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Windows 11 does not have a setting officially called Home screen. Depending on what you want to change, you may mean the desktop background, the lock screen, the sign-in screen, or the Start menu. The desktop is the screen visible after you sign in, so changing its wallpaper is usually the answer.
Change the Windows 11 desktop background
Use these steps to replace the picture, color, or slideshow shown behind your desktop icons:
- Right-click an empty area of the desktop and select Personalize.
- Select Background.
- Open the menu beside Personalize your background.
- Choose one of these options:
| Option | What it does |
|---|---|
| Picture | Uses one image as the desktop background. Select Browse photos to choose an image stored on the PC. |
| Solid color | Replaces the wallpaper with a single color. |
| Slideshow | Rotates through images in a selected folder. You can set how often the image changes and whether the order is shuffled. |
| Windows spotlight | Displays Microsoft-provided images that change automatically. |
When you select Picture, use the Choose a fit for your desktop image menu to control how the image fills the screen:
- Fill enlarges the image to cover the screen, which can crop its edges.
- Fit shows the whole image, but may leave bars at the sides or top and bottom.
- Stretch fills the screen but can distort the picture.
- Tile repeats a smaller image across the desktop.
- Center places the image in the middle without scaling it.
- Span stretches one image across multiple monitors.
Set a picture directly from File Explorer
Open File Explorer, locate the image, right-click it, and select Set as desktop background. Windows immediately applies the picture without requiring you to open Settings.
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Change the Windows 11 lock screen
The lock screen appears before the sign-in prompt when the PC starts, wakes, or is locked. It is separate from the desktop wallpaper.
- Open Settings by pressing Windows + I.
- Select Personalization.
- Select Lock screen.
- Open the menu beside Personalize your lock screen.
- Choose Windows spotlight, Picture, or Slideshow.
- For Picture, select Browse photos and choose an image. For Slideshow, choose the folder containing the pictures.
You can also choose which app displays information on the lock screen. Under the lock-screen settings, use Lock screen status to select an app such as Weather, Mail, or Calendar, depending on the apps installed on your PC.
Use the same picture on the sign-in screen
The sign-in screen is the page where you enter your password, PIN, or other credentials. Changing the lock-screen picture does not always change this screen automatically.
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- Go to Settings > Personalization > Lock screen.
- Expand Related settings if necessary and open Sign-in screen, or locate the lock-screen option for showing the background picture on the sign-in screen.
- Turn on Show the lock screen background picture on the sign-in screen.
If this option is disabled, Windows may show the default Windows background behind the credential box even though your chosen lock-screen picture is working correctly.
Change the Windows 11 Start menu
If by “home screen” you mean the menu opened with the Windows key, customize the Start menu instead:
- Open Settings > Personalization > Start.
- Adjust the available Start options, such as showing recently added apps, most-used apps, or recently opened items.
- Use the Folders setting to add shortcuts such as File Explorer, Settings, Documents, Downloads, or Network beside the power button.
Pin an app to Start
- Open Start.
- Select All to view the installed apps.
- Right-click an app and select Pin to Start.
You can also search for an app, right-click its result, and choose Pin to Start.
Remove or move a pinned app
Open Start, right-click a pinned app, and select Unpin from Start to remove it. To change its position, drag the app to another location in the pinned section. Windows 11 does not provide the old Windows 10-style live tile folders and full-screen Start layout.
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Under Settings > Personalization > Start, Windows 11 provides layout choices that control how much space is given to pinned apps and recommended content. Select the layout that best matches how many shortcuts you want visible. The exact options can vary between Windows 11 releases.
Change the desktop theme
A theme can change several appearance settings at once, including the wallpaper, colors, sounds, and sometimes the mouse pointer.
- Open Settings > Personalization > Themes.
- Select one of the available themes.
- For more themes, select Browse themes to open Microsoft Store themes.
To customize individual parts of a theme, use the settings for Background, Colors, Sounds, and Mouse cursor under Personalization.
Common problems when changing the Windows 11 home screen
| Problem | Likely cause and fix |
|---|---|
| The picture looks cropped | Open Settings > Personalization > Background and change the fit to Fit or Center. Cropping is normal with Fill. |
| The wallpaper changes back | A slideshow, Windows spotlight, theme, or organization policy may be controlling the background. Select Picture and choose a specific file. |
| The sign-in picture did not change | Turn on Show the lock screen background picture on the sign-in screen in the lock-screen settings. |
| A work or school PC blocks personalization | An administrator may have applied a policy preventing wallpaper, theme, or lock-screen changes. Only the administrator can remove that restriction. |
| The Start menu has no app shortcut | Search for the app, right-click the result, and select Pin to Start. Some system components cannot be pinned in the same way as normal apps. |
| The image looks blurry | Use a higher-resolution image close to the monitor’s resolution. A small image enlarged to a 4K display will usually look soft. |
Do you need a command?
No command is required. Windows 11 provides the supported controls through Settings > Personalization, desktop right-click menus, File Explorer, and the Start menu. Registry edits and third-party wallpaper utilities are unnecessary for normal background, lock-screen, or Start menu changes.
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What is the home screen called in Windows 11?
Windows 11 uses different names depending on the screen: the desktop is the main screen after sign-in, the lock screen appears before sign-in, and Start is the menu opened with the Windows key.
How do I change the main wallpaper in Windows 11?
Right-click the desktop, select Personalize, open Background, choose Picture, Solid color, Slideshow, or Windows spotlight, and then select the image or folder you want.
How do I change the picture behind my Windows 11 password box?
Open Settings > Personalization > Lock screen and enable 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 customize pinned apps, recommended content, layout, and Start folders under Settings > Personalization > Start.
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The background fit is probably set to Fill. Change it to Fit or Center under Settings > Personalization > Background. Fill intentionally crops parts of images to cover the entire display.
The Bottom Line
For the normal Windows 11 “home screen,” change the desktop through Settings > Personalization > Background. Use Lock screen for the image shown before sign-in, enable the sign-in-screen option if needed, and use Personalization > Start when you mean the Windows menu rather than the desktop.
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