How to Hide Recycle Bin from Your Windows Desktop

As a Windows user, you must be familiar with the Recycle Bin. Each file that is deleted from your computer will be kept in the Recycle Bin until you intentionally empty the Recycle Bin or until it is set to clear itself. Since the Recycle Bin is frequently used for restoring files that have been inadvertently deleted, Microsoft has placed a shortcut on your Windows desktop for easier access.

However, if you don't want the Recycle Bin icon to take up your desktop space, you can hide Recycle Bin from the desktop. The buttons and interfaces have changed with Windows upgrades. Depending on whatever version of Windows you are using, follow the appropriate steps on how to remove Recycle Bin from desktop.

How to hide Recycle Bin from the desktop on Windows 11

1.  Right-click any blank area on the desktop and select Personalize in the pop-up menu.

2. In the Personalization window, click the Themes option. 

3. Scroll down to click the Desktop icon settings in the Related Settings section.

4.  Uncheck the box next to Recycle Bin. 

5.  Click Apply and then OK to save the changes.

That will let Windows 11 hide the Recycle Bin icon from the desktop.

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How to remove Recycle Bin from desktop on Windows 10/8

1.  Click the Start menu and select Settings > Personalization.

2. Choose Themes in the menu and select Desktop icon settings in the Related Settings section.

3. In the Desktop icons section, uncheck the Recycle Bin option.

 4.  Click Apply and then OK to save the changes.

The Recycle Bin should be successfully removed from your Windows 10 or Windows 8 desktop.

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How to delete Recycle Bin from desktop on Windows 7

1.  Click the Windows logo at the left lower corner of your screen and open Control Panel. 

2.  Select Appearance and Personalization > Personalization.

3.  Select Change desktop icons and uncheck the Recycle Bin box. 

4.  Click Apply and then OK to save the changes.

The Recycle Bin shortcut icon should be invisible from your Windows 7 desktop.

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How to Access Recycle Bin after hiding it

Even if the desktop shortcut for the Recycle Bin folder is deleted, you can still access it. Recycle Bin can be found by simply typing "Recycle Bin" into the Windows search bar if you don't want to go through the process of showing it on the desktop.

Extra tip: How to disable Recycle Bin

If you don't find the Recycle Bin useful and want your deleted files to be immediately (and permanently) deleted by skipping the Recycle Bin, you can completely disable the Recycle Bin feature in Windows. Here is how:

1.  Right-click on the Recycle Bin shortcut on the desktop and choose Properties. 

2.  Select the Don't move files to the Recycle Bin. Remove files immediately when deleted option.

3.  Click Apply and then OK to save the changes.

Recover Data from Hidden Recycle Bin

Note that concealing the Recycle Bin does not make it dysfunctional. The deleted files from your computer's hard disk are still being held in the Recycle Bin while it works in the background. To recover deleted files from your PC if you disable the Recycle Bin or the Recycle Bin has been emptied, you will need specialized data recovery software.

How to Recover Files Deleted from the Recycle Bin

1.  Download and install iBoysoft Data Recovery for Windows on your PC.

2.  Open the software and select the Data Recovery module.

3.  Select the location where your data was lost and start searching by clicking Next.

4.  Filter and preview what you want to recover from the scanning result.

5.  Check the files you want to recover and click Recover to save them to another location. 

Conclusion 

The Recycle Bin is a great feature in Windows where you can quickly restore accidentally deleted files. You can find the Recycle Bin icon on your Windows desktop by default. If you find it unnecessary on the desktop, you can use the steps in this post to hide Recycle Bin. 

The Recycle Bin continues to function as a storage space for recently removed files and folders even while it is hidden. It is still accessible, and you can use it to restore files. Use iBoysoft Data Recovery for Windows to recover your important data if your files are no longer in the Recycle Bin folder as a result of an automatic cleanup or an emptying of the entire folder.

By the way, if you fail to hide the Recycle Bin but find that the Recycle Bin is grayed out on the Desktop, you can give the PC reboot a try or re-add its icon in Desktop Icon Settings.