How to Add or Remove Learn about this picture Icon
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.
Why Use This Feature?
When you choose Windows Spotlight as your desktop background, Windows automatically adds a Learn about this picture icon on your desktop. This icon gives you quick access to information about your background image.
What Can You Do With This Icon?
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
- Vote to like or dislike the current picture
- Learn more about the current picture
- Minimize or maximize menu options
The icon can be dragged to any location you want on your desktop.
When Does the Icon Disappear?
If you choose a different picture, solid color, or slideshow instead of Windows Spotlight as your desktop background, the Learn about this picture icon will be removed.
Recent Changes to Windows Spotlight
Microsoft has made several updates to how the Learn about this picture icon works:
Windows 11 Build 22635.3785 (Beta): Microsoft tested new ways to interact with the Spotlight icon. Right-clicking launches the full Spotlight experience, while double-clicking opens the Bing landing page for the image.
Windows 11 Build 22631.4974 (23H2) and Later: The icon moved to the lower right area of your desktop. The icon color and background also changed. Now you can hover over or click the icon to see more information.
Windows 11 Build 26120.6690 (Dev 25H2): New options were added to the right-click menu. You can now see “Learn more about this background” and “Next desktop background” when you right-click on your desktop.
How to Add the Icon
⚠️ Admin Required: You need administrator privileges to run these commands.
- Open the Windows Terminal app as an administrator
- Run the command below to add the Learn about this picture desktop icon:
reg add "HKCU\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\Desktop\NameSpace{2cc5ca98-6485-489a-920e-b3e88a6ccce3}" /ve /d "Windows Spotlight" /f
reg add "HKCU\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\HideDesktopIcons\NewStartPanel" /v "{2cc5ca98-6485-489a-920e-b3e88a6ccce3}" /t REG_DWORD /d 0 /f - Press Enter
- Close Windows Terminal
- The icon should now appear on your desktop when Windows Spotlight is your background
How to Remove the Icon
⚠️ Admin Required: You need administrator privileges to run these commands.
- Open the Windows Terminal app as an administrator
- Run the commands below to remove the Learn about this picture desktop icon:Registry
reg delete "HKCU\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\Desktop\NameSpace{2cc5ca98-6485-489a-920e-b3e88a6ccce3}" /f
reg add "HKCU\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\HideDesktopIcons\NewStartPanel" /v "{2cc5ca98-6485-489a-920e-b3e88a6ccce3}" /t REG_DWORD /d 1 /f - Press Enter
- Close Windows Terminal
- The icon will now be hidden from your desktop
Summary
The Learn about this picture icon appears on your desktop when you use Windows Spotlight as your background. This icon lets you see information about your background image and vote on whether you like it. You can easily add or remove this icon using Windows Terminal with simple registry commands. Just copy the command for what you want to do (add or remove), paste it into Windows Terminal running as administrator, and press Enter. The change happens immediately.
How to get rid of the learn about this picture icon?
To remove the Learn about this picture icon, you must change your desktop background settings. Navigate to Settings, select Personalization, and choose Background. Switch your background from Windows Spotlight to a solid color, picture, or slideshow. Once you select a different background option, the icon will automatically disappear from your desktop.
Where can I find Learn about this picture icon?
The Learn about this picture icon appears automatically on your desktop only when Windows Spotlight is enabled as your background. It typically defaults to the top-right corner of your screen. If you have Windows Spotlight active and do not see it, ensure your desktop icons are set to be visible.
Where was the Windows wallpaper pic taken?
You can identify the location of your Windows wallpaper by right-clicking the Learn about this picture icon on your desktop and selecting the 'Learn more' option. This will open your default web browser to a Bing search page providing specific details, geographical information, and the photographer behind the current background image.
How do I restore my icons back to normal?
To restore your desktop icons to their default state, right-click on an empty area of your desktop, select View, and ensure 'Show desktop icons' is checked. If you mean removing the Spotlight icon, simply change your background settings from Windows Spotlight to a standard picture, solid color, or slideshow in Personalization.
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