Turn on or off Windows Spotlight using Registry or Group Policy Editor on Windows 11/10

This article will guide you through the steps to turn on or off all Windows Spotlight features on Windows 11/10. One way to do this is to use the Local Group Policy Editor or the Registry Editor.

Windows Spotlight is a new addition to Windows 11/10. It helps you customize the lock screen and other areas according to your requirements. Enabling the Windows Spotlight feature from the Windows Settings is straightforward. The Windows Spotlight lets you get the Like What You See option on the lock screen.

Turn off Windows Spotlight features using Group Policy Editor

To turn off Windows Spotlight features on Windows 11/10, follow these steps-

1. Press Win+R to open the Run prompt.
2. Type gpedit.msc and hit the Enter button.
3. Navigate to Cloud Content in User Configuration.
4. Double-click on Turn off all Windows spotlight features.
5. Select the Enabled option.
6. Click the Apply and OK buttons.

Let’s check out these steps in detail.

To get started, open the Local Group Policy Editor. To do this, press Win+R to open the Run prompt, type gpedit.msc, and press Enter. Now, navigate to the following path-

User Configuration > Administrative Templates > Windows Components > Cloud Content

In the Cloud Content folder, you will see a setting called Turn off all Windows spotlight features. Double-click on it and select the Enabled option.

Then, click on Apply and OK buttons, respectively.

After doing this, Windows Spotlight on the lock screen, Windows Tips, Microsoft consumer features, and other options will be invisible.

Related: Windows Spotlight not working.

Turn off Windows Spotlight features using Registry Editor

To turn off Windows Spotlight features on Windows 10 using Registry Editor, follow these steps-

1. Search for regedit in the Taskbar search box.
2. Click on Registry Editor in the search result.
3. Click the Yes button in the UAC prompt.
4. Navigate to CloudContent in HKCU.
5. Right-click on CloudContent > New > DWORD (32-bit) Value.
6. Name it as DisableWindowsSpotlightFeatures.
7. Double-click on DisableWindowsSpotlightFeatures and set the Value data as 1.
8. Click OK to save the change.

Keep reading to know more about these steps.

Before getting started, you should create a System Restore point and back up all Registry files to be on the safe side.

At first, search for regedit in the Taskbar search box, click on the Registry Editor in the search result. Then, select the Yes button in the UAC prompt and navigate to the following path-

HKEY_CURRENT_USER\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\CloudContent

Right-click on CloudContent, and select New > DWORD (32-bit) Value. Then, name it as DisableWindowsSpotlightFeatures.

After that, double-click on DisableWindowsSpotlightFeatures, set the value data to 1, and click the OK button to save the change.

That’s all! I hope this guide helps you.

Read: How to find Spotlight Lock Screen images in Windows.

Is Windows Spotlight the same as Bing wallpaper?

While Windows Spotlight and Bing Wallpaper offer a way to change your background image automatically, they are not identical. Windows Spotlight focuses on the lock screen and offers curated images from various sources beyond Bing, as well as additional features like information cards and download options. On the other hand, Bing Wallpaper concentrates on the desktop background and exclusively uses images from Bing’s daily collection.