How to change Lock screen wallpaper on Windows 11

Yes, you can change the Lock screen wallpaper to anything you want on Windows 11, and here's how.

Windows 11 Lock screen custom image
Windows 11 Lock screen custom image
  • To change the Lock screen wallpaper on Windows 11, open Settings > Personalization > Lock screen, select the “Picture” option, click “Browse photos,” choose the new Lock screen wallpaper, and click “Choose picture.”
  • You can also change the Lock screen images with the slideshow option from the “Lock screen” page and select the folder with custom images you want to show as wallpapers.
  • The third option includes enabling “Spotlight” from the “Lock screen” page to change the wallpaper automatically.

On Windows 11, the Lock screen shows a different wallpaper image every time you start the computer using the Spotlight feature, but you can configure this feature to show a custom image or a collection of pictures, and in this guide, you will learn how to complete this task through the Settings app.

This guide will teach you the steps to change the Lock screen background using a custom image, set a slideshow to rotate multiple pictures or enable the Spotlight feature on Windows 11.

Change Lock screen wallpaper with custom image on Windows 11

To change the Lock screen wallpaper on Windows 11, use these steps:

  1. Open Settings on Windows 11.

  2. Click on Personalization.

  3. Click the Lock screen page on the right side.

    Open Lock screen settings

  4. In the “Personalize your lock screen” setting, select the Picture option.

    Change Lock image

  5. Click the Browse photos button.

  6. Select the image to use as a background in the Windows 11 Lock screen.

  7. Click the Choose picture button.

  8. (Optional) Clear the “Get fun facts, tips, tricks, and more on the lock screen” option.

Once you complete the steps, the Lock screen will apply the settings and show the new background image.

Change Lock screen with slideshow on Windows 11

To enable the Lock screen slideshow on Windows 11, use these steps:

  1. Open Settings.

  2. Click on Personalization.

  3. Click the Lock screen page on the right side.

    Open Lock screen settings

  4. In the “Personalize your lock screen” setting, select the Slideshow option.

    Lock screen slideshow settings

  5. (Optional) Click the Remove button for the default slideshow locations.

  6. Click the Browse button.

  7. Select the folder with the images to rotate in the Lock screen.

  8. Click the “Choose this folder” button.

  9. (Optional) Clear the “Get fun facts, tips, tricks, and more on the lock screen” option.

  10. (Optional) Under the “Advanced slideshow settings” section, check the “Include camera roll folders from this PC and OneDrive” option.

  11. Use the “Turn off the screen after the slideshow has played for” option and select the time before turning off the display.

After you complete the steps, the Windows 11 Lock screen will show and rotate the images from the folder locations you chose.

Change Lock screen with Spotlight on Windows 11

To enable the Lock screen Spotlight on Windows 11, use these steps:

  1. Open Settings.

  2. Click on Personalization.

  3. Click the Lock screen page on the right side.

    Open Lock screen settings

  4. In the “Personalize your lock screen” setting, select the Windows Spotlight option.

    Change Lock wallpaper with Spotlight

Once you complete the steps, the system will download images from the cloud and set them in rotation on the Lock screen of Windows 11.

About the author

Mauro Huculak is a Windows How-To Expert and founder of (est. 2010). With over 21 years as a technology writer and IT Specialist, Mauro specializes in Windows, software, and cross-platform systems such as Linux, Android, and macOS.

Certifications: Microsoft Certified Solutions Associate (MCSA), Cisco Certified Network Professional (CCNP), VMware Certified Professional (VCP), and CompTIA A+ and Network+.

Mauro is a recognized Microsoft MVP and has also been a long-time contributor to Windows Central.

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