Windows Spotlight is now less intrusive on Windows 11’s lock screen

Microsoft shipped Windows Spotlight a long, long time ago to make your Windows 11’s lock screens more attractive. And now, the company is making it more useful and less intrusive.

A small update on a newly shipped Windows 11 beta build (KB5052094) shows that you can now easily learn about the background image by hovering over it or clicking the “Learn about this picture” icon.

By default, the “Learn about this picture” icon appears when Windows Spotlight is set, but for some, it can still feel quite unclean and looks like too much going on on your desktop. But, you can still remove the icon via a registry tweak.

You can easily enable Windows Spotlight on Windows 11 by going to Settings > Personalization > Background, then selecting Spotlight Collection from the dropdown menu.

Other than that, the Windows Spotlight icon has also been updated with a new color and background, and it now appears at the lower right of your desktop. On the lock screen, you can also click the “Like” icon to learn more about the displayed image.

The KB5052094 update for Windows 11 also brings a few interesting tidbits here and there, including easier file sharing from the taskbar’s jump lists, a Game Pass referral card in the Settings app for eligible subscribers, and improvements to the Narrator app.

The update also addresses bugs in File Explorer, Start menu, and mouse settings. This update is available in the Release Preview channel for users on the 23H2 version of Windows 11.

Inigo is a geek for Windows 11 and anything related to Microsoft’s products. In his spare time, you can find him assembling PCs for the sport and the fun of it, or playing with his four cats, or playing spreadsheet simulator a.k.a. Football Manager. For a tip, please send it to [email protected].