How to remove or hide the Recycle Bin icon from the Windows desktop

How to remove Recycle Bin from Desktop (hide the Recycle Bin icon)

In this article, you’ll learn how to remove Recycle Bin from desktop. The Recycle Bin icon is available on the desktop by default. It is one of the most recognizable icons on your Windows computer during the last decades.

It holds all your deleted files and folders and gives you a chance to restore them if you want to have the deleted data back.

Some people find the Recycle Bin an eyesore and would rather it not be stuck on their desktop. Hiding it gives a cleaner look to it.

Continue reading to learn how to remove icon from desktop by following the steps given throughout this article.

Table of Contents

  1. How to remove or hide the Recycle Bin icon from the Windows desktop
    1. Windows 8 or 10 users
    2. Windows Vista and 7 users
  2. Pin Recycle Bin to the taskbar
  3. Create Recycle Bin shortcut on File Explorer
  4. Wrap Up

How to remove or hide the Recycle Bin icon from the Windows desktop

Windows 8 or 10 users

If you’re running Windows 8 or Windows 10 remove Recycle Bin from desktop is fairly easy:

  • Right-click on any empty space on your desktop;
  • In the pop-up menu, click “Personalize”;
  • In the left navigation menu, click on the “Themes” tab;
  • In the “Themes” tab, look for “Related Settings”;
  • Under “Related Settings”, you should find a link that reads “Desktop Icon Settings.” Click on it;
  • In “Desktop Icon Settings,” you’ll see small checkboxes for some Desktop icons;
  • Uncheck the “Recycle Bin” box;
  • Hit “Apply”.

Windows Vista and 7 users

  • Right-click the desktop;
  • Choose “Personalize” in the pop-up menu;
How to remove Recycle Bin from Desktop (hide the Recycle Bin icon)

  • Click the “Change desktop icons” in the “Personalize appearance and sounds” window link on the left side;
How to remove Recycle Bin from Desktop (hide the Recycle Bin icon)

  • Uncheck the Recycle Bin box and click OK.
w to remove Recycle Bin from Desktop (hide the Recycle Bin icon)

If you change your mind and want to restore the Recycle Bin icon back, simply make your way back to the Desktop Icon Settings menu and check the box next to “Recycle Bin”.

Once you click “Apply”  the Recycle Bin icon will show again.

There you have it. You now know how to hide Recycle Bin on your Windows desktop.

As an alternative, you can also use the following two options for putting the Recycle Bin in other locations and only retrieve it when you need to use it.

Pin Recycle Bin to the taskbar

The taskbar is the most widely used part of the Windows desktop, and it allows us to navigate through different applications easily and quickly.

Following are the steps you need to go through to pin the Recycle Bin on the taskbar:

  • Locate the Recycle Bin icon on the desktop and select it;
  • You can pin the Recycle Bin to your Start Menu by right-clicking the desktop icon and click “Pin to Start”;
  • This pins the Recycle Bin on the Start Menu to create its tab on the taskbar for easy access.

Create Recycle Bin shortcut on File Explorer

Follow the next steps:

  • Grab the Recycle Bin icon by pressing and holding it;
  • Drag and drop it onto the File Explorer shortcut displayed on the taskbar;
  • The “Pin to File Explorer” message appears;
  • To find the Recycle Bin icon, go to the left panel and right-click;
  • You can see a pane with your pinned locations. The Recycle Bin should appear in the list.

Note: Even after you hide Recycle Bin Windows 10 and other Windows versions, you’ll still be able to delete files. You can also open the Recycle Bin by searching for it.

Wrap Up

Now that you know how to hide Recycle Bin Windows 10, remember that before you hide the Windows desktop Recycle Bin icon, you may want to configure your operating system not to send deleted files there anymore.

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