Personalization Add or Remove "Learn about this picture" Desktop icon in Windows 11


Windows_Spotlight-new_header.webp

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.

When you choose to have Windows Spotlight as your desktop background or theme, it will add a Learn about this picture icon on your desktop by default. The Learn about this picture icon can be dragged to any location you want on your desktop.

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, minimize or maximize menu/bar, vote to like or dislike current picture, and learn more about the current picture.

If you choose a picture, solid color, or slideshow instead of Windows Spotlight as your desktop background, it will remove the Learn about this picture icon on your desktop.

If you like, you can remove the Learn about this picture desktop icon while still using Windows Spotlight as your desktop background.

Starting with Windows 11 build 22635.3785 (Beta), Microsoft is trying out some new adjustments to the Windows Spotlight experience on the desktop to make it easier for Spotlight users to engage with this feature to change images, like or not like an image etc. There will be several changes that Insiders will notice.
  • Treatment #1 – if a user right-clicks on the Windows Spotlight icon it will launch the Spotlight experience in full screen mode, while double-clicking will open the Bing landing page for the image on desktop.
  • Treatment #2 – if a user right-clicks on the Windows Spotlight icon it will launch the Spotlight experience, while double-clicking will open Windows Spotlight experience in full screen mode. A single click on the Spotlight icon will open the Bing landing page for the image on desktop.
Starting with Windows 11 build 22631.4974 (23H2), build 26100.3323 (24H2), and build 27802.1000 (Canary), Microsoft is beginning to roll out some changes to the Desktop Spotlight icon interaction model for Windows Insiders. You can now quickly and easily discover more information about your background image by simply hovering over or clicking on the “Learn about this picture” icon on your desktop. You’ll notice changes to the icon color and background. Also, the icon will show at the lower right area on your desktop.

Starting with Windows 11 build 26120.6690 (Dev 25H2) and build 26120.6690 (Beta 24H2), Microsoft is trying out a change that adds “Learn more about this background” and “Next desktop background” to the context menu when you right click on your desktop if you have Windows Spotlight chosen as your desktop background.

You can manually create a standalone Learn about this picture shortcut by creating a new folder, and naming the new folder:

Learn about this picture.{2cc5ca98-6485-489a-920e-b3e88a6ccce3}



EXAMPLE: Windows Spotlight "Learn about this picture" desktop icon

Windows_Spotlight_learn_about_this_picture-1.jpg
Windows_Spotlight_learn_about_this_picture-2.jpg




Here's How:

1 Do step 2 (add) or step 3 (remove) below for what you would like to do.

2 Add "Learn about this picture" Desktop icon

This is the default setting.

The "Learn more about this picture" desktop icon will only show when using Windows Spotlight as your desktop background.


A) Click/tap on the Download button below to download the file below, and go to step 4 below.​

Add_Learn_about_this_picture_desktop_icon.reg​


(Contents of REG file for reference)
Code: 
Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00

[HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\Desktop\NameSpace\{2cc5ca98-6485-489a-920e-b3e88a6ccce3}]
@="Windows Spotlight"

[HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\HideDesktopIcons\NewStartPanel]
"{2cc5ca98-6485-489a-920e-b3e88a6ccce3}"=dword:00000000

3 Remove "Learn about this picture" Desktop icon

A) Click/tap on the Download button below to download the file below, and go to step 4 below.​

Remove_Learn_about_this_picture_desktop_icon.reg​


(Contents of REG file for reference)
Code: 
Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00

[-HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\Desktop\NameSpace\{2cc5ca98-6485-489a-920e-b3e88a6ccce3}]

[HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\HideDesktopIcons\NewStartPanel]
"{2cc5ca98-6485-489a-920e-b3e88a6ccce3}"=dword:00000001

4 Save the .reg file to your desktop.

5 If you have Smart App Control turned on, you will need to unblock the downloaded REG file.

6 Double click/tap on the downloaded .reg file to merge it.

7 When prompted, click/tap on Run, Yes (UAC), Yes, and OK to approve the merge.

8 If needed, right click on your desktop, and click/tap on Refresh (F5) to apply.

9 You can now delete the downloaded .reg file if you like.


That's it,
Shawn Brink


Related Tutorials

 

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Last edited:
Click to expand...
Thanks for the link to your post. All I can say is, in my personal case, working between several PCs with and without the Spotlight Icon showing, the Spotlight Icon key doesn't necessarily "belong" in the CLSID location. Either way, the key, sub-key or both can be deleted giving the same outcome. Anyone liking it there can keep it there without issues. An empty Spotlight Icon key inside the CLSID key is virtually useless and might-as-well be deleted altogether. My post concerning this topic was meant to help anyone else that had the same issue as I did.
In a nutshell...my issue was that with Spotlight background selected (25H2 x64) on 8 reference PC's, 5 showed the Icon and 3 did not. Experimentally, I did a fresh 25H2 install using Spotlight as the desktop background. Comparing registries between the PCs missing the desktop icon and the fresh install PC, The Spotlight key was not found in the CLSID key of fresh install PC. I deleted that key from the suspect PCs and they all worked properly thereafter. That is to say--when Spotlight background was enabled, the icon displayed on the desktop...when desktop background was set to Picture, the Spotlight icon no longer displayed on the desktop. To the best of my understanding, that is how the Spotlight background with its Icon should function together (without having to edit the registry to show/hide the icon whenever the background image changes between Spotlight and other choices) . I tried numerous other icon "fixes" and did not get that kind of functionality.
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    24H2
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Custom Build
    CPU
    Core i5 13600K
    Motherboard
    MSI Pro Z790-A WiFi
    Memory
    Kingston Fury Renegade 32GB
    Graphics Card(s)
    MSI GeForce RTX 3070 Ti
    Monitor(s) Displays
    3 ViewSonic VG2455 2K
    Screen Resolution
    2560x1440
You did a thorough investigation, presented what you found and a satisfactory solution. I have no idea why the 3 PCs ended up as they did. My comment was only possible because you were so thorough. It's really good to see that. Thanks for raising the issue.
 

My Computers

System One System Two

  • OS
    Windows 11 25H2 Pro Build 26200
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    Manufacturer/Model
    MSI PRO ADL-U Cubi 5 (MS-B0A8)
    CPU
    i3-1215U
    Memory
    8GB
    Monitor(s) Displays
    Sony 43" 4k TV
    Screen Resolution
    3840x2160
    Hard Drives
    250GB NVMe M.2 PCIe Gen 3 SSD
    PSU
    External 65W
    Case
    Mini PC
    Browser
    FireFox
    Antivirus
    MS
  • Operating System
    Windows 11 Pro 25H2
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Dell Optiplex 3070 SFF
    CPU
    Intel i3-9100
    Memory
    16GB DDR4
    Monitor(s) Displays
    Dell S2721
    Screen Resolution
    3840 x 2160
    Hard Drives
    Samsung 500GB nvMe
    Case
    Dell small form factor
    Keyboard
    Cherry mechanical (Blue)
    Mouse
    Microsoft
    Antivirus
    MS Defender
Thanks. They probably got messed up by my whacking and hacking in the registry not realizing the avalanche effects of my actions. Live and learn!
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    24H2
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Custom Build
    CPU
    Core i5 13600K
    Motherboard
    MSI Pro Z790-A WiFi
    Memory
    Kingston Fury Renegade 32GB
    Graphics Card(s)
    MSI GeForce RTX 3070 Ti
    Monitor(s) Displays
    3 ViewSonic VG2455 2K
    Screen Resolution
    2560x1440
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