a second monitor. The extended screen option lets you separate your active apps into two different, more manageable spaces. However, setting up a dual-monitor workspace isn’t always feasible, especially if you don’t have the budget or space for another monitor.

Fortunately, Windows offers an interesting alternative in the form of multiple desktops. Yes, Windows 11 has virtual desktops that allow you to have two or more workspaces on a single monitor. This comes in handy when you want to create a dedicated desktop for different purposes. For example, you can set up one desktop with all your work-related communication apps, another desktop specifically for your work tasks, and a third desktop for your personal apps like YouTube, Reddit, and your daily journal in Notion. Multiple desktops in Windows essentially allow you to declutter your original desktop and increase your productivity. We’ll walk you through how to set up, use and manage your multiple desktops.

Adding a new desktop in Windows is really quick and easy. Just press Win + Tab and click New Desktop. You are free to add as many as needed. Once you have your desktops, switch between them by pressing Win + Tab and selecting your preferred desktop at the bottom. Each desktop looks and works like the main desktop, so you won’t have to worry about learning a new interface. Just start launching and organizing apps like you usually do.

It is important to note, however, that some Windows applications do not support multiple instances on different desktops. This means that if a window is already open on desktop 1, you cannot launch a new window for that same application in desktop 2. If you try to do so, that window will automatically move to the current desktop and close on all other desktops. If you want to display it on both desktops, here’s what you need to do:

1. Press Win + Tab.
2. Right-click on the window.
3. Select “Show this window on all desktops.”

The app will then appear on all your desktops and will automatically stay in sync as you use it. For example, if you navigate to the Personalization menu in Settings on Desktop 1, the Settings window on Desktop 2 will display the same menu. This makes it easier to continue what you’re doing in the app even after switching desktops. However, the same sync applies when you close the app. If you close it on one desktop, it will close on the others as well. When you shut down or restart your PC, all your desktops will still be there at startup.

Using multiple desktops on your Windows computer can quickly become complicated without proper management. To avoid confusion and make each desktop stand out better, you can choose to change their names and backgrounds. Here’s how to do it:

1. Press Win + Tab.
2. Right-click on the specific desktop at the bottom.
3. Select Rename.
4. Type the name of your choice. Make sure it’s easy to distinguish from other names.
5. Right-click on the desktop again.
6. Go to Choose Background.
7. Set “Customize your background” to Image. You cannot use any other background types (e.g. solid color, slideshow, Windows spotlight), as these will apply to all desktops instead of just one.
8. Click Browse Photos.
9. Select a wallpaper from your saved files.
10. Rinse and repeat for the rest of your offices.

In addition to renaming and adding distinct backgrounds to desktops, you can also rearrange them however you see fit. Simply drag and drop the desktops to your preferred location.

Windows allows you to further customize how multiple desktops work through Settings. In the Settings app, open System and go to Multitasking. Next, expand the Desktops option. Here you can make the taskbar show all your windows from all desktops. This way, switching between desktops is as easy as clicking the taskbar window instead of pressing Win+Tab each time. You can also do the same thing with Alt + Tab. It can be configured to show windows from all your desktops rather than the current one. Another quick way to switch desktops is to enable task view in the taskbar. In the Settings app, go to Personalization > Taskbar and enable Task view.