Windows 11 users may soon get Windows Spotlight working as a dynamic desktop wallpaper on their PCs. In the latest preview build of Windows 11, Microsoft is now testing a new feature that will rotate breathtaking shots on the desktop, managed via a permanent shortcut.
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Windows Spotlight is a feature that pulls various images from the Internet and uses them as the background on the lock screen. In the latest preview build of Windows 11, Microsoft has expanded Windows Spotlight capabilities to the desktop. Now users can set Spotlight as the desktop background to get fresh images from Microsoft.
Although the idea sounds neat, there is one significant downside: enabling Windows Spotlight for the desktop background in Windows 11 places a permanent shortcut on the desktop. Microsoft wants users to use that shortcut to switch images and vote for pictures they like or dislike (hello more profiling).
And yes, the new system is yet another way to endorse the Edge browser and the Microsoft Bing search engine. Clicking the shortcut launches Microsoft Edge (of course) regardless of your default browser. It also opens Microsoft Bings with more details about the current picture.
The Windows Spotlight shortcut on the desktop in Windows 11 works and feels like a regular app with one caveat: you cannot delete or Shift + Delete it. In typical Microsoft fashion, the only way to remove the “Learn about this picture” shortcut on the desktop in Windows 11 is to disable Windows Spotlight in Settings.
The good thing is that Microsoft is not forcing people to use Windows Spotlight on their desktops. The new feature is optionally available under the Personalization > Background settings, and it is off by default.
You can test Windows Spotlight for the desktop in Windows 11 by downloading the latest Windows preview build. Note that the feature is available for users in Australia, Canada, China, Finland, France, Germany, India, Italy, Japan, Korea, Norway, Spain, Sweden, the UK, and the US. Microsoft promises to add more countries soon. Learn how to set Spotlight as the desktop background in Windows 11 here.
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