‘First you harmonize, then you customize’

Wilson Pickett

There is no getting away from it: your Lock screen is supposed to be a highly personalized experience these days. Customizing this feature, by common consent, is a great opportunity to add a creative touch to your device. So, why waste it?

To start with, Windows 10 users are literally spoilt for choice: there are lots of options to choose from when tailoring the Lock screen. Indeed, these days it is highly unlikely that someone could tolerate a situation whereby they are greeted with anything but their favourite visual or a specified set of functions when starting their work on a Win 10 PC.

All this luxury is a far cry from what we had earlier: in ancient versions of Windows, Microsoft’s customers had no alternative but to put up with the tech giant’s decision to stick to the boring lock function some of us remember too well. With Windows 8, the Lock screen got a new lease of life: users were granted an opportunity to set a distinct wallpaper and see the time and date, calendar events and app notifications.

Today the Windows 10 Lock screen combines style with convenience, which means you have access to plenty of handy functionalities even before getting to the desktop. So, it is high time you found out how to configure the Lock screen on Windows 10 to suit your needs. That is why this article comes with full instructions on how to do that – just make sure to carefully follow them.

How to customize background in the Lock screen on Windows 10?

Below you will find no fewer than 3 ways on how to make your Lock screen background more personalized:

  • Make use of Windows Spotlight

If you want to keep your Windows 10 Lock screen experience somewhat fresh, consider using Windows Spotlight – it will set a different background image every time you sign in to your system. Here is how you can turn this functionality on:

  1. Open your Settings app (press the Windows logo + I shortcut).
  2. Select Personalization and click on Lock screen.
  3. Go to Background.
  4. From the drop-down menu, select Windows Spotlight.

Once you are done, you can enjoy a new lock screen image at sign-in.

  • Set a single image for your Lock screen

If there is an image you are particularly fond of, feel free to use it as your Lock screen background. Repeat the steps we provided in the previous section, but this time click Picture when navigating the Background drop-down menu. Then click the Browse button below and pick up the image you like.

  • Showcase a collection of images

If you have more than one favourite visual, there is no need to worry – you are allowed to set a picture slideshow as your Lock screen background in Windows 10. Here is how:

  1. Open your Lock screen settings (use the instructions above for this purpose).
  2. From the drop-down menu under Background, select Slideshow.
  3. Select Pictures. Then click Remove.
  4. Click Add a folder.
  5. Select the folder where you store the visuals you wish to use as background images.
  6. Click Choose this folder.
  7. Click Advanced slideshow settings to proceed with customization.
  8. If you toggle the option “Include Camera Roll folders from this PC and OneDrive” to On, you will also have your Camera Roll and OneDrive Camera Roll folder images displayed on your Lock screen.
  9. The “Only use pictures that fit my screen” option ensures that only those images that fit your screen are displayed.
  10. On this page, you can also configure your OS to show lock screen when your PC is inactive or turn off your screen after a specified slideshow period.

How to tailor app notifications in the Lock screen on Windows 10?

The Lock screen can also display app notifications – detailed or quick ones – which may prove extremely handy in certain scenarios.

Here is how you can get detailed app notifications:

  1. Go to Settings, open Personalization, and click Lock screen.
  2. Navigate to Choose an app to show detailed status.
  3. Locate and click the Plus button.
  4. Select the app from which you wish to get detailed information.

This is how you can set up quick app notifications:

  1. Locate your Lock screen settings.
  2. Move to Choose an app to show quick status.
  3. Click on the Plus button.
  4. Add an app to get quick notifications from it.

How to remove the Lock screen background from the Windows 10 Sign-in screen?

If you do not want your Sign-in screen to use your Lock screen background, follow the instructions below to disable the feature:

  1. Invoke the Settings app, open Personalization, and then click Lock screen.
  2. Switch the toggle for Show lock screen background picture on the sign-in screen to Off.

How to use Cortana in the Win 10 Lock screen?

When in the Lock screen, you can use the virtual assistant for quick queries. Take the steps below to enable the feature:

  1. Navigate to your Lock screen page.
  2. Locate Cortana lock screen settings.
  3. Move down to the Lock screen section.
  4. Turn on Use Cortana even when my device is locked.
  5. You can also let Cortana access your calendar, email, messages, and Power BI data when your PC is locked by checking the box next to this option.

How to configure screen timeout settings on Windows 10?

You can specify after what period of time the screen should be turned off when your laptop is plugged in. You can find the necessary option here:

  1. Go to Settings. Select Personalization. Click Lock screen.
  2. Click Screen timeout settings.
  3. Move to the Screen section.
  4. From the drop-down menu, select the most preferable option.

Now you know how to configure the Lock screen on Windows 10. That said, keep in mind that personalizing your OS components might not be enough for them to work smoothly. If you notice that your Win 10 is sluggish, do not hesitate to try Auslogics BoostSpeed – this powerful tool will tweak your system settings and remove all types of junk from your computer so that your PC can run as fast as possible.