How to Show Desktop in Windows 11 Taskbar

Why Use This Feature?

The corner button hides all open windows at once, so you get a clear view of your desktop icons. Nothing is closed, and your apps and unsaved work stay exactly where they were.

If you often click near the bottom-right corner by accident, for example to reach the system tray 🔔, turning it off stops windows from vanishing in the middle of heavy multitasking.

Method 1Use Windows Settings (Easy)

The Settings app ⚙️ is the simplest way to turn on the taskbar 🖥️ desktop button. You change no system files and do not touch the registry, so the change stays local and is easy to undo. The setting restores the corner click that minimizes all open apps so you can see your wallpaper and shortcuts.

1. Open the Settings ⚙️ app. Click the Start button ⊞ and select Settings, or press Windows key + I on your keyboard. The Settings ⚙️ window opens.
2. Click Personalization in the left-hand list.
3. On the right, click Taskbar. You now see the taskbar 🖥️ items and several collapsed sections below them.
4. Scroll down and click Taskbar behaviors. The section expands and shows a list of options with checkboxes.
5. Find the option “Select the far corner of the taskbar 🖥️ to show the desktop”.
6. Tick the box to turn the feature on. Untick it to turn it off. The change takes effect immediately, with no restart.
7. Close the Settings ⚙️ app.

To test it, open a couple of windows and click the very right edge of the taskbar 🖥️, past the clock. The windows should minimize. Click the same spot again to bring them back.

If you cannot find the option, check that you are on Windows 11 23H2 or later. If it is greyed out, as it can be on a work PC managed by an administrator, use the Registry Editor method below. A managed PC may still block it.

These images show where to click:

Click Personalization in Settings

Click Taskbar in Personalization

Check or uncheck this box to turn the feature on or off

Method 2Use Registry Editor (Advanced)

You can use it to force the feature on if the switch in Settings is missing or greyed out. Mistakes in the registry can cause unexpected errors, so back it up first. In Registry Editor, click File › Export and save a copy. To undo a bad change later, double-click that file and confirm the merge.

1. Press Windows key + R to open the Run box.
2. Type regedit and press Enter. If Windows shows a User Account Control prompt, click Yes. Registry Editor opens.
3. In the left pane, go to this path: Computer\HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\Advanced
4. In the right pane, look for a value named TaskbarSd.
5. If you see it, double-click it to open it. If not, right-click a blank space in the right pane, choose New › DWORD (32-bit) Value, and name it TaskbarSd. Then double-click the new value to open it.
6. In the Value data box, enter:

   • 1 to turn the feature ON
   • 0 to turn the feature OFF
7. Click OK and close the Registry Editor.
8. Restart your computer to apply the change. Save your work first.

After the restart, click the far-right corner of the taskbar to check that it behaves the way you set it. To reverse the change, set the value to the opposite number or import the backup you exported.

Review this example screenshot before modifying the registry:

Set TaskbarSd value to 1 or 0

Summary

The Windows 11 taskbar desktop shortcut is an invisible one-pixel-wide button in the bottom-right corner of your screen. Clicking this strip hides every open app window and shows your desktop files. Clicking it again brings your windows back.

What happens when you use it: Open windows minimize, revealing the background. A second click on the corner restores those windows.

You can toggle this setting in two ways. The first is Settings › Personalization › Taskbar › Taskbar behaviors The second is the Registry Editor, where you change the TaskbarSd value: set it to 1 to turn the feature on, or 0 to turn it off.

Turn the feature on if you want quick access to the desktop. Turn it off if accidental clicks keep pulling focus away from the window you are working in. Try both settings for a few days and keep the one that suits your daily work.