How to Personalize the Windows 11 Lock Screen

Key Takeaways 

• The Windows 11 operating system lets you personalize your lock screen with images.
• A status widget enhances the Lock screen look by displaying full details from an app.

Update Lock Screen Images

While Windows 11 lets you customize the Lock screen, Microsoft has revealed a few things. For starters, Windows 11 no longer supports multiple lock screen widgets, but you can use widgets otherwise on your computer. That said, you can use a widget that will appear at the bottom. Here’s how to update Lock screen images:

Step 1: Right-click an empty space on your desktop to open the contextual menu > select Personalize.

Step 2: Click the Lock screen option from the personalization settings menu.

Step 3: Select the drop-down next to Personalize your lock screen to choose between Windows Spotlight, Picture, or Slideshow.

Remember that for Windows Spotlight to work, your computer must be connected to the internet since it automatically downloads new backgrounds daily.

The Slideshow option allows you to choose a folder containing photos and automatically rotate them occasionally. Lastly, Picture allows you to choose an image file from your computer and set it as your lock screen background.

Change Lock Screen Status

You may select an application to show its detailed status on your Lock screen. Follow the steps below.

Step 1: Right-click an empty space on your desktop to open the contextual menu and select Personalize.

Step 2: Click the Lock screen option from the personalization settings menu.

Step 3: From the Lock screen status, click on the drop-down menu to choose the widget you want displayed at the bottom.

Step 4: Enable the Show lock screen background picture on the sign-in screen option. That will allow Windows to display your lock screen wallpaper on the sign-in screen.

You will only see the PIN security screen if you have set a password for your user account. The themes you install and apply will not impact your lock screen.

The widgets you see in the list depend on what applications you have installed. If you’ve just updated, the only widget options will be the stock ones, like Mail to show your emails and Calendar to display your appointments.

Productivity, financial, or shopping apps offered through the Microsoft Store are likelier to contain lock screen widgets. Currently, manually installed software using executable files does not appear in the widget list.