Remove the Do You Like This Picture Prompt from the Desktop in Windows 11

Why the Do You Like This Picture Prompt Appears

Windows spotlight downloads new photos from Microsoft and shows them as your desktop background. It also places the Learn about this picture icon in the top-right corner of the desktop. Hover over or open the icon and a flyout appears with details about the photo and a way to tell Microsoft whether you like it. Microsoft uses those answers to pick future images.

• Turn off Windows spotlight for the desktop. This removes the icon and the prompt, and it is the method below.
• Keep Windows spotlight and hide the icon. This is covered in a later section.

How to Remove the Do You Like This Picture Prompt from the Desktop

These steps remove the do you like image prompt from the Windows 11 desktop by switching your background away from Windows spotlight. When you finish, your desktop shows a background you chose, and the Learn about this picture icon is gone.

1. Right-click an empty area of the desktop. A context menu🖱️ (the short menu that opens when you right-click) appears.

   

2. Select Personalize. The Settings⚙️ app opens on the Personalization page.
3. Select Background. The page shows a preview of your current background at the top. If spotlight is active, the list below the preview shows Windows spotlight.

   

4. Open the Personalize your background list. A drop-down appears with four choices: Windows spotlight, Picture, Solid color, and Slideshow.

   

5. Select Picture, Solid color, or Slideshow. The options below the list change to match your choice, and the desktop updates within a second or two.
6. Pick your image or color. For Picture, choose one under Recent images or select Browse photos to pick a file. For Solid color, choose a swatch under Choose your background color. For Slideshow, select Browse and choose a folder of images.

   

7. Look at the desktop. The Learn about this picture icon no longer sits in the top-right corner, and the prompt does not appear.
8. Close Settings. Windows saves the choice automatically, so there is no Apply or Save button to select.

If the icon is still visible after step 7, wait a few seconds and press F5 on the desktop to refresh it. If it stays, the icon may belong to a different desktop; see the virtual desktops section below.

Which Replacement Background to Choose

Each of the three options removes the prompt. The right one depends on how often you want the desktop to change.

Picture

Picture shows one image and keeps it until you change it. It suits anyone who wants a stable desktop. You can use one of the built-in Windows images or one of your own photos. For help with your own files, see how to put your own picture on the desktop in Windows 11.

After you pick a photo, a Choose a fit for your desktop image list appears. It controls how Windows sizes a photo that does not match your screen shape. Fill is a safe default, because it covers the whole screen and crops the edges if needed.

Solid color

Solid color fills the desktop with one flat color. This option has the least visual noise and keeps desktop icons clear to read. It also helps on a shared PC, such as one in a reception area or public space, where a photo would distract. Choose a swatch, or select View colors to build a custom shade.

Slideshow

Slideshow rotates through the images in a folder you pick. It gives you the variety of Windows spotlight without Microsoft’s prompt, because the pictures come from your own files. Use the Change picture every list to set the interval. Turn on the shuffle switch to randomize the order.

Slideshow can reduce battery life on a laptop, since Windows loads a new image on each change. If battery life matters, set a longer interval or choose Picture instead.

Keep Windows Spotlight but Hide the Icon

You may like the spotlight photos and want only the icon and its prompt gone. Windows opens the prompt from the Learn about this picture icon. Hide or remove that icon, and the prompt stops showing on the desktop.

The steps for that depend on your Windows 11 build, and this post does not repeat them. Follow how to add or remove the Learn about this picture desktop icon in Windows 11 for the full method. If you also want to change which standard icons appear, such as This PC or Recycle Bin, see how to add or remove default desktop icons in Windows 11.

Another option is to hide every desktop icon at once. That hides your files and shortcuts too, so use it only if you rarely keep items on the desktop. The guide to hiding or showing desktop icons in Windows 11 explains how.

If the Option Is Missing, Greyed Out, or Not Working

Windows is not activated

On a PC that is not activated, the Background settings are locked. Settings shows a message saying you need to activate Windows to personalize your PC. Open Settings › System › Activation to check your status. After you activate Windows, the Background list becomes available.

Your organization manages the PC

On a work or school PC, an administrator can control the desktop background. If the Personalize your background list is greyed out, or Settings says some settings are managed by your organization, you cannot override the choice yourself. Ask your IT department. A PC with its background locked this way may keep showing the prompt until the administrator changes the policy.

The desktop turns solid black

Microsoft lists a known issue on Windows 11 24H2 and 25H2. Confirm the update numbers and release date against Microsoft’s release notes before you rely on them. After you install update KB5120998 (an optional preview update released on 2026-10-28), desktop settings can fail to load on some devices, and the desktop shows a solid black background.

The update KB5124008 fixes this. It corrects the loading problem so the desktop background and other personalization settings load again. To install it, open Settings › Windows Update and select Check for updates. If the black background remains after the update, repeat the steps above to pick your background again.

Virtual desktops show a different background

Windows 11 lets each virtual desktop (a separate workspace you switch to with Task View) use its own background. If you removed the prompt on one desktop but still see it on another, that second desktop still uses Windows spotlight.

1. Press Win+Tab. Task View opens, and the desktop thumbnails appear along the bottom.
2. Right-click the thumbnail of the desktop that still shows the prompt. A menu opens.
3. Select Choose background. The Background page in Settings opens for that desktop.
4. Change Personalize your background to a value other than Windows spotlight.

To create or close virtual desktops, see how to create and close a desktop on Windows 11.

Something else sits on the desktop

The prompt is not the only item Windows can place on the desktop. Desktop stickers (notes and images you place on the desktop) are separate from spotlight. If a sticker is what you are seeing, follow the guide to remove Windows 11 desktop stickers.

How to Bring Windows Spotlight Back

You can reverse the change at any time. Switching back to Windows spotlight restores the rotating photos, the Learn about this picture icon, and the prompt.

1. Right-click an empty area of the desktop.
2. Select Personalize.
3. Select Background.
4. Open the Personalize your background list.
5. Select Windows spotlight. The icon appears in the corner, and the first spotlight photo can take a short while to download.

Windows keeps your earlier picture, color, and slideshow folder choices, so you can pick them again from the same page.

What to Do Next

With spotlight off, set the desktop up the way you want it. If you chose Picture, choosing your own photo is the next step. If you want a more personal touch, enabling desktop stickers adds notes and images without any prompts from Microsoft.