How to Turn On or Off Lock Screen Background Motion in Windows 11

What is the Lock Screen?

Pressing Win+L or starting your computer brings up the lock screen first. Dismissing this view reveals the sign-in area.

What is Lock Screen Background Motion?

Windows 11 lock screen motion makes background pictures shift in response to physical device movement, acting much like a subtle animation. An accelerometer (a hardware sensor that detects tilt and orientation) powers this dynamic look. Turning off the moving background keeps the lock screen image completely still.

Windows Spotlight displays dynamic backgrounds on the lock screen by default, but disabling background motion forces a static image.

Option 1Turn On or Off Lock Screen Motion for Your Account Using Settings

1. Press Win+I to open Settings ⚙️.
2. Click on Personalization from the left menu.
3. Select Lock screen on the right.
4. Find the option called Make the lock screen image react when I move my PC and toggle it On or Off depending on what you want.
5. Close Settings when done.

The Settings ⚙️ app lets individual users toggle this effect without altering preferences for anyone else sharing the PC.

Option 2Turn On or Off Lock Screen Motion for All Users Using Group Policy Editor

Windows 11 administrators use the Group Policy Editor (a centralized configuration console) to control lock screen motion across every user account on a machine, enforcing a uniform desktop experience.

1. Press Win + R, type gpedit.msc, and press Enter to open the Local Group Policy Editor.
2. In the left panel, go to: Computer Configuration > Administrative Templates > Control Panel > Personalization
3. In the right panel, double-click Prevent lock screen background motion.
4. To enable motion for all users: select Not Configured or Disabled, then click OK.
5. To disable motion for all users: select Enabled, then click OK.
6. Close the Local Group Policy Editor.

Option 3Turn On or Off Lock Screen Motion for All Users Using the Registry Editor

Advanced users modify lock screen motion globally via the Registry Editor (a hierarchical database for system configuration). Proceeding with caution remains essential when adjusting these low-level parameters.

To enable motion for all users:

reg delete "HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\Personalization" /v AnimateLockScreenBackground /f

To disable motion for all users:

reg add "HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\Personalization" /v AnimateLockScreenBackground /t REG_DWORD /d 1 /f

Saving text as a .reg file and double-clicking it merges the configuration into the registry. Alternatively, manual modification inside the Registry Editor achieves the same outcome.

Summary

• The lock screen shows when you start or lock your PC.
• If your device has an accelerometer, the lock screen background can move slightly as you move your device.
• You can turn off this moving background if you prefer a still image.
• Use the Settings app to change this for just your user account.
• Administrators can use the Group Policy Editor to control this for all users.
• Advanced users can edit the Windows Registry to enable or disable this feature.
• Some options require administrator rights.
• Choose the method that works best for you to customize how your lock screen looks in Windows 11!