If you have spent a significant amount of time with Windows 10 and have not turned off the lock screen, you probably have noticed the small “Like what you see?” text at the upper-right corner of the lock screen.
Clicking or tapping “Like what you see?” text shows two options: I want more and Not a fan. The “Like what you see?” text appears if you have turned on Windows Spotlight feature for the lock screen in Windows 10.
What is Windows Spotlight?
Windows Spotlight is a new feature introduced with Windows 10. Windows Spotlight automatically sets exceptional pictures from Bing search as your lock screen background and lets you submit feedback about a specific background. As you can make out from the picture above, these pictures are stunning.
Before the November Update or Threshold 2 update, this feature was exclusive to Home edition, but the feature is now available for both Windows 10 Pro and Home editions.
Before we tell you how to turn on or off Windows Spotlight feature, let’s see how the Windows Spotlight feature works, and why it shows “Like what you see?” message on the lock screen.
As said at the beginning of this article, clicking “Like what you see?” text shows “I want more” and “Not a fan” options. Clicking the first option (I want more) will make Windows 10 show more similar types of images in the future.
That is, for instance, if you click “I want more!” option when the lock screen background picture was of nature, Windows 10 will show more pictures of nature on lock screen in the future. That said, it will occasionally show other types of photographs or pictures from other categories as well, but you can click Not a fan option if you like to stop Windows from displaying that kind of picture on your lock screen.
Turn on or off Windows Spotlight feature via Settings
While if you love pictures showcased on the homepage of Bing search, you probably don’t want to turn off the Windows Spotlight feature. That said, if you prefer to set a picture captured by you or custom picture that you downloaded from the internet as the lock screen background, you can turn off the Windows Spotlight feature by following directions mentioned below.
Step 1: Right-click on the desktop and then click Personalize to open the Personalization category of Settings.
Step 2: Click Lock screen to see settings related to the lock screen.
Step 3: Under the Background section, select Picture or slideshow option from the drop-down box.
If you have chosen the Picture option, to set a specific picture as your lock screen background, click the Browse option (under Choose your picture section), and select the image that you want to set as the lock screen background.
And if you have chosen Slideshow option, you need to click Add a folder and then select a folder containing your favorite pictures.
To know the location of these Windows Spotlight pictures, please refer to our how to save Windows Spotlight lock screen pictures guide.
Disable Windows Spotlight via Registry
Step 1: Type Regedit.exe in the Start/taskbar search field and then press Enter key. Click the Yes button when you get the User Account Control screen to open the Registry Editor.
Step 2: In the Registry Editor, navigate to the following key:
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\CloudContent
Step 3: On the right-side, right-click on an empty spot, click New and then click DWORD (32-bit) Value and name it as DisableWindowsSpotlightFeatures.
Step 4: Double-click on the newly created DisableWindowsSpotlightFeatures and then set its value data to 1 to disable the Windows Spotlight. Set it back to 0 or delete DisableWindowSpotlightFeatures to enable the same again.
Enable or disable Windows Spotlight via Group Policy
Group Policy Editor is not part of the Windows 10 Home edition.
Step 1: Open the Group Policy Editor by typing the same in the Start/taskbar search field and then hitting the Enter key.
Step 2: In the Group Policy Editor, navigate to:
User Configuration > Administrative Templates > Windows Components > Cloud Content.
Step 3: On the right side, double-click on Turn off all Windows spotlight features. Select Enabled and then click Apply.
I hope this helps!
Jo says
Hi, I want to have all my Spotlight features but I can’t find this path User Configuration > Administrative Templates > Windows Components > Cloud Content.
I haven’t got the cloud content, how can I get it to Group Policy?
Bob McDonald says
My lock screen picture works fine during sign-in. My problem is, there is a silhouette person picture, my User name, and “Welcome”. They partially obscure the picture. How to I remove them?
Mike williams says
how do I eliminate it?
Stan Russell says
Like many others I DO WANT SPOTLIGHT….How can I UNSUBSCRIBE ?
Please treat this request as urgent.
GimmeStrength says
I don’t mind the lock-screen pictures. Actually, I quite like the variety. I don’t mind being asked if I like a picture or not either.
But WHAT I DESPISE is the inane dribble that smears itself across the image with some terrible attempt at a pithy comment that’s… what… attempting to introduce an element of interaction??
FFS, Microsoft – we’re not all 12!!
What really riles me is the thought that some moron is doing this for a job. I don’t mind morons having jobs; they have to eat too. But when the moron is given access to my computer, allowing them to spread their thinly-veiled brain-incontinence over my screen at the start of each session, it leaves me with nothing more than nausea.
Now, you’ve had your fun and it’s time to go away. Please.
Tim Rowe says
How do you *keep* Windows Spotlight turned off? I turn it off, and a while later it turns back on again. I’m the only person with access to this computer – apart from Microsoft who can push upgrades and who knows what else, of course.
woogie says
I quite agree regarding these pictures: I don’t like these pictures at all. I nearly drowned and all I am seeing are water scenes which make me panic. Now is a picture of an underwater scuba diver. I do not like any scenes which are in dark, gloomy places. I love kittens, dogs, babies, flowers. There are so many beautiful things in this world–I’d rather choose different scenes than being stuck with these on a daily basis. Thank you. Woogie
Don says
Don’t know what I am doing wrong. I turn it off and after a few days, it is back on again. Help Please.
Lucy Baker says
Also , adding to my last comment, I think we should have been given the option to try this photo thing or opt out in the first place! Presuming that we want it is pretty aggressive , don’t you think?An option to
opt out, or turn it on and off would be preferred rather than being forced to search out how to get rid of it, would have been a whole lot nicer!!And why not ask US what we want!! I am quite capable of telling YOU which pics from the internet I WANT to see!! Lol!!Most folks would be quite happy to send YOU our pics!! For instance , I like Horses, Cats, dogs,not your spider webs, and lonesome looking pics.I take pics , of flowers ,beaches,carousels,I don’t like your shaded, looking out the airplane wing pics at all!! Who wants to see the wires from a prop plane in the pics??Just ak us to send our pics to you! I can use the royalties!!
Lucy Baker says
At first I kind of liked it but the pics are often of cold dark places , of tunnels holes, making me feel like this is a very intrusive for of negative brainwashing, Lol!! Almost none are just of a beautiful warm beach scene!!! I really dislike the cave hole looking out thing!! When I just read it was “Bing” who did these , it all made sense, Bing is so intrusive!! I detest Bing! They spy on you to get info ant try to force you to look at certain things, I seriously don’t trust Bing, and I’m betting they are selling theinfo of which pics you look at , for the soul purpose of selling stuff (junk) to you! I get more garbage on this Version of Windows 10 than any other Version before!! Unload the Bing thing!!It’s a bi fat hairy monster!!My computer crashes a bunch of times a day, and sorry no, I don’t think it’s the server! It’s everytime a hostile bunch of junk (that says “Download this!”) or “Microsoft detects a problem,would you like us to fix it?” Yah, right, sure!! No way I will let you,Bing thingers touch my computer!!
Jerry says
Wow some of you really need to lay off the coffee. All these options can be turned on or off usually in settings. You can also tell windows to just display a basic color. You can put your own pictures in a folder and tell windows just to use those. You can do a google search and it will tell you how to set up your computer so it automatically logs you in at start up or you can do a registry hack. My only wonder is I use to get spotlight screens and it is still set for them but the screen hasn’t changed since a couple updates ago.
Florisz says
I like the Spotlight and thanks for the info. I have the new Windows version that should give information on the pictures shown, but for some reason I don’t get the picture information.
Do you know what functionality needs to be enabled to have the Spotlight tool display the picture information?
Henk says
Microsoft would make a heck of a lot of money if people that want or need to switch TO A NEW VERSION would not hear from others about all this cr.p that makes new releases so much more hard to use and intrusive.
So, speaking with the $$$$$$$$$$$$ sign $$$$$$$$, will you PLEASE stop this?
I needed a new laptop, I DID NOT NEED A WHOLE NEW WAY TO DO MY JOB!
Wilma says
HATE IT!! This idiotic spotlight “Like what you see”/”Not a fan” NONSENSE. Like the stupid feature actually listens! Some days it’s all I can do to scream at the screen. I don’t want the pics, I didn’t ask for these pics, I don’t want what I don’t choose for myself in the first place and my eyes and brain don’t give a shit about this new “improved” windows 10 thing. I don’t care about *stadiums* and *caves* and a lone female silhouette running on a f**cking bridge.* I’ve wasted so much time deleting, canceling and undoing that all I want are the old Windows 7 and 3. By far superior to this load of click click click click click click BS.
Roxanna Koester says
Photo shopped or not, I love seeing the pictures and the option to decline those that don’t appeal. Thanks for recently supplying the info (on one sign-in) that tells where they were taken. I’d rather get new photos than a repeat–the pile of stones has reappeared from early November, when I’d rather see Christmas or a snow scene in December. I haven’t kept track–is each picture displayed for a certain number of days? As I prefer, most of the pictures I get are scenery–makes me want to go visit those places; can I get that cute little beaver in the log, too? Of all the frustrating things the computer does (or doesn’t do), the opening pictures are a lovely pick-me-up. Thanks for adding this feature.
just me! says
I can’t believe all those winging comments! Get out and get some fresh air already. (How do you spell winge-ing?)
Laura Russell says
HATE IT, AND NO PERSONALIZATION OR SETTINGS WHEN I RIGHT CLICK. HOW REMOVE IT, AND FOR THE FUTURE: NO AUTO FEATURES WE DO NOT OPT INTO, NO APP ADS, ETC. GET OFF MY LAWN!
Helen Snyder says
As a photographer myself I really do not enjoy the uniformly artificial look of those Lock screen photos. No eye ever beheld those scenes without the liberal use of controlled substances, and I hate all the ones showing civilization’s greedy impact on the planet. The nature shots all have souped-up saturations and hues. AND it adds extra steps! I just want to touch my mouse and have my screen open up where it was when it, or I, went to sleep.
sam bell-smith says
i would love to know where and what i am looking at. some of these pictures outstanding and i would like a little blurb i can access to tell me about them…. thanks
Den says
How can I let Microsoft know that I like them all? I don’t need to tell them every time. Just keep them coming but take away the DO you like this option
Liam O brien says
These heavily photo shopped pictures are annoying I do not want to see them
flashmanTomas says
In addition to the steps listed above, you need to click on the settings link at the top of the lock screen center, click on System link, click on the Notifications and Actions link, and turn off the Notifications on Lock Screen option.
admin says
Those of you who want to know the location, please use google reverse image search or Tineye reverse image search.
gail herbig says
i love the pictures but would like to know where the location is
Damien says
Thank you so much for the full path to the pictures. Copied the whole assets file to the Pictures folder then used bulk rename program to add ,JPG to all so I could sort.
Really pleased you shared this information
Tomlong10 says
I really like the photos but would enjoy them a lot more if you added a location description — and credit to the photographer if known. Thanks.
Phyllis says
Like Cecelia above, I would really like to know more about the pictures you are showing, at very least, the location.
david hall says
would like to see information on the pictures.
Ian says
For me it’s really disconcerting to see the apparent set-up of my computer changing without my telling it to. Somehow it just smacks to me of interference by Microsoft.
When Microsoft’s CEO lauched Windows 10 with the statement that it heralds a new error in computing, he wasn’t wrong.
Cecilia says
The pictures are like those that appear on my old Nokia phone, but those pictures had an icon which would reveal the location of the photograph. I enjoyed trying to work out where they came from.
I like the pictures on the Windows 10 screen but I hate the fact that there is no information about them and so I think I will turn this feature off because it is starting to really irritate me.
diana says
my comment is how to rid like what you see pictures i have my own. all windows 10 does which is the most annoying thing ever is make you take 2 or 3 more steps to do actions. before one click got you where you wanted to be you did not have to look at the long list in the bar at top hope you can find what you need and then click 2 or 3 more times and then do your actions!!!! What!!!!! so ridiculous…WHERE IS THE SIMPLICTY IN THAT. NOW ALL I WANT IS TO RID THE PICTURE SO WHEN I WAKE UP MY PC I CAN DO IT WITH ONE JUST ONE CLICK THAKS
Harry says
OK. I was about to get rid of the intrusive bugger but your explanation gave me another perspective. I will keep it for now (I like cool pictures).
Judith Brandes says
Thanks for the information on how to turn off this irritating feature with its constantly changing parade of unattractive photos.
admin says
As I have mentioned at the end of the article:
Settings > Personalization > Lock Screen > select Windows Spotlight as background.
Jason Parmar says
How do I enable Spotlight?
I turned it off a long time ago (running Windows 10 Pro) and turned it off by accident!