How to Enable or Disable Lock Screen Background Motion in Windows 11

For Windows 11 device that has an accelerometer (a tool that measures proper acceleration), the Lock Screen background by default will pan around a still image as you physically move your device. Some PC users prefer a traditional static lock screen background image. We have already seen how to Enable or Disable the Lock Screen, now in this post we will show you how to turn on or turn off the Lock Screen Background Motion in Windows 11.

Enable or Disable Lock Screen Background Motion in Windows 11

We can Enable or Disable Lock Screen Background Motion in Windows 11 in 3 quick and easy ways. We’ll explore this topic under the methods outlined below in this section as follows.

1] Enable or Disable Lock Screen Background Motion via Settings app

To Enable or Disable Lock Screen Background Motion via Settings app in Windows 11, do the following:

• Press the Windows key + I to open Settings.
• Click Personalization on the left pane.
• Click on Lock screen on the right pane.
• Now, toggle the button to On (default) or Off the option for Make the lock screen image react when I move my PC per requirement.
• When done, exit the Settings app.

Note: The option is missing from the image above because the screenshot is not on a Windows tablet device.

2] Turn On or Off Screen Background Motion via Group Policy Editor

To Enable or Disable Lock Screen Background Motion via Group Policy Editor in Windows 11, do the following:

• Press Windows key + R to invoke the Run dialog.
• In the Run dialog box type gpedit.msc and press Enter to open Group Policy Editor.
• Inside the Local Group Policy Editor, use the left pane to navigate to the path below:

Computer Configuration > Administrative Templates > Control Panel > Personalization

• On the right pane, double-click on Prevent lock screen background motion policy to edit its properties.
• With the policy opened, set the radio button to Enabled to disable and remove the policy OR set the radio button to Not configured to allow the policy.
• Click Apply > OK to save the changes.
• Exit Group Policy Editor.

For Windows 11 Home users, you can add the Local Group Policy Editor feature and then carry out the instructions as provided above or you can do the registry method below.

3] Enable or Disable Lock Screen Background Motion via Registry Editor

To Enable or Disable Lock Screen Background Motion via Registry Editor in Windows 11, do the following:

Since this is a registry operation, it is recommended that you back up the registry or create a system restore point as necessary precautionary measures. Once done, you can proceed as follows:

• Press Windows key + R to invoke the Run dialog.
• In the Run dialog box, type regedit and hit Enter to open Registry Editor.
• Navigate or jump to the registry key path below:

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\Personalization

• At the location, on the right pane, double-click the AnimateLockScreenBackground entry to edit its properties.
• Input 1 in the Value data field to disable the policy OR input 0 to allow the policy.
• Click OK or hit Enter to save the change.
• Exit Registry Editor and restart your PC.

That’s it on the three ways to Enable or Disable Lock Screen Background Motion in Windows 11!

More tips here on how to customize the Windows 11 Lock Screen.

How do I disable Windows lock screen?

PC users that want to disable the lock screen in the Pro edition of Windows 11/10, can follow these instructions: Right-click the Start button. Click Search. Type gpedit and hit Enter on your keyboard. Double-click Administrative Templates. Double-click Control Panel. Click Personalization. Double-click Do not display the lock screen. Click Enabled.

Why is my Windows lock screen not changing?

If you notice that the Windows lock screen is not changing on your Windows PC, do the following: Open Settings. Click on Personalization. Click on Lock screen. Under “Background,” make sure Windows Spotlight is NOT selected and change the option to Picture or Slideshow.