How to Customize the Lock Screen in Windows 10

The lock screen in Windows 10 provides security and allows you to personalize the appearance of your computer. In this guide, we’ll go over how to set up your lock screen to match your style by choosing wallpaper, widgets, and notifications.

1. Accessing Lock Screen Settings

To start customizing your lock screen, follow these steps:

  1. Click on the “Start” button in the lower-left corner of the screen.
  2. Go to “Settings” (gear icon).
  3. Select the “Personalization” section, and then open the “Lock Screen” tab.

2. Choosing a Lock Screen Background

You can set the following options for your lock screen background:

  • Windows Spotlight — unique images from Microsoft that update regularly.
  • Picture — choose a single image from your gallery.
  • Slideshow — select a folder of photos to display in rotation.

To choose a background, click the dropdown menu under “Background” and select the desired option.

3. Adding Widgets and Notifications

The lock screen can display notifications and widgets, such as calendar events, weather, or mail. To add these:

  1. In the Lock Screen section, scroll down to “Choose an app to show detailed status”.
  2. Click an empty slot and select the app you want to display.

You can also choose an app to show quick notifications, such as unread messages or upcoming events.

4. Setting Lock Screen Timeout

To specify when the lock screen should activate, adjust the screen timeout settings:

  1. Go to “Settings” > “System” > “Power & Sleep”.
  2. In the “Screen” section, set the preferred time for the lock screen to activate.

5. Additional Privacy Settings

For added privacy, you can turn off notifications and personal information on the lock screen. To do this:

  1. In the Lock Screen section, scroll down and turn off “Show quick status notifications on the lock screen”.