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Windows 11 does not have an official setting called Home screen. Depending on what you want to change, you may mean the desktop wallpaper, the lock screen, the sign-in screen, or the Start menu. The correct setting is different for each one.
Use the sections below to change the part of Windows 11 you see when you start or unlock your PC.
Change the Windows 11 desktop background
The desktop background is the image, color, or slideshow behind your desktop icons.
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- Right-click an empty area of the desktop.
- Select Personalize.
- Open Background.
- Open the Personalize your background menu and choose an option.
Available background options
| Option | What it does |
|---|---|
| Picture | Uses one image as the desktop background. Select Browse photos to choose a picture stored on the PC. |
| Solid color | Displays one color instead of an image. |
| Slideshow | Rotates through images in a folder. You can choose the folder, change how often the picture changes, and enable shuffle. |
| Windows spotlight | Uses Microsoft-provided images that change automatically. |
For a picture or slideshow, use the Choose a fit for your desktop image menu. The choices include:
- Fill: Fills the screen, cropping parts of the image when necessary.
- Fit: Shows the entire image while preserving its proportions. Empty bars may appear.
- Stretch: Fills the screen but can distort the image.
- Tile: Repeats a small image across the desktop.
- Center: Places the image in the middle without resizing it.
- Span: Extends one image across multiple monitors.
Set an image directly from File Explorer
- Open File Explorer and locate the image.
- Right-click the file.
- Select Set as desktop background.
This shortcut applies the image immediately without opening Personalization.
Change the Windows 11 lock screen
The lock screen appears before the sign-in prompt, for example when you press Windows + L or wake a locked PC.
- Open Settings with Windows + I.
- Select Personalization.
- Select Lock screen.
- Open the Personalize your lock screen menu.
- Choose Windows spotlight, Picture, or Slideshow.
With Picture, choose one of the suggested images or select Browse photos. With Slideshow, select a folder containing the images you want Windows to display.
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Changing the lock-screen picture does not necessarily change the background behind your PIN or password box. To use the same image there:
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- Remain on Settings > Personalization > Lock screen.
- Expand Related settings if necessary.
- Turn on Show the lock screen background picture on the sign-in screen.
If this switch is off, Windows may show a plain or separately managed sign-in background even though the lock screen itself has the picture you selected.
Change lock-screen information
On the same Lock screen page, use Lock screen status to choose an app that can display information such as calendar details, mail, or weather. The exact app choices depend on the apps installed on your PC.
Customize the Windows 11 Start menu
If by “home screen” you mean the menu that opens when you select the Windows logo, customize the Start menu rather than the desktop background.
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- Select Start or press the Windows key.
- Select All apps.
- Find the app.
- Right-click it and select Pin to Start.
You can also search for an app, right-click the search result, and choose Pin to Start.
Remove or move a pinned app
- Open Start.
- Right-click a pinned app.
- Select Unpin from Start to remove it, or choose Move to front to place it at the beginning of the pinned list.
To rearrange apps, drag a pinned app to a different position. If the Start menu contains more pinned apps than fit on the page, use the page controls or scroll within the pinned area.
Create a folder in the pinned area
- Open Start.
- Drag one pinned app onto another.
- Open the new folder to see its contents.
- Select the folder name to rename it, if that option is available in your build of Windows 11.
Drag apps out of the folder to separate them again. To remove the folder, remove all of its apps.
Change the Start menu layout
- Open Settings.
- Go to Personalization > Start.
- Choose the settings you want for the Start menu.
Depending on your Windows 11 version, these controls can include showing more pinned items, showing more recommendations, or using the default layout. You can also turn on or off options such as:
- Showing recently added apps.
- Showing the most-used apps.
- Showing recently opened items in Start, Jump Lists, and File Explorer.
- Showing recommendations for tips, shortcuts, new apps, and more.
Windows 11 does not provide the old Windows 10 Use Start full screen setting. The Windows 11 Start menu opens as a menu over the desktop.
Change the desktop icon layout
If you want to change the icons visible on this “home screen,” right-click an empty area of the desktop and use the View menu to change icon size or enable Auto arrange icons and Align icons to grid.
To show or hide standard icons such as This PC, Recycle Bin, and Network:
- Open Settings > Personalization > Themes.
- Select Desktop icon settings.
- Tick the icons you want to display.
- Select Apply, then OK.
Quick answer: which setting should you use?
| What you want to change | Windows 11 path |
|---|---|
| Wallpaper behind desktop icons | Settings > Personalization > Background |
| Image shown before unlocking | Settings > Personalization > Lock screen |
| Image behind the PIN or password prompt | Enable Show the lock screen background picture on the sign-in screen under Lock screen |
| Apps and recommendations in Start | Settings > Personalization > Start |
| Desktop icons | Settings > Personalization > Themes > Desktop icon settings |
Common problems
The picture looks stretched or cropped
Return to Settings > Personalization > Background and change Choose a fit for your desktop image. Fit preserves the complete image, while Fill usually removes empty bars at the cost of cropping some edges.
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The sign-in screen did not change
Check the Show the lock screen background picture on the sign-in screen switch. The lock screen and sign-in screen are separate stages, and changing one does not always change the other.
The option is missing or unavailable
A work or school administrator may control personalization through policy. Windows may also restrict some settings when Windows is not activated. If the setting is available but does not apply, restart Windows and check whether a third-party wallpaper or device-management program is overriding it.
FAQ
What is the home screen called in Windows 11?
Windows 11 uses several names rather than one official “home screen” name. The desktop is the area behind your icons, the lock screen appears before sign-in, and Start is the menu opened with the Windows key.
How do I change my Windows 11 home-screen wallpaper?
Right-click an empty desktop area, select Personalize, open Background, and choose Picture, Solid color, Slideshow, or Windows spotlight.
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Go to Settings > Personalization > Lock screen and turn on Show the lock screen background picture on the sign-in screen.
Can I make the Windows 11 Start menu full screen?
Windows 11 does not include the old Windows 10 Use Start full screen option. You can change the Start layout and pinned items from Settings > Personalization > Start.
Do I need a command to change the Windows 11 home screen?
No. Windows 11 provides the required controls in Settings, the desktop right-click menu, File Explorer, and Start. No Command Prompt or PowerShell command is required.
The Bottom Line
For most people, “change the home screen” means changing the desktop wallpaper: right-click the desktop, select Personalize, and open Background. Use Lock screen for the image shown before sign-in, and Personalization > Start to change the Windows 11 Start menu.
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