How to Remove “Learn About This Picture” From Windows 11

Quick Tips

• The “Learn about this picture” feature was added with Windows Spotlight after update 24H2.
• You can remove the icon via Settings by changing your wallpaper preference.
• Changing the Registry will remove only the icon while keeping the Spotlight wallpaper feature.
• Third-party software like Explorer Patcher can also help hide the icon.

Windows 10 gave users the chance to learn more about pictures they liked on the Lock Screen. In Windows 11, this feature is even more visible if you’re using Spotlight wallpapers.

So visible, in fact, that it might be annoying.

Normal deletion won’t do the trick for this additional icon on your desktop, but we have three methods to help you get rid of it.

New Updates, New Features

The “Learn about this picture” icon is a Spotlight wallpaper feature included as part of the Windows 11 24H2 update. It helps users find out more about a picture that’s currently on their Desktop wallpaper. For users trying to keep things uncluttered, it can be annoying and unnecessary. Let’s look at fixes:

Three Ways to Remove “Learn About This Picture” From Windows 11

Microsoft hasn’t made it easy to disable this feature, but three ways to remove the icon are through Settings, the System Registry, and third-party software.

Disable Through Settings

This is the easiest method of the three and lets you disable “Learn about this picture” through Settings. This does, however, involve you giving up the Spotlight feature, however. Here’s what to do:

Step 1. Open up Settings (Win + I).

Step 2. Navigate to “Personalization” in the sidebar.

Step 3. Scroll down and select “Background” in the left-hand sidebar menu.

Step 4. In the “Personalize your background subsection,” select the dropdown list, and choose any option other than “Windows Spotlight.”

Step 5. The icon and the whole feature should now have been removed.

Disable With the System Registry

If you like the Spotlight feature, but can’t stand the icon on your desktop, the best way to get rid of it is through your system registry. Here’s what to do:

Step 1. Open the Registry Editor. You can do this via the Search Bar or by typing “regedit” into the Run Dialog box (Win + R).

Step 2. Once inside the Registry Editor, navigate to the following path: “Computer\HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\HideDesktopIcons.”

Step 3. In this folder, open the “NewStartPanel” subfolder by clicking it.

Step 4. Look for the entry named “{2cc5ca98-6485-489a-920e-b3e88a6ccce3}” and double click it.

Step 5. In the box that pops up, set the “Value Data” to “0.” Press “OK” when done.

Step 6. The icon should now be removed from your Desktop. If it isn’t, restart your machine.

If you want to reenable the icon at any time, simply enter the Registry Editor in the same way and change the “Value Data” to “1.”

Hide With Third-Party Software

If fiddling around in the Registry Editor worries you, then there’s always a third-party software option to help you out. Not all of them involve a price, either. Take Explorer Patcher for example. This software was designed to help users customize their Windows 11 Explorer experience.

One such control helps the user better control the Spotlight feature, including how often the image changes and if the “Learn about this picture” icon is visible. As long as you have Explorer Patcher on your machine, you’ll be able to keep the icon hidden.