Learn more about this picture icon is added to the desktop when Windows 11 is set to use Spotlight wallpapers. To permanently remove and disable “Learn more about this picture”, you either need to stop using Spotlight feature or modify HideDesktopIcons in Registry, which allows you to retain wallpapers. We explain how to do it within seconds.
Windows Spotlight spruces up your desktop with good wallpapers so that you don’t have to change them every day. It’s so good that even we at Windows Latest use it to get away from the boring Windows 11 default backgrounds.
However, enabling the Windows Spotlight feature in personalization settings adds the “Learn more about this picture” icon to the desktop. It is a gateway to learn about the image or change it. Like us, most users don’t need the icon and just use the feature for wallpapers.
Microsoft, being Microsoft, doesn’t offer an option to remove the icon in the Personalization settings. You cannot hide the icon without hiding all the icons on the desktop and cannot move it to recycle. A rant about this ignorant idea on the Microsoft Feedback Hub has over 400,000 views so far.
The Easy Way: Disable Spotlight
The easiest way is to not use Windows Spotlight and use a personal image collection instead like the good old Windows 7 days. It is a straightforward method if the Spotlight feature is accidentally enabled on your PC and you don’t need it anymore.
Remove the “Learn more about this picture” icon using Registry Editor
Modifying a registry entry can help you remove the icon while keeping the feature active. Make a registry backup before treading on this route. After that, follow these steps to disable Spotlight watermark in Windows 11:
- Launch the Registry Editor and navigate to the following path:
HKEY_CURRENT_USERSoftwareMicrosoftWindowsCurrentVersionExplorerHideDesktopIconsNewStartPanel key
- Right-click the empty area and select New > DWORD (32-bit) value option.
- Name the key {2cc5ca98-6485-489a-920e-b3e88a6ccce3} and double-click on it.
- Keep the base Hexadecimal and change the Value Data to 1.
- Click on OK and exit the registry editor.
- Restart your PC and log in. The icon won’t be there anymore.
If you want the icon back, revisit this same DWORD value and change its value data to 0.
Remove the “Learn more about this picture” icon using a Third-Party app
If you find the Registry Editor method difficult or prefer an app to do the same, there are ample options for it. You can use open-source Explorer Patcher whichever you prefer.
Repeat the following steps to turn off the icon with Explorer Patcher:
- Download the latest version of Explorer Patcher from GitHub or other reputable sources.
- Run the file, and the app will launch after downloading additional icons.
- Switch the Spotlight tab in the left-hand side menu.
- Click on Hide the “Learn more about this picture” icon option.
As shown in the below screenshot, the icon will immediately vanish from the desktop. You can use the app to restore the icon if you want to change the image again.
This is how you can get rid of the bothersome Spotlight icon on the Windows 11 desktop.
The Feedback Hub post has staggering views and we think it’s compelling enough for the Redmond giant to finally offer a toggle in the Settings app to hide it rather than using third-party tweaks.
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