Personalization Add or Remove "Learn about this picture" Desktop icon in Windows 11

This tutorial will show you how to add or remove the Learn about this picture desktop icon when using Windows Spotlight as your desktop background for your account in Windows 11 and Windows 10.

When you choose to have Windows Spotlight as your desktop background or theme, it will add a Learn about this picture icon on your desktop by default. The Learn about this picture icon can be dragged to any location you want on your desktop.

You can hover over the Learn about this picture desktop icon to see information about the current Windows Spotlight picture.

You can right click on the Learn about this picture desktop icon to select other pictures, minimize or maximize menu/bar, vote to like or dislike current picture, and learn more about the current picture.

If you choose a picture, solid color, or slideshow instead of Windows Spotlight as your desktop background, it will remove the Learn about this picture icon on your desktop.

If you like, you can remove the Learn about this picture desktop icon while still using Windows Spotlight as your desktop background.

Starting with Windows 11 build 22635.3785 (Beta), Microsoft is trying out some new adjustments to the Windows Spotlight experience on the desktop to make it easier for Spotlight users to engage with this feature to change images, like or not like an image etc. There will be several changes that Insiders will notice.

• Treatment #1 – if a user right-clicks on the Windows Spotlight icon it will launch the Spotlight experience in full screen mode, while double-clicking will open the Bing landing page for the image on desktop.
• Treatment #2 – if a user right-clicks on the Windows Spotlight icon it will launch the Spotlight experience, while double-clicking will open Windows Spotlight experience in full screen mode. A single click on the Spotlight icon will open the Bing landing page for the image on desktop.

Starting with Windows 11 build 22631.4974 (23H2), build 26100.3323 (24H2), and build 27802.1000 (Canary), Microsoft is beginning to roll out some changes to the Desktop Spotlight icon interaction model for Windows Insiders. You can now quickly and easily discover more information about your background image by simply hovering over or clicking on the “Learn about this picture” icon on your desktop. You’ll notice changes to the icon color and background. Also, the icon will show at the lower right area on your desktop.

You can manually create a standalone Learn about this picture shortcut by creating a new folder, and naming the new folder:

Learn about this picture.{2cc5ca98-6485-489a-920e-b3e88a6ccce3}

EXAMPLE: Windows Spotlight "Learn about this picture" desktop icon




Here's How:

1 Do step 2 (add) or step 3 (remove) below for what you would like to do.

This is the default setting.

The "Learn more about this picture" desktop icon will only show when using Windows Spotlight as your desktop background.

(Contents of REG file for reference)





(Contents of REG file for reference)

4 Save the .reg file to your desktop.

5 Double click/tap on the downloaded .reg file to merge it.

6 When prompted, click/tap on Run, Yes (UAC), Yes, and OK to approve the merge.

7 If needed, right click on your desktop, and click/tap on Refresh (F5) to apply.

8 You can now delete the downloaded .reg file if you like.


That's it,
Shawn Brink