If you have a lot of programs installed on your computer, chances are that your desktop is filled with shortcuts. These are icons that don't actually have any data of their own, but let you quickly jump to other apps or folders.
Because these shortcuts are just links, you can remove them from your desktop without deleting the important files they point to. Here's how.
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How to remove shortcuts from your desktop on Mac or PC
There are three ways to get rid of desktop shortcuts. You can usually tell that an icon is a shortcut because it'll either have a tiny arrow at its bottom-left corner, or say Shortcut in the name.
The easiest way to delete a shortcut is to right-click it with your mouse, and then select Delete (PC) or Move to Trash (Mac) from the menu that appears. If it asks you if you want to remove the shortcut, confirm that you do.
If you have a dedicated Delete key on your keyboard that's separate from backspace, you can also click the shortcut once, then press that Delete key.
Finally, if you have a Recycling Bin (PC) or Trash (Mac) icon on your desktop, you can click the shortcut and drag it to that icon.
Just remember that deleting these shortcuts isn't the same thing as deleting the app or folder they link to. To do that, you'll need to find the folder's actual location and delete it from there, or remove the app using your computer's built-in tools.
William Antonelli
Tech Reporter for Insider Reviews
William Antonelli (he/she/they) is a writer, editor, and organizer based in New York City. As a founding member of the Reference team, he helped grow Tech Reference (now part of Insider Reviews) from humble beginnings into a juggernaut that attracts over 20 million visits a month. Outside of Insider, his writing has appeared in publications like Polygon, The Outline, Kotaku, and more. He's also a go-to source for tech analysis on channels like Newsy, Cheddar, and NewsNation. You can find him on Twitter @DubsRewatcher, or reach him by email at wantonelli@businessinsider.com.
