Windows 10 has been a tremendous hit among the users and everyone loved the layout and design that Microsoft introduced. There are many features that organize our work and compartmentalize things to look back later. And to hype up their game, Windows introduced the Windows 11 version. It looks splendid, has improved animations and colors. On the first look, people are going to stay awed at the entire display. But when we look deeper into the changed features, we’ll notice things that will bring up mixed emotions.
One of the most important things to note is the Windows 11 Lock Screen. It has been made a little different from the previous version, solely to create a better display experience as soon as you open the screen. There is not much to point fingers at and we can only give a verdict once we understand all the tweaks that are incorporated into the setup here. Here’s an article that will give you all the information about the newest experience you’ll get with the enhanced Windows 11 Lock Screen.
In this article
Part 1: What's New in Windows 11's Lock Screen?
People were very disappointed with the way Windows changed some of the useful features from the taskbar, start menu, and individual panels. However, we feel that it won’t be the same with the lock screen. It more or less works the same as the Windows 10 version and has the same level of the user interface. Lock Screen doesn’t have much significance when you compare it to the other features of your operating system. But that doesn’t mean that you can downgrade the purpose it is made for. Keeping all this in mind, we’ve listed down the changes and how they’d affect your experience.
Time and Date
This is a simple layout change in the Windows 11 Lock Screen. If we make a quick comparison here, the Windows 10 lock screen had the time and date towards the bottom left corner of the screen. In the Windows 11 Lock screen, the time and date are present towards the center of the screen. This is similar to what you’d see on your smartphone or tab. The time comes in a bigger font and looks bolder than the smaller font used for the time.
Home Page
When you turn on your computer or your laptop, you’ll see a home screen that usually displays the date and time. And then you click on a keyboard key or click the mouse to open the password page. If we see the Home Page of the windows 10 version, it is usually a simple wallpaper that has animals, nature or any beautiful place in the world. It is completely random and the same displays on the Lock screen too. However, the home screen here has a blue default wallpaper that is exactly the same as your desktop wallpaper.
Dialogue Box
As soon as you click on a key on the keyboard or the mouse, you’ll see that the lock screen will reveal the password page. This is only possible if you have a computer or laptop that has password protection. Here, everything is more or less the same as the Windows 10 version. However, the box is having rounded edges compared to the squared sharp edges like the one in Windows 10. Also, it is bordered by a thick line that looks unique.
Lock Screen Settings
Whenever you restart your computer, there is a default refresh that wakes all the apps and functioning icons. You can use ‘Windows spotlight’ to refresh the background image on the lock screen. Don’t like owls? Refresh to find the Sahara desert! If you don’t like a slide show or wallpaper with an image, you can use a wallpaper that has solid color and nothing else. These options were also available with the Windows 10 version. But you have more options in the background images, a faster refresh rate, and a more detailed look on the screen. It is much neater and clear.
Part 2: How to Customize Your Lock Screen on Windows 11?
There are some really simple steps that you can follow to customize the way your Windows 11 looks. It could be the slide show images, the colored lock screen backgrounds, or the other elements like date and time. Here’s a detailed guide for you to follow.
Step 1: Open the desktop screen and right-click on any empty space, avoiding the existing icons. From the drop-down list, choose ‘Personalize’. An alternative is to open the settings using the keyboard shortcut - ‘Windows + i’.
Step 2: Now with the settings displayed, you will find the ‘Lock Screen’ option on the screen. Click on it.
Once you open the Lock Screen settings, you will see three different options.
1 - Personalize your lock screen - You can set a customized image, decide the series of pictures in the lock screen slideshow and you can also remove certain images from being displayed.
2 - Lock Screen Status - You can receive statuses of certain apps on your lock screen. You can edit these settings in this section.
3 - Disable Images - This will completely remove all the images and slideshows from the lock screen. Now, you will only find the default blue screen that Windows 11 offers.
Step 3: Let us discuss the first option here. How you can change the imagery on your lock screen. To begin with, click on the personalize option on the drop-down menu and choose ‘Lock Screen’ as we have previously stated. Go with ‘Personalize Lock Screen’ and opt for either Picture or Slideshow. By default, you have the Windows Spotlight option. This takes good images from the internet and displays them on the screen.
Step 4: If you are going with the Slideshow option, you can choose a list of images and WIndows will keep displaying the same in a cycled rotational way. And if you go with the ‘Picture’ option, you can select any recently viewed image or good images from the thumbnails or you can ‘Browse’ for more options available in your folder.
Step 5: Microsoft has the habit of displaying certain quotes or statements on your Lock Screen. While some find it entertaining, others think that the whole display is ruined because of these texts. If you fall in this second category, then untick the ‘Get Fun Facts, tips, tricks, and more on your lock screen’. Now, you’ll no longer see them.
Step 6: Lastly, we will talk about the Lock Screen Status. This can be the weather, Calendar, Mail, 3D Viewer, or more. If you click on the drop-down menu, you’ll see everything that is available. You can select the widgets that you need or want to see on your lock screen. If you need nothing, leave it that way and don’t select anything.
Step 7: And here come the minimalists who don’t want to see any background image on their Lock Screen. Scroll down and you will find a checkbox next to the ‘Show the lock screen background picture on the sign-in screen option. Uncheck this and there will be no background image on your Lock Screen and the Password page.
Everything is done and dusted now. To check the status of the changes that you’ve made, you can simply use the keyboard shortcut - ‘Windows + L’. This will open your Lock screen with all the new tweaks you’ve made on the Settings Panel. If not, open the start menu and select your account name and click on ‘Lock’. This will lock your computer and you’ll go back to the lock screen. If you are not satisfied with what you’ve done to Windows 11 Lock Screen, you can come back to the settings panel following the same steps as above and you are good to go!
The Bottom Line
We love the way Windows decided to make changes to its Windows 11 Lock Screen. Leaving all other complaints aside, the lock screen has a very organized and systematic look. The centralized display of date and time added more depth and professionality to the screen. It's easy to quickly have our sight land on the most important information on that screen. That is a very well-thought decision. If you are not satisfied with any new change on the Lock Screen, you have the option to make necessary changes according to your liking. So go ahead and explore what Windows 11 Lock Screen has to offer!
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