If you find the Recycle Bin icon on your desktop a bit of an eyesore, you are not alone. While it’s possible to remove the Recycle Bin icon, doing so will sacrifice quick access to it. Another great option is to make the Recycle Bin icon invisible. That way, it won’t clutter your desktop, but you’ll still be able to access it normally. So, without further ado, let’s dive in and learn how to turn the Recycle Bin icon invisible on your Windows desktop.
Make the Recycle Bin Icon Invisible
There are two steps to turn the Recycle Bin icon invisible: first, set its name to blank and then change its icon to an invisible icon. Here’s how to do it.
First, let’s remove the Recycle Bin name so that it won’t appear floating around on your desktop when you make the icon invisible. Since we cannot simply delete the name or replace it with a “Space” character, we are going to use a special Unicode character called “No-Break Space.” To do that, press the Windows logo key on your keyboard, search for “Character Map” and click on the top result. It opens the Character Map window.
Select the “Advanced view” checkbox in the Character Map checkbox. Then, type “00A0” in the “Go to Unicode” field. Next, click on the “Select” > “Copy” buttons to copy the “No-Break Space” Unicode character to your clipboard.
Go to your desktop (press Windows logo + D). Once there, right-click on the Recycle Bin icon and choose the “Rename” option from the context menu. As an alternative, you can select the Recycle Bin icon and simply press F2 on your keyboard to rename it.
With the name of the Recycle Bin highlighted, press the Ctrl + V shortcut on your keyboard. This will paste the “No-Break Space” (blank) Unicode character that you copied earlier. Press the Enter key to confirm the new name. With this, your Recycle Bin’s name is blank.
Next, we need to make the Recycle Bin icon invisible. To do that, open Settings (press Windows logo + I), navigate to the “Personalize” > “Themes” page and click on the “Desktop icon settings” option.
Select the “Recycle Bin (Full)” icon and click the “Change Icon” button.
Scroll sideways until you find a blank icon. Select the blank icon and click “OK.”
Next, select the “Recycle Bin (empty)” icon and press the “Change Icon” button.
Again, find a blank icon from the available grid list, select it, and click “OK.”
Click on the “OK” button in the Desktop Icon Settings window.
There it is. The Recycle Bin is invisible on your desktop.
The icon is still there in the same spot and double-clicking will open the Recycle Bin. If you ever move or forget where the icon is located, simply press the “Ctrl + A” shortcut. It will highlight the invisible Recycle Bin icon.
Frequently Asked Questions
If you want to make the Recycle Bin icon visible again, open Settings (press Windows key + I), navigate to “Personalize” > “Themes” and click on the “Desktop icon settings” option. Select the “Recycle Bin (full)” icon and click on “Change Icon.” Select the “Recycle Bin (Full)” icon from the available icons and click “OK.” Do the same for the “Recycle Bin (empty)” icon. Click “OK” in the “Desktop Icon Settings” window.
Yes, you can make any other desktop icon, file, folder, or shortcut invisible. For desktop icons such as This PC and Network, you can follow the same steps shown above. However, the process for general files, folders, and shortcuts is slightly different. To change their icons, right-click on the file or folder. Then, choose ‘Properties’ and click the ‘Change Icon’ button under the General tab.
I hope this small Windows tutorial helped you. If you have any questions or need further help, comment below or send me an email.
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