How to Remove Learn About This Picture From Windows 11

If you use Windows Spotlight wallpapers on your lock screen or desktop, you’ve probably noticed a small text link that says “Learn about this picture.” It appears in the top-right or bottom-right corner of the screen and opens Microsoft Edge when clicked, leading to Bing’s image information page.

While some users like learning more about the featured wallpapers, others find this text distracting or unnecessary — especially when using the desktop Spotlight feature introduced in Windows 11 22H2.

If you prefer a cleaner desktop experience, here’s how to remove or hide the “Learn about this picture” text from Windows 11.

Learn About This Picture From Windows 11

You’ll need administrator access to your PC. These steps work across all editions of Windows 11, including Home, Pro, and Enterprise.

Tip: You don’t have to disable Spotlight wallpapers entirely — these methods simply remove the text overlay or prevent Edge from launching when you click it.

Step 1: Understand What “Learn About This Picture” Is

The “Learn about this picture” overlay is part of the Windows Spotlight feature, which downloads and displays daily wallpapers from Microsoft’s servers.

The link is designed to:

• Show image details (location, photographer, etc.) through Bing.
• Let you “like” or “dislike” wallpapers.
• Promote Microsoft services through the Spotlight experience.

Because it’s integrated into the Spotlight service, there’s no direct toggle in Settings to turn it off — but you can hide it using system tweaks or alternative settings.

Step 2: Remove the Text by Switching Wallpaper Mode

If you like the current Spotlight image but want to remove the link, the quickest fix is to stop the desktop from updating automatically.

1. Press Windows + I to open Settings.
2. Go to Personalization → Background.
3. Under Personalize your background, change the setting from Windows Spotlight to Picture.
4. The current Spotlight image will remain as your wallpaper — but the “Learn about this picture” link will disappear.

This freezes the current wallpaper and effectively removes the overlay without disabling Spotlight permanently.

Step 3: Disable Spotlight Features Entirely

If you don’t want Windows Spotlight to fetch new images or show promotional content, you can disable it entirely.

1. Open Settings → Personalization → Background.
2. In the Personalize your background dropdown, select Picture, Solid color, or Slideshow.
3. Next, go to Settings → Personalization → Lock screen.
4. Under Personalize your lock screen, choose Picture or Slideshow instead of Windows Spotlight.

This stops all Spotlight features, including the desktop and lock screen overlays.

Step 4: Turn Off “Learn About This Picture” via Registry Editor

If you prefer to keep Spotlight wallpapers but remove the overlay text permanently, you can use the Registry Editor to disable it.

1. Press Windows + R, type regedit, and press Enter.
2. Navigate to the following path: HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\Wallpapers
3. In the right pane, right-click and select New → DWORD (32-bit) Value.
4. Name it: DisableSpotlightUI
5. Double-click it and set Value data to 1.
6. Click OK and close the Registry Editor.
7. Restart your PC or log out and back in.

Once applied, the “Learn about this picture” link and related icons will no longer appear on your desktop or lock screen.

Step 5: Disable Spotlight from Group Policy (Windows 11 Pro or Enterprise)

If you’re using Windows 11 Pro or Enterprise, you can control Spotlight features directly through the Group Policy Editor.

1. Press Windows + R, type gpedit.msc, and press Enter.
2. Navigate to: Computer Configuration → Administrative Templates → Windows Components → Cloud Content
3. Double-click Do not use Windows Spotlight on desktop.
4. Select Enabled, then click Apply → OK.
5. Optionally, also enable:
   • Do not use Windows Spotlight on lock screen
   • Turn off all Windows Spotlight features
6. Restart your computer.

This disables the entire Spotlight experience, including background downloads and the “Learn about this picture” link.

Step 6: Delete Spotlight Cache (Optional)

If you’ve already turned off Spotlight but the “Learn about this picture” overlay still appears, clearing the Spotlight cache will remove any remaining files.

1. Press Windows + R, type the following, and press Enter: %LocalAppData%\Packages\Microsoft.Windows.ContentDeliveryManager_cw5n1h2txyewy\LocalState\Assets
2. Select all files in this folder and delete them.
3. Then, navigate to: %LocalAppData%\Packages\Microsoft.Windows.ContentDeliveryManager_cw5n1h2txyewy\Settings
4. Delete the settings.dat and roaming.lock files (these will regenerate automatically).
5. Restart your PC.

After the restart, the “Learn about this picture” overlay should no longer appear.

Step 7: Block Edge from Opening Bing When Clicking the Link

If you occasionally see the “Learn about this picture” overlay and accidentally click it, Windows will open Microsoft Edge. You can block this behavior using the default apps settings.

1. Open Settings → Apps → Default apps.
2. Search for Microsoft Edge.
3. Scroll down and click Set defaults by link type.
4. Find the MICROSOFT-EDGE protocol and change it to a different browser or disable the protocol handler using a third-party tool like EdgeDeflector (for older Windows builds).

Now, even if the link appears, clicking it won’t launch Edge automatically.

Step 8: Verify the Change

Once you’ve applied one or more of the above methods:

1. Right-click on the desktop and select Personalize to confirm that Spotlight is disabled (or the Registry tweak is active).
2. Restart your system to refresh your background.
3. The “Learn about this picture” link should now be gone from both your desktop and lock screen.

If it persists, double-check the Registry and Group Policy settings or clear your Spotlight cache again.

Step 9: Restore Spotlight (If You Change Your Mind)

If you ever want the feature back:

1. Open Registry Editor again.
2. Navigate to the same location: HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\Wallpapers
3. Set DisableSpotlightUI to 0, or delete the entry entirely.
4. In Settings → Personalization → Background, switch back to Windows Spotlight.

After re-enabling, the “Learn about this picture” text will return.

Wrapping Up

The “Learn about this picture” link is part of Windows 11’s Spotlight feature, designed to make your desktop and lock screen more interactive. However, if you prefer a clean, distraction-free interface, you can easily remove it using the Registry Editor, Group Policy, or by switching your background type.

Once disabled, Windows will still display beautiful wallpapers (if you keep the last Spotlight image), but without the text overlay or pop-ups linking to Bing.

With just a few quick tweaks, you can enjoy your wallpapers — and your desktop — exactly the way you like them: simple and uncluttered.