To remove the Recycle Bin icon from your desktop on Windows 10 or Windows 11, you can follow these straightforward methods:
Method 1: Using Desktop Icon Settings (Recommended)
- Right-click on an empty area of the desktop and select Personalize.
- In the Settings window, choose Themes from the left panel.
- Scroll down and click on Desktop icon settings under the "Related Settings" section.
- In the Desktop Icon Settings window, uncheck the box for Recycle Bin.
- Click Apply and then OK. The Recycle Bin icon will be removed from your desktop.
To restore it later, just check the box again and apply the changes
Method 2: Using Registry Editor (Advanced)
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Press Win + R , type regedit , and press Enter to open the Registry Editor.
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Navigate to:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\Desktop\NameSpace -
Find the key named:
{645FF040-5081-101B-9F08-00AA002F954E} -
Delete this key.
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Close Registry Editor and restart your computer. The Recycle Bin icon will no longer appear on the desktop.
Note: Editing the registry can be risky; back up your registry before making changes
Method 3: Using Group Policy Editor (Windows Pro/Enterprise)
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Press Win + R , type gpedit.msc , and press Enter.
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Navigate to:
User Configuration > Administrative Templates > Desktop -
Find and double-click Remove Recycle Bin icon from desktop.
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Set it to Enabled.
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Click Apply and OK , then restart your computer.
This will remove the Recycle Bin icon from the desktop and File Explorer dialogs
Additional Quick Tip
If you want to temporarily hide all desktop icons including the Recycle Bin:
- Right-click on the desktop, go to View , and uncheck Show desktop icons. This hides all icons until you enable them again
These methods allow you to remove or hide the Recycle Bin icon without affecting its functionality—you can still access it via File Explorer. Choose the method that best suits your comfort level and Windows version.
