Windows Spotlight

Windows Spotlight
	Lock screen of a Windows 11 PC with Windows Spotlight shown on a black background
Developer(s)	Microsoft
Operating system	Windows 10, Windows 11 by Microsoft
Predecessor	Windows 8 metro style lock screen
Type	Lock screen slideshow service

Windows Spotlight is a feature included with Windows 10 and Windows 11 which downloads images and advertisements from Bing and displays them as background wallpapers on the lock screen. In 2017, Microsoft began adding location information for many of the photographs.

Technical details

Windows Spotlight images are provided by Windows' Content Delivery Manager. New ones are shown every 1–2 days. Downloaded images are stored in JPEG format on the computer.^[1] If the Content Delivery Manager has no new picture to display, a default image is used. This default fallback image can be changed.^[2]

Photo locations

Photo location information is made available to the computer user.^[3] The images typically depict identifiable, well-known locations such as famous historical or natural landmarks and rarely show any human beings. Location information is occasionally provided, while photo credits are typically not. The following subjects have been featured (alphabetical by continent):

Africa

Abu Simbel, Egypt
The White Desert (Sahara el Beyda) near Farafra, Egypt
Nile River near Luxor, Egypt
Sway bridge at The Palace of the Lost City, Sun City, South Africa
Grand Anse Beach, La Digue Island, Seychelles
Isalo National Park, Madagascar
Sahara Desert dunes near Ouargla, Algeria
Waterfalls near Chamarel, Mauritius

Antarctica

Lemaire Channel

Asia

Angkor Wat, Cambodia
Longsheng Rice Terrace, China
Chateau Laffitte Hotel, Beijing, China
Canola fields in Luoping County, China
Dushanzi Grand Canyon, Dushanzi District, Karamay, China
Huangshang Mountains, China
Yangshuo County, China
Zhangjiajie National Forest Park, China
Zhangye Danxia National Geological Park, China
Hong Kong skyline, Hong Kong
Jal Mahal, Jaipur, India
Taj Mahal, Agra, India
Kelimutu, Indonesia
Lampung, Indonesia
Azadi Tower, Tehran, Iran
Vakil Mosque, Shiraz, Iran
Hokkaido Island, Japan
Petra, Jordan
Yamanashi Prefecture, Japan
Jeti-Ögüz Rocks, Kyrgyzstan
A lagoon in Semporna, Malaysia, Borneo
El Nido, Philippines
Quiapo, Philippines
Lake Baikal, Siberia, Russia
Rub' al Khali, Saudi Arabia
Supertree Grove, Gardens by the Bay, Singapore
Bukhansan National Park, South Korea
Hehuanshan Mountain, Taiwan
Ko Tapu off Khao Phing Kan, Phang Nga Bay, Thailand
Ko Phayam, Andaman Sea, Thailand
Sam Pan Bok, Ubon Ratchathani, Thailand
Ao Ta Lo Woo pier in Ko Tarutao, Tarutao National Park, Thailand
Ha Long Bay, Vietnam

Europe

Garni Gorge, Armenia
Hallstatt, Austria
Lake Gosau, Austria
Central Train Station, Antwerp, Belgium
Bruges, Belgium
Devetashka Cave, Lovech Province, Bulgaria
Rab Island coastline, Croatia
Land's End, Cornwall, England
Palace of Westminster London, England
Port Isaac, England
Stonehenge, England
Wastwater Lake, Lake District, England
Yorkshire, England
Lac du Pontet, Villar-d'Arêne, France
Luberon, Gordes, France
Arles, France (ISS Photo)
Arc de Triomphe, Paris, France
Réunion, France
Nuuk, Greenland
Tasermiut Fjord, Greenland
Arch bridge Rakotzbrucke or Devil's bridge in Kromlau, Germany
The Baltic Sea in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, Germany
Eibsee Lake in Bavaria, Germany
Überseequartier station in Hamburg, Germany
Hohenzollern Castle, Baden-Württemberg, Germany
Lüneburg Heath, Germany
Diving bell at Zingst Pier, Zinnowitz, Germany
Saxon Switzerland National Park, Germany
Andros, Greece
Mykonos, Greece
Navagio, Greece
Oia, Greece
Fisherman's Bastion, Budapest, Hungary
Lake Balaton, Hungary
Seljalandsfoss, Iceland
Jökulsárlón, Iceland
Lakagígar, Iceland
Burano, Italy
Colza fields in Tuscany, Italy
Civita di Bagnoregio in the Province of Viterbo, Italy
Antorno Lake w/Lavaredo Peaks in the Dolomites, Italy
Leaning Tower of Pisa, Pisa, Italy
Palazzo Vecchio, Florence, Italy
Seiser Alm meadow in the Dolomites, Italy
Sunrise in Tuscany, Italy
Selva di Val Gardena, South Tyrol, Italy
Giant's Causeway, Northern Ireland
Lofoten Islands, Norway
Grøtfjord, Troms County, Norway
Hotel Durmitor, Durmitor National Park, Montenegro
Lake Biograd, Biogradska Gora National park, Montenegro
Doesburg, Netherlands
Morskie Oko lake, Tatra National Park, Poland
The Algarve coast, Portugal
Elektrozavodskaya station, Moscow, Russia
Neist Point, Isle of Skye, Scotland
Trotternish, Isle of Skye, Scotland
Victoria Street and West Bow, Edinburgh, Scotland
Petticowick, St Abbs, Scotland
Lake Bled, Slovenia
Delika Canyon waterfall, Nervion River, Spain
Ronda, Spain
Nervión River Falls, Basque Country, Spain
San Juan de Gaztelugatxe, Bermeo, Spain
Archipelago of Gothenburg, Sweden
Newcastle Upon Tyne, England

North America

Kananaskis Country, Alberta, Canada
Moraine Lake, Alberta, Canada
Lake Louise, Alberta, Canada
Banff National Park, Alberta, Canada
Vancouver from Burnaby Mountain, BC, Canada
Numa Falls, British Columbia, Canada
Landing Lake in Manitoba, Canada
Peggy's Cove Lighthouse, Nova Scotia, Canada
Niagara Falls, Ontario, Canada and New York, US
Tobermory, Ontario, Canada
Perce Rock Quebec, Canada
Havana, Cuba
Punta Gorda, Florida
Antigua Guatemala, Guatemala
Lake Atitlan Guatemala
Durango, Mexico
Tamul and Tamasopo waterfalls, Aquismón, near the Cave of Swallows, Huasteca Potosina, Mexico
Philipsburg, Sint Maarten
Antelope Canyon, Arizona, US
Cathedral Rock, Arizona, US
The Wave, Vermillion Cliffs National Monument, Arizona, US
Badwater Basin, Death Valley, California, US
Golden Gate Bridge, California, US
Convict Lake, California, US
Natural Bridges State Beach, Santa Cruz, California, US
Yosemite National Park, California, US
Zabriske Point, Death Valley, California, US
Bixby Creek Bridge, Big Sur Coast, California, US
Griffith Observatory and Los Angeles, California, US
South Dakota Highway 87 Needle Eye natural granite tunnel, South Dakota, US
Brasstown Bald, Georgia, US
Kailua Pier, Hawaii, Hawaii, US
Na Pali Coast, Kauai, Hawaii, US
Oahu, Hawaii, Hawaii, US
Chicago Lakefront, Illinois, US
Acadia National Park, Maine, US
St Joseph Lighthouse, Michigan, US
Gateway Arch, St. Louis, Missouri, US
Grinnell Point on Swiftcurrent Lake, Glacier National Park, Montana, US
Bisti/De-Na-Zin Wilderness, New Mexico, US
Valley of Fire State Park, Nevada, US
Bethesda Terrace and Fountain, Central Park, New York City, New York, US
Castilleja Indivisa wild flowers field, Oklahoma, US
Vista House, Columbia River Gorge, Oregon, US
Mesa Arch, Canyonlands National Park, Utah, US
Teton Range, Wyoming, US
Grand Prismatic Spring, Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming, US
Pennybacker Bridge, Austin, Texas, US
Bryce Canyon National park, Utah, US
Silver Falls State Park, Oregon, US

Central America

Tenorio Volcano National Park waterfall place, Costa Rica
Tikal, Guatemala
Big Rock Falls, Belize

South America

El Chalten, Santa Cruz Province, Argentina
Esquel, Argentina
Iguazu Falls, Argentina and Brazil
Laguna de Los Tres and Mount Fitz Roy in Patagonia, Argentina
Rio de Janeiro from Sugarloaf Mountain, Brazil
Copacabana and Ipanema beaches in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
Torres del Paine National Park, Chile
Caño Cristales River, Colombia
Bartolome Island Galapagos Islands, Ecuador
Los Roques archipelago, Venezuela
Mount Roraima (surrounding Venezuela, Brazil and Guyana)
Tayrona National Natural Park, Colombia
Laguna Garzón Bridge, Uruguay

Oceania

The Twelve Apostles, Victoria, Australia
Kiama Harbour, NSW, Australia
Gordon Dam, Tasmania, Australia
Uluru, Northern Territory, Australia
Moorea, French Polynesia
Milford Sound, New Zealand
Moeraki Boulders, New Zealand
Browns Island, New Zealand
Lake Wānaka, New Zealand
Aupouri Peninsula, New Zealand
Lake Quill, New Zealand
Taranaki volcano seen from the Mangamahoe lake, New Zealand

Other pictures

Red deer in Richmond Park, London
Fauna in Madagascar
Catamaran on the beach in Madagascar
Butterflies in Kaeng Krachan National Park, Thailand
Male black-naped monarch (bird)
Blue-footed Booby, Galapagos Islands
European hedgehog
Greylag goose landing on lake
Sea Otter Homer, Alaska
Two egrets dancing in a lake, by Tahir Abbas from Pakistan
Golden butterflyfish swimming with sea goldies near Red Sea, Egypt
Rothschild's giraffe and pelicans, near Lake Nakuru, Kenya
Witch's Broom Nebula, outerspace

References

^ Srivastav, Divyanshu (April 21, 2022). "How to download Windows spotlight images in 3 easy steps?". Cyber Blog. Retrieved October 8, 2024.
^ "Personalize your lock screen". Microsoft. Retrieved February 18, 2023.
^ Wallaker, Matthew (June 2, 2022). "Where Were the Windows 10 Lock Screen Photos Taken?". Make Use Of. Retrieved February 18, 2023.

External links

[1] Srivastav, Divyanshu (April 21, 2022). "How to download Windows spotlight images in 3 easy steps?". Cyber Blog. Retrieved October 8, 2024.

[Windows_support,_personalise_lock_screen-2] "Personalize your lock screen". Microsoft. Retrieved February 18, 2023.

[Make_Use_Of,_June_2,_2022-3] Wallaker, Matthew (June 2, 2022). "Where Were the Windows 10 Lock Screen Photos Taken?". Make Use Of. Retrieved February 18, 2023.

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