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I’ll be showing you all the Windows 10 and 11 lock screen customisation options and what they do. You can allow Windows to show you beautiful scenic images or choose a background that blends with your custom theme.

How to Change Your Lock Screen on Windows 10

Customizing your lock screen in Windows 10 is more than just improving aesthetics. You can choose to see quick updates and notifications from selected apps. That way, you know the first things to attend to after you log in.

Follow these steps to get started:

  • Press Win + I or right-click Start and select Settings to open the Settings app.
  • Click Personalization.
Windows personalization
  • Go to the left sidebar and select Lock screen.
  • Now, move to the Background drop-down menu and select one of the following:

Windows Spotlight

The Windows Spotlight option displays a rotating collection of beautiful images provided by Microsoft.

Lock screen Windows spotlight

Picture

Allows you to choose a specific image from your computer to use as your lock screen background. 

Click the Browse button to select which picture you want if you do not want the suggested images.

Lock screen background picture

Slideshow 

Allows Windows to create and display a slideshow of images from a selected folder on your computer. 

Windows selects your Pictures folder by default. You can click each default folder and click Remove if you don’t want to keep the contents of those folders out of the slideshow. Use the Add a folder button to select the specific folders whose images you want to add to the slideshow.

lock screen slideshow
Lock screen Windows spotlight selection

For example, the Include Camera Roll folders from this PC and OneDrive option will add images synced from your OneDrive-connected devices, including your smartphones. 

Enabling the Only use pictures that fit my screen option can help you remove out-of-place photos.

Also read: Windows 10 Display Is Too Big for a Monitor

You can also turn off the slideshow when your laptop is running on battery power, choose if and when the screen goes off after the slideshow runs for a specific period, and force Windows to start the lock screen slideshow when your computer is inactive.

Advanced slideshow settings

It doesn’t end there. Windows 10 can display tips and other information on your lock screen. Enable Get fun facts, tips, and more from Windows and Cortana on your lock screen to receive suggestions from Microsoft and its artificial intelligence.

Note that the tips and suggestions may only show when your computer is connected to the Internet. And while Microsoft has retired Cortana, Windows still features a lot of local and online AI capabilities.

The Choose one app to show detailed status on the lock screen option allows you to see information from a list of preset apps. Choosing Mail lets you see details of recent incoming emails, and selecting Weather shows weather updates.

You can go to the Choose which apps to show quick status on the lock screen” section to pick other apps to display brief updates.

Lock screen Choose which apps to show quick status on the lock screen

Once you’ve selected your preferred background, you can turn on the switch for Show lock screen background picture on the sign-in screen to see your custom photo instead of Windows’ background as you type your login details.

Lock screen Show lock screen background picture on the sign-in screen
PRO TIP
You may want to tend to power preservation after you change your lock screen in Windows 10. Click Screen timeout settings to choose when your screen goes off or your computer goes to sleep. These options ensure your computer preserves power and battery, especially if you choose the slideshow option.

How to Change Lock Screen in Windows 11

The Windows 11 Settings interface may look different from Windows 10’s but their lock screen personalization options are almost identical.

Here’s how to change: 

  • Press Win + I or right-click Start and select Settings to open the Settings app.
  • Go to the left side of the screen and select Personalization.
  • Click Lock screen under Personalization on the right side of the screen.
  • Like Windows 10, you can do the following:
Lock screen personalization

Choose Windows Spotlight to allow Windows to display beautiful images of different locations alongside their descriptions or select a specific picture.

Lock screen Windows spotlight

Use a slideshow of images from a specific folder. You can click Remove next to the default folders to get rid of images you don’t want to see and select the folder whose image you want. You will also see Advanced slideshow options on the same page.

Lock screen advanced slideshow settings

Windows 11 also allows you to see other content on the lock screen, such as tips from Microsoft and information from specific apps.

Unlike Windows 10, you can only select one app to show information on the lock screen.

Windows lock screen status

How to Change Your Lock Screen on Windows: Explained

With these easy steps, you’ve brought your Windows 10 or 11 lock screen to life. Logging into your computer will now feel welcoming. You can always experiment with different image sources for your slideshow, adjust those notification settings, or alternate still backgrounds occasionally.

Head to the comments section to share your lock screen customization experience with us.

FAQ

Pressing the Win + L keyboard combo is the fastest way to activate your lock screen using your keyboard. That said, you can tap Ctrl + Alt + Delete and select Lock using your keyboard to lock your screen.
Popular websites, such as Unsplash, Pexels, and Pixabay, are dedicated to beautiful, high-resolution lock screen wallpapers. Still, you can always use photos from your camera or smartphone as your lock screen background to add a personal touch.
The Windows Spotlight option is the operating system’s default lock screen background. You can select it by going to Settings > Personalization > Lock Screen and choosing Windows Spotlight under the Background drop-down menu.
Third-party lock screen customization apps offer advanced features, such as dynamic wallpapers that change based on the time of day, more detailed app notifications on the lock screen, or the ability to add shortcuts and widgets for quick access. Examples include ALIOTH and Color Matrix, which you can get from the Microsoft Store.