How to Reduce Computer Clutter

When you use your computer, is your browser full of hundreds of tabs? Does your desktop always have 10 different apps open at any time, and you are overwhelmed by all of the things you need your computer to do? In this Instructable, I've included many tips and tricks I have learned to organize the way you use your computer, both on the desktop, and in your browser.

These tips are intended for people using Windows 11 and browsers like Google Chrome or Microsoft Edge (runs on Chromium).

Make sure to click on the pictures for extra help!

If you have too many tabs open, you should group your tabs to organize them.

To group tabs:

1. Hover your mouse over a tab
2. Right-click the tab
3. Choose "add tab to new group."

Do the same with another tab to add it to the group. Create as many groups as you need to label all your tabs.

You can collapse the groups by clicking on the group name.

Microsoft Edge browser has a feature called "workspaces" which open separate windows of your browser that individually save the tabs open in them and allow you to reopen them later.

To use workspaces in Microsoft Edge:

1. Click the button in the top left of your browser that looks like 3 planes and is just to the right of your profile picture
2. To make a new workspace, press the button with a + on it
3. Type a name in the textbox and then press done.

This will open a new browsing window which will save the tabs that you open to let you use them later. When you reopen the workspace later, it will open all the tabs in that workspace, and you can pick up where you left off.

To use the workspaces that you make, press the 3 planes button in the top left again. You will then see a list of all your workspaces.

To reopen your tabs that you recently closed, press Ctrl + Shift + T (in the order from left to right) holding down the previous buttons as you press the next one.

If you are on Microsoft Edge: Instead of memorizing the keyboard shortcut, right click the new tab button, indicated with a plus (+), and choose "Reopen Closed Tab/Window"

A very useful feature for maintaining your browser activity when you close and come back to it. It will reopen all the closed tabs that were open when you were previously in your browser, or that you just closed while browsing.

Apps on your computer might launch as soon as you turn it on without you wanting them to. This hurts battery life and makes your desktop more crowded.

To turn off Startup Apps:

1. Open Task Manager:
2. Right-click on the task bar at the bottom of your screen
3. Choose "Task Manager"
4. Choose "Startup apps" with a refresh clock symbol on the left side
5. Your startup apps are displayed
6. Only turn off apps you recognize!
7. Disable an app from startup
8. Right-click on the app
9. Choose "Disable"

When you have a cluttered desktop, you can align your windows to a grid to make them easier to see.

Ways to snap:

1. Hover your mouse over the full-screen button
2. After a second, you'll see a list of options to snap your windows too
3. Drag the window to the white line top of the screen
4. Then drag your mouse over one of the snapping options
5. Drag your window to the side of your screen or a corner until you see the window snap appear

Notice: If you already see the Task View icon (the first picture) on your task bar at the bottom of your screen, skip to the next step.

Task View helps you manage your open applications on your computer if you have too many.

To enable it:

1. Right-click the bar on the bottom of your screen
2. Choose Taskbar settings
3. Turn on Task View near the top of your screen

If you have many apps open frequently in the background and don't use them unless you're doing a specific task, then you should use task view. With it, you can create multiple copies of your desktop and move windows to these copies, so you only see the ones you are using for the task at hand.

To use task view:

1. Click on the white and black task view icon on the task bar at the bottom of the screen
2. If you don't see it, check the previous step
3. Alternatively, if you have a trackpad, swipe up with three fingers to activate task view
4. Move windows to another desktop
5. Click on the create desktop button on the bottom of the screen or
6. Right-click on an open window in the center of your screen, choose "Move to", and then "New Desktop"

To navigate back and forth between desktops, use the task view button on the bottom of the screen. You can keep windows open on all desktops or have them just visible on one.