We have been literally asked tens of times to explain how to know the location where a Windows 10 spotlight picture was taken. Users had been asking this question ever since the release of Windows 10 back in July 2015, but there was no perfect solution.
If you’re reading this article, you likely know what Windows Spotlight feature is in Windows 10. For those who are not sure what the feature is all about, Windows Spotlight is a feature introduced first with Windows 10 to display curated pictures on the lock screen. The feature, when enabled (see how to turn on Windows Spotlight), automatically sets a preselected group of images handpicked by Microsoft.
Know the location where a Windows 10 Spotlight photo was taken
The Windows Spotlight feature automatically sets a new background for your Windows 10 lock screen and occasionally offers suggestions and tips on the lock screen.
We have previously covered how to save Windows Spotlight pictures and how to download all Windows Spotlight pictures, but many users are interested in knowing the actual location where a Spotlight picture was taken.
Up until the release of the Windows 10 Anniversary Update, there was no proper or correct way to know where a Windows Spotlight picture was taken. Microsoft has been listening to user feedback since the early days of Windows 10 and has finally added a way to know where Windows 10 Spotlight pictures where taken.
If you’re running Windows 10 with Anniversary Update (version 1607 or above), you can simply hover the mouse cursor on “Like what you see?” text on the upper right of the lock screen to know the location where the current Windows Spotlight picture was captured. Simple as that!
And if you like the current background picture on your lock screen, you can click on Like it (which appears on you hover the mouse cursor on Like what you see) to see similar pictures on your lock screen in future.
You might also like to check out how to change the Windows 10 login screen background picture.
Mrs.Mila Noskow says
Does ‘Microsoft’ and whoever is behind it, really care that we can’t find out where the pictures are from. They just want to control and kill us. Nothing else matters to them.
Divakar says
If you want to find the name of the place on your desktop, you can try this hack, Open google lens and click a pic, that would tell you the name of the place.
Jesse says
If you’re still missing the “Like what you see?” camera icon, here’s what you can do to find out where the photo was taken: Download the image using steps others have listed, and then run a “reverse image search” on google. Viola!
windowsplusL=crack says
No “Like what you see” option or text and the people who think locking your screen with windows + L smoke crack. It doesn’t make anything appear other than the photo with the missing “like what you see”
Bill says
Infuriating that this has STILL not been answered. The “Spotlight” images on my Desktop background are not the same as the ones on the Lock screen … so, as delightful as it is to be able to click on the “Like what you see” icon on the Lock screen, there is no such option on the normal Windows background (not Lock Screen) and so how does one discover where this image was taken?
As so many others have said, it’s so frustrating to see such beautiful images but not have the means to discover anything more!
Cliff M. says
Don’t have “Like what I see?” on your screen. Simple, hold the windows button down and hit the letter L and your computer will go into lockscreen mode, and give you the “Like what you see” feature, the name of the place where the picture was taken, and in the center of the picture an explanation of the picture.
Again, Hold down Windows button and hit letter L
TedR says
The text “Like what you see?” doesn’t appear on my Windows Spotlight lock screen image.
Jack Twist says
Mike B. THANK YOU! Finally, someone with the answer!
Higgledy Piggledy says
Make Desktop\tmp\Spotlight or similar if necessary, then
C:\> Copy %LocalAppData%\Packages\Microsoft.Windows.ContentDeliveryManager_cw5n1h2txyewy\LocalStateAssets\* %HOMEPATH%\Desktop\tmp\spotlight\*.jpg
Drop a copied jpeg in to Chrome, right click and search with lens
Gary Lovely says
Ditto to all the “Like What you see questions”.
The pictures are spectacular and should be able to be revisited at will!!!
DanielW says
Oh wow, I did not expect finding the answer to “where was the pic taken” to be so difficult. Geez.
John F says
Sometime there are the icons on the picture “Like what you see” sometimes there is not.
Info on the current picture of what looks like an old steel plant on a small lake with sail and motorboats. The plant sits center surrounded by park area. A city on the lakes far side with tall buildings and an observation towner on the right side. The file name for the picture is 899b9af1a8ccf0cc7486bd99a8def84bedfa165e9d8b6f7d923d2942931e256e.jpg
Andres Manterre says
To Mike B: thank you! Your comment was exactly what I was looking for.
Theresa says
I have been reading all the comments, and here in End of June 2021 nothing has changed. Microsoft gurus please hear us. Just want to be able to know the locations of these stunning places. I’m running Microsoft 21H1 an awful long way from Anniversary Update Version 1607
steve says
The current pic of a stream says taken in Columbus Ohio. Big help, where in columbus?
Vive Horowit says
Ethan B has a workaround here but it’s a lot of work and somehow following the advice deleted the photo I was trying to find.
https://answers.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/forum/all/what-is-todays-windows-login-backround-picture/7a2aac0f-836a-4fe2-a157-3a277665ed1d
clink says
Truly maddening! I just want to know where the picture was taken so I can plan my next adventure. Why show me the place if I can never find it IRL?
Tomás says
We cannot get answers to these questions for the same reason many of the Windows 10 ‘updates’ are corrections to past mistakes promulgated in previous updates: Microsoft is too busy making money to care!!
Mike B says
Let me help all future visitors. Because this drove me crazy.
The “like what you see” goes away if your password field is enabled to type.
So just log into your computer and press the Windows Button + L, this will lock your computer and you will see “like what you see”
Doug says
You’re still missing it. There is no “like what you see” option. Right clicking your mouse does nothing. Why, oh why would such an obvious feature be so obfuscated? Why doesn’t Microsoft just have a web page where thumbnails are available along with the location and date of each photo? Or is that too difficult to do …
Sandra Pancoe says
Same issue here!
christina kühnel says
I can see these questions are back to 2017. I recently updated to Windows 10… ans I have the same problem as more of you describe. I dont see the ‘like what you see’ …. consequnetly I dont get any info on where the picture was taken. I would love to see that. Any solutions cam up since 2017?? – or did you give up :-)
Mary says
I don’t have the “Like What You See” feaure! Would love to have it. How would I get it?
Edwin Henry Beitz says
In order to get the text over which to hover go to Start and click on Lock which will appear when you click on the icon above the Start window that indicates who is currently logged on.
Bob Karlovits says
My “Like What You See” possibility has disappeared. Is there any way of getting it back?
Finn Gustav Strøbech says
I’m running Windows 10, version 1709, but no info appears when I hover the mouse over “Like what you see” – why on earth is that ?
Andrew Spangenberg says
I have the creator’s update, but I don’t have the hover for info feature doesn’t work. Is it possible that I missed the anniversary update and somehow didn’t get this feature? I would really like this feature. Any advice will be welcome
JenW says
Charlot, I have the same problem and cannot find a solution. My coworker is running the same system as I am and the “like what you see” feature appears for her.
Charlot says
the windows spotlight shows the beautiful but the text ‘like what you see does not appear’ no camera icon appears either…so how do I easily find out where the picture was taken