Windows · Personalization
Customize the Lock Screen
Lock Screen settings control the image, slideshow, or Windows Spotlight photo shown before you sign in, plus which apps can show quick status glances like unread email count or your next calendar event. It's the first thing you and anyone walking by sees on a locked PC.
How to open Lock Screen
- Open Settings → Personalization → Lock screen.
- Choose Windows Spotlight, a Picture, or a Slideshow for the background.
- Select which app shows detailed status under 'Choose an app to show detailed status'.
- Toggle 'Show the lock screen background picture on the sign-in screen' if desired.
What you should know
- Choose a single picture, a slideshow from a folder, or Windows Spotlight for rotating curated images.
- Pick which app shows detailed status (like Mail or Calendar) and which show only a small glance icon.
- Toggle whether the lock screen shows on the sign-in screen background too.
- Enable 'fun facts, tips, and more from Windows' if you want Spotlight trivia overlays.
Detailed status apps on the lock screen can reveal private information, like unread email counts or upcoming calendar events, to anyone who can see your locked screen.
Why it matters
The lock screen is visible to anyone who glances at your PC while it's locked but not shut down, so what you choose to show there is a small but real privacy decision, not just a cosmetic one. Windows Spotlight is popular because it surfaces genuinely well-curated photography without any manual folder management, refreshing itself automatically. For shared or public-facing PCs, keeping detailed status apps turned off prevents passersby from seeing personal calendar or email previews without unlocking anything.
Best practices
- Turn off detailed status for Mail or Calendar on any PC other people might glance at, like a shared living room device.
- Use Windows Spotlight if you want fresh imagery without maintaining your own photo folder.
- Point a custom slideshow at a dedicated 'Lock screen photos' folder rather than your entire Pictures library, so private personal photos aren't included by accident.
- Disable the 'fun facts, tips, and more' overlay if you find Spotlight's occasional trivia captions distracting.
Common problems and fixes
- Windows Spotlight images repeat too often or don't change.
- Confirm you're connected to the internet regularly, since Spotlight needs periodic connectivity to download new images, and check 'Get fun facts...' is enabled to force a refresh.
- A slideshow folder shows a 'no suitable photos' error.
- Make sure the selected folder contains at least a handful of standard image formats (JPG, PNG, BMP) and isn't empty or full of unsupported file types.
- Sensitive calendar details are visible on the lock screen.
- Go to 'Choose an app to show detailed status' and set it to 'None', or switch that specific app to only show a glance icon instead of full detail.
Tips and tricks
- Right-click a Windows Spotlight image on the lock screen and choose 'I like this image' or 'I don't like this image' to help Windows tune future picks.
- Use a slideshow limited to a small, curated folder so you don't wait through dozens of unrelated photos while unlocking.
Frequently asked questions
Does the lock screen picture also become my sign-in screen background?
Only if you enable 'Show the lock screen background picture on the sign-in screen'; otherwise Windows uses a separate default sign-in background.
Can I turn off Windows Spotlight completely?
Yes, switch the background option to Picture or Slideshow instead of Windows Spotlight if you'd rather use your own images.
Do lock screen settings apply to every user on a shared PC?
No, lock screen background and app status settings are saved per user account, so each person signing into the same PC can configure their own.
Related settings
- PersonalizationPersonalization is the hub for changing how Windows looks and feels — desktop background, accent colors, themes, lock screen, Start menu layout, and taskbar behavior all live under this one settings category. It's the starting point for making a shared or new PC feel like your own.
- ThemesThemes bundle a desktop background, color scheme, sound scheme, and mouse cursor set into a single saved combination you can switch between instantly. Windows includes several built-in themes, and you can download more or save your own custom combination.
- Windows SecurityWindows Security is the built-in protection center for virus & threat protection, firewall & network protection, and device health. It runs Microsoft Defender Antivirus and lets you review recent scans and threats.
More Personalization guides for Windows
- TaskbarTaskbar settings control which icons appear, how they're aligned, and which system tray items show by default. This is where you manage pinned apps, the search box, widgets, and corner icons like clock, network, and volume.
- Start MenuStart menu settings let you control which folders appear next to the power button, how many pinned app rows and recommended file rows show, and whether recently added or most-used apps surface automatically. It's where you shape the layout you see every time you click Start.
- FontsFonts settings let you preview every typeface installed on your PC, download additional fonts from the Microsoft Store, and install new ones by dragging a font file directly onto the page. Every font installed here becomes available system-wide, appearing in the font list of every app that lets you choose one, from word processors to design software.
- Colors & Accent ColorControls the accent color used across Start, taskbar, title bars, and other UI elements, and lets you choose whether Windows should surface a color automatically from your background.
- Background & Windows SpotlightControls your desktop background, including static pictures, slideshows, solid colors, and Windows Spotlight, which automatically rotates curated images and can show fun facts on your desktop.
- Touch Keyboard PersonalizationLets you personalize the appearance and behavior of the on-screen touch keyboard used on tablets, touchscreens, and 2-in-1 devices, including theme, key sound, and text suggestions.