4 Ways to Hide Desktop Icons in Ubuntu

If hiding the top bar and side panel isn’t enough, and you want everything removed from your Ubuntu desktop, then you’d probably also like to get rid of those pesky icons on its surface. Read on to learn how you can hide desktop icons in Ubuntu.

1. The Extensions Prefs App

The latest versions of Ubuntu include, by default, an “Extensions” app, allowing you to modify and expand how your desktop works. You can find it among your existing apps.

If it is not installed for some reason, open the terminal and type:

sudo apt install gnome-shell-extension-prefs

Run the app after it’s installed.

Support for hiding all desktop icons is already built in to the Extensions app, so you only have to click on the “Desktop Icons” switch to toggle their displays on or off.

In most cases, though, you’ll also need a second click – the Extensions’ effects won’t be applied on your desktop if you don’t enable the Extensions themselves. You can do this with the toggle switch at the top of the window next to the “Extensions” title.

If you don’t want to hide all icons on your desktop, just the Home folder and Trash icons, leave the support for icons enabled. Then, click on the cog button next to the toggle switch, which will lead to a new window with some extra options.

From this window you can use the pull-down menu on the top to define the size of your desktop icons and enable or disable the display of the Home folder and Trash icons through two respective switches.

2. Via the Terminal

If you’d rather not use the GUI, it’s easy enough to hide your desktop icons just using the terminal. You can hide just the Home and/or Trash icons or hide all desktop icons.

Open a terminal instance and enter the following one at a time to hide Trash or Home:

gsettings set org.gnome.shell.extensions.desktop-icons show-trash false
gsettings set org.gnome.shell.extensions.desktop-icons show-home false

3. Using Extensions

A similar method to the Extensions Prefs app is just Extensions. Open Terminal and run:

sudo apt install dconf-editor

You may need to enter your password to continue. Once installed, open Extensions and turn off “Desktop Icons NG”.

You can also open Terminal and enter:

gnome-extensions disable ding@rastersoft.com

Another option is to keep Desktop Icons NG (DING) enabled, then right-click the desktop and choose Desktop Settings. Remove whichever icons you would like.

4. Using Gnome Tweak Tool

This is an incredibly helpful tool for tweaking Ubuntu, so it’s worth installing even if you don’t care about the desktop icons. You can install Gnome Tweak Tool by entering the following in Terminal:

sudo apt install gnome-tweaks

You may also be able to find it in the Software Center by searching for “tweaks.”

Once opened, go the Desktop section and change the settings as desired.

Frequently Asked Questions

1. Why can’t I find Gnome Tweak Tool in the Software Center?

You may not have the right repository installed. If it’s not listed in the Software Center, and you get an error when trying to install from the Terminal, try the following:

sudo add-apt-repository universe
sudo add-apt-repository multiverse
sudo apt update

This gives Ubuntu access to more repositories, so that it can install more software packages.

2. Can I just hide mounted drives?

Yes. If you’d prefer to keep other desktop icons, enter the following in Terminal to hide mounted drives:

gsettings set org.gnome.shell.extensions.dash-to-dock show-mounts false

3. What else can the Gnome Tweak Tool (Tweaks) do?

Since there are other methods to hide desktop icons in Ubuntu, you may wonder whether it’s worth installing Gnome Tweak Tool. In addition to changing your desktop, you can customize the entire appearance of Ubuntu, manage extensions, control keyboard and mouse settings, speed up the desktop, change fonts, adjust power settings, configure application windows, and more. This is all from an easy-to-use GUI.

Wrapping Up

If you hate the addition of desktop icons, you’re free to get rid of them. Once you hide the desktop icons in Ubuntu and get rid of the top and side panels, you’ll have an ultra-clean, Zen-like desktop. The only visible elements will be your wallpaper and your windows. If you’re a fan of clean aesthetics or minimalism, you’ll probably love the results.