On your Windows desktop, we place icon shortcuts to our oft-accessed programs, files and folders. While the default icons view is that they are displayed as icons in Medium size, there are other ways too, that icons can be displayed. Today, let us have a look at how we can change desktop icons size or view in Windows 11/10 to Large, Small, and even Details and List view – as they appear in File Explorer in Windows 11/10.
When you right-click on the Windows desktop, select View, you will see 3 options, Large icons, Medium icons and Small icons.
Change desktop icons size in Windows 11/10
Apart from these 3 views, you can also display the desktop icons in List & Details view, as we display our files and folders in File Explorer. Let us see each of these 5 views.
1] Medium icons view
This is the default setting as shown below, and what you see on your desktop.
2] Large icons view
To make the icons larger, display Large icons from the context menu.
3] Small icons view
To make the icons smaller, display Small icons from the context menu.
Bonus Tip: Hold down the Ctrl key and use your mouse scroll wheel to quickly resize the icons from Small to Extra large.
List view for Desktop icons
To display the icons as a List, press Ctrl+Shift+0+8 keys. To revert, right-click on the desktop and select Medium icons view.
Display view for Desktop icons
To display the icons in Details view, press Ctrl+Shift+6 keys. You will see the same columns here which are displayed in your File Explorer.
Yoga Surya J adds in the comments: You can press Ctrl + Shift + (0 till 9) for more variations.
To revert, right-click on the desktop and select Medium icons view.
If you want to add more columns here, you can change the folder details to display. You can open any folder, right-click near the column titles and select the other columns like Authors, categories, Tags, Titles, Date created, etc.
This post will show you how to change the Desktop Windows Metrics and Border Width.
Nice tip!
This is the option I am searching where to find an hour ago as my desktop Icons on my laptop looks too small. Your post has helped me to resolve my problem. Thanks for a wonderful post Anand Kanse.
Dear Anand,
Thanks for this post and the very helpful site!
Now I tried your “tricks” above ctrl-shift-6 and reverted back with show medium icons – but I’m stuck now with a scroll bar on the right of my desktop.
I found some tips on the internet suggesting to change display resolution – which really removes the scrollbar but leaves me with an unsatisfying resolution (also previously the recommended resolution also worked without any scrollbar).
Are there any solutions for this problem (regedit etc.)
appreciate your help
Thank you very much
Matt
Did you restart your computer and see if this cleared?
Nice tips!
Plus you can try Ctrl + Shift + (0 till 9) for more variation.
Thanks for sharing :)
Thanks for this. Updating post.
Thanks Anand
it’s working again (change wallpaper and restart)
There are more options! You can ctrl+mousewheel on the desktop to enlarge or reduce the size of items in any view.
Today windows 10 installed updates and this doesn’t seem to work anymore. Can you figure out how to do it now with the updates?
Apparently with the Creators Update of Windows 10, we are no longer allowed to be creative with our desktop and switch it to details view (CTRL+SHIFT+6, for example). If you figure out a way to get around these new limitations, please let us know.