Windows Spotlight Background Without "Learn About This Picture" Icon (Windows 11)

If you searched for how do Windows Spotlight background without “Learn about this picture,” you want the daily rotating Spotlight photos on your desktop, but not the “Learn about this picture” icon sitting on top of them. You have two real options: switch away from Spotlight entirely, which removes the icon but also stops the rotating photos, or keep Spotlight and hide only the icon with a registry value. This guide covers both, so you can pick the one that fits.

The icon appears only on Windows 11 version 22H2 and later, when Windows Spotlight is set as the desktop background. Clicking it opens a Bing page about the current photo. On some builds the label reads “Learn more about this picture” — it is the same icon, and the steps below remove it either way.

Current image: Windows Spotlight background without Learn about this picture icon

Windows Spotlight Background Without the “Learn About This Picture” Icon: The Registry Method

This is the option most people actually want: the photos keep changing every day, and the icon disappears. It uses a registry value, so follow the steps exactly and do not change anything else in Registry Editor.

1. Press Windows key + R, type regedit, and press Enter. Click Yes on the permission prompt.
2. Navigate to HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\HideDesktopIcons\NewStartPanel. If the NewStartPanel key does not exist, right-click HideDesktopIcons, choose New > Key, and name it NewStartPanel.
3. Right-click an empty area on the right, choose New > DWORD (32-bit) Value, and name it exactly:
{2cc5ca98-6485-489a-920e-b3e88a6ccce3}
4. Double-click the new value and set Value data to 1 to hide the icon (0 shows it again). Click OK.
5. Right-click the desktop and choose Refresh, or restart File Explorer. The icon should be gone while Spotlight keeps rotating your wallpaper.

To bring the icon back later, repeat the steps and set the value data to 0. IT admins can push the same value through Group Policy under User Configuration > Preferences > Windows Settings > Registry, or set it with PowerShell.

Option 2: Switch Away from Spotlight (The Supported Way)

If you do not care about the rotating photos and just want a clean desktop, switching backgrounds removes the icon immediately, with no restart needed. The trade-off is that Spotlight stops updating your wallpaper.

1. Right-click an empty spot on the desktop and select Personalize (or press Windows key + I, then Personalization).
2. Select Background.
3. Open the drop-down next to Personalize your background and change it from Windows Spotlight to Picture, Solid color, or Slideshow. The icon disappears right away.
4. If you chose Picture, pick a recent image or select Browse photos to use your own. For Slideshow, choose a folder of pictures and how often they change. Slideshow is the closest match to Spotlight if you like a changing wallpaper: point it at a folder of photos, and it rotates them on a schedule you set.

To undo this, go back to Settings > Personalization > Background and choose Windows Spotlight again. The icon returns with the next photo.

Quick Try: Right-Click the Icon Itself

On some Windows 11 builds, right-clicking the “Learn about this picture” icon offers a Remove or Delete option. It is worth one click before you touch the registry. You cannot permanently delete the icon by pressing Delete, moving it to the Recycle Bin, or removing a file from the Desktop folder; it is not a file; it is a system overlay tied to Spotlight, which is why the methods above are the ones that actually work.

Windows 10 Note

On Windows 10, desktop Spotlight is less common and may not be available on all builds. If it is present, the logic is the same: the icon only exists while Spotlight is the desktop background, so switching the background to Picture, Solid color, or Slideshow removes it. The lock screen Spotlight setting is separate from the desktop background setting.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I keep Spotlight wallpapers and remove the icon at the same time?
Yes. Use the registry method above: set the DWORD value {2cc5ca98-6485-489a-920e-b3e88a6ccce3} to 1 under HideDesktopIcons\NewStartPanel. Spotlight keeps rotating photos, and only the icon is hidden.

Why does the icon keep coming back?
The icon returns whenever Windows Spotlight is re-enabled as the background, or after a major Windows update resets personalization settings. Re-apply the registry value or switch the background again and it goes away.

Is hiding the icon with the registry safe?
Yes, this is a documented per-user desktop icon setting, not a system hack. It only controls whether that one icon is displayed. Setting the value back to 0 restores it, and nothing else in Windows is affected.

Does removing the icon delete my Spotlight photos?
No. The photos are cached by Windows regardless of the icon. Switching backgrounds only stops new Spotlight photos from appearing; hiding the icon changes nothing about the photos themselves.

Sources:

Microsoft Q&A — Remove the “search the web to learn more about this picture” icon: https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/answers/questions/5524099/how-can-i-remove-the-search-the-web-to-learn-more
Geek Rewind — Add or Remove the “Learn About This Picture” Desktop Icon in Windows 11: https://geekrewind.com/how-to-add-or-remove-learn-about-this-picture-desktop-icon-in-windows-11/
NinjaOne — How to Remove Learn About This Picture Desktop Icon: https://www.ninjaone.com/blog/remove-learn-about-this-picture-desktop-icon/

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Axee Davies

Axee Davies is the founder of AxeeTech, publishing gaming guides, codes, and Windows how-tos since March 2013. A tech enthusiast for 13+ years — starting with smartphones and Android rooting — he now runs a site that puts out a new guide every day for Roblox players, traders, and Windows users. More about AxeeTech

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