Microsoft has been experimenting with lock screen ads, for a limited subset of Windows 10 users over the past month. This new type of lock screen is called Windows Spotlight and it displays beautiful sceneries, plus it offers a shortcut to view more information related to these photos, which opens in a new window in the Edge browser.
It seems like Windows Spotlight displays more than just attractive images – some Windows 10 users reported the new lock screen shows fullscreen ads. For example, at some point, there was a photo for the new Rise of the Tomb Raider game displayed on the lock screen but the info shortcut didn’t take you to a webpage where you can see more about the photo. Instead, it jumped straight into the Windows Store where users could buy the game.
If your Windows 10 machine is showing ads on the lock screen you should know there’s an easy way to get rid of them.
Remove ads from the Windows 10 lock screen
If you’re not using a Microsoft account and logging into Windows 10 using a local account, you might not see the adverts. Otherwise, read on to learn how to remove ads from the Windows 10 lock screen.
To begin with, open the Start Menu and select Settings.
In the Settings menu, click on Personalization.
In the Personalization pane, select ‘Lock screen‘ to open its settings menu.
By default, the Background option is set to ‘Windows Spotlight’. Since this is the feature that’s pushing the ads on the lock screen, you’ll need to disable it.
To do this, you’ll have to select the ‘Picture‘ or ‘Slideshow‘ options from the Background drop-down menu. Select ‘Picture‘ if you want to see only one image on the lock screen, or ‘Slideshow‘ if you want to view multiple images that automatically switch on your lock screen background.
Also, just to be sure there won’t be any kind of ads on the lock screen disable the ‘Get fun facts, tips, tricks, and more on your lock screen‘ option.
