Hide Desktop Icons

The quickest and easiest way to hide and unhide
your desktop icons on your laptop.

If you have a nice desktop wallpaper that you like (e.g. beloved grandchild, breathtaking landscape,  eye-candy artwork, etc.) , why let those desktop icons obscure it?


You can make it happen with our user friendly Toggle Desktop Icons download -- and Yes, it is compatible with Windows 7 and Vista, too!

Simply download and install Toggle Desktop Icons and you will be able to make your Windows 7, Vista and XP desktop icons disappear and reappear with just a single keystroke. The time and annoyance you'll save by using this easy to use and well tested product is well worth the tiny price!

What are Desktop Icons and what does Toggle Desktop Icons do?

Desktop Icons are the little images found on your computer’s desktop that represent the files, folders, and programs installed on your computer. You can open these items by double clicking on the icon picture. If you right click on an icon a drop down window, the context menu, will appear giving you a list of options for actions that you can take with the item.

If you frequently take screen snapshots for tutorials, manuals or other purposes, you may want to temporarily hide your desktop icons -- and do it quickly. Now with Software Candy’s Toggle Desktop Icons installed on your Windows computer you can get rid of all those distracting icons just by clicking the “Pause” key. Since you probably never use the “Pause” button it’s a perfect choice for a hotkey. When you want them brought back, just click “Pause” again and they will be instantly restored to their original positions.

Before pressing 'Pause' on the keyboard	After pressing 'Pause' on the keyboard

Note: Some laptop keyboards share "Pause" with another key. For example, on the Sony VAIO laptop, you need to hold down the blue Fn key (on the bottom-left corner) and then press the Insert/Pause key to actually "press Pause". On the DELL Studio, on the other hand,  you need to hold down the Fn key (on the bottom-left corner) and then press the F12 key to actually "press Pause". If you are still unable to find the Pause key on your keyboard, check our Netbook version: Hide Desktop Icons Netbook Edition.

Note: On Windows 7 and Vista, hiding and unhiding the desktop icons is instantaneous. On Windows XP computers, however, there may be undesirable delay (sometimes very long), depending on the configuration of the computer and the programs running at the time you press the Pause key. This is a known problem in Windows XP and thus beyond the control of Toggle Desktop Icons (you can verify that by manually hiding the desktop icons and watch how long it takes). If you have Windows XP and are still interested in the convenience of this app, you can safely purchase it, try it and, if you are not happy with this delay, contact us and we will refund your purchase in full.

As with all Software Candy products, Toggle Desktop Icons is completely free of any viruses or spyware (digitally signed for authenticity and integrity) and is well tested for its advertised features. If ever needed, you can also uninstall it completely with a single click, performing a total cleanup after itself.


The beauty of this wizard is that you don't have to follow any complex instructions. Once you download this app (keep it on your desktop or in an easy-to-find folder), you double-click it, click the Next button on the installation wizard and Voila! You can now hide and unhide your desktop icons in a single key click, by pressing the 'Pause' button.

Note: no desktop icons will be installed, as to avoid cluttering your desktop. Instead, you will find a Software Candy entry in your Start Menu, which allows you to uninstall it, should you ever want to do this.



Can't find the pause button on your keyboard? Some keyboards share "Pause" with another key:

• If your laptop is a Sony VAIO, hold down the blue Fn key (on the bottom-left corner) and then press the Insert/Pause key.
• If your computer is a DELL Studio,  hold down the Fn key (on the bottom-left corner) and then press the F12 key.

For more information, please check this Wikipedia article.

The ordinary way of hiding (or showing your desktop icons):

If you need to hide or show your desktop icons only occasionally, Microsoft Windows provides a way to do that without installing any software. In all versions of Windows, this is done via the desktop's context menu, using your mouse:

• In Windows XP, you right-click an empty spot on the desktop, select "Arrange Icons By " (which opens a sub-menu), then uncheck "Show Desktop Icons".
• In Windows Vista and Windows 7, you right-click an empty spot on the desktop, select "View " (which opens a sub-menu), then uncheck "Show Desktop Icons". 

The cool way of hiding (or showing your desktop icons):

Whether you are a home user, with the picture of your loved ones set as your desktop background, an office user with your dream landscape covering your desktop, or a professional who needs to take snapshots of a clean desktop frequently during the day, you may be looking for a better way:

Regardless of which Windows version you have on your computer, simply press the Pause button:


Simple. Isn't it? 

• Q1. I downloaded and installed this software and it works like a charm. Thank you! However, I can't find its icon on the desktop. Did I do anything wrong?
• A1. No, you did everything correctly. By design, we do not clutter your desktop with unnecessary icons. Instead we insert a 'Software Candy' entry in your Start Menu.

• Q2. I can't find the Pause key on my keyboard. Where is it?
• A2. Some laptop keyboards share "Pause" with another key. For example, on the Sony VAIO laptop, you need to hold down the blue Fn key (on the bottom-left corner) and then press the Insert/Pause key to actually "press Pause". On the DELL Studio, on the other hand,  you need to hold down the Fn key (on the bottom-left corner) and then press the F12 key to actually "press Pause". If you are still unable to find the Pause key on your keyboard, check our Netbook version: Hide Desktop Icons Netbook Edition.

• Q3.  I downloaded and installed this software on my Windows XP computer. However, there is significant delay from the moment I hit the Pause key until the desktop icons disappear (or re-appear). Is there a way to speed this up?
• A3. Unfortunately, this is a known quirk in Windows XP. You can verify that by manually hiding the desktop icons and watch how long it takes. As of today, we haven't found a solution yet for this problem. If you are not happy with this delay on your Windows XP computer, contact us and we will refund your purchase in full.

Hide and unhide your Windows 7, Vista and XP desktop icons with ease. Download Software Candy’s Toggle Desktop Icons today.

1. Click 'add this to my cart' button below.
2. Download it (it will become immediately available for download after payment).
3. Install it.

That's it. 

By purchasing this product, you receive 12 downloads for 365 days (whichever expires first). In effect, this gives you up to 12 FREE upgrades for one year. If you purchased this product, remember to periodically check this page for a new version. We strive to polish our products to perfection.

Note: Unless otherwise noted (in the compatibility list below), this software is compatible with the 32-bit version of Windows. Download this FREE tool to check whether your Windows is 32-bit or 64-bit.