How to get rid of ads on the Windows 10 lock screen
Microsoft wants to put ads everywhere! Here's how to take them off your lock screen.
Your Windows 10 lock screen is starting to look a little cluttered with notifications, spotlight feedback, Windows tips and Cortana. And now...ads?
Ads on your lock screen aren't a totally new thing -- we first saw them in February, when Microsoft started pushing the game Rise of the Tomb Raider. But since the Anniversary Update has nixed the registry hack that let Windows 10 Home users disable the lock screen -- the policy that let Pro users kill it in the Group Policy Editor has also been cut -- you may actually start noticing those ads.
You can still get rid of them (for now). Here's how:
Open the Settings menu and go to Personalization > Lock screen.
You have three options for your lock screen background: Windows spotlight, a single picture or a slideshow from a folder on your PC. If you're using Windows spotlight, you need to accept ads as part of your life -- you cannot turn off ads with the Windows spotlight option. If you love the Windows spotlight wallpapers but not the ads, check out our guide on how to find and download past spotlight photos.
To banish ads from your lock screen, you'll need to choose either Picture or Slideshow for your lock screen background.
Once you've chosen Picture or Slideshow, you will see an option to Get fun facts, tips and more from Windows and Cortana on your lock screen. This option is turned on by default, and is what allows Windows 10 to display ads on your lock screen. Turn it off.