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Finding out where the Windows 10 lock screen photos are from

Anonymous
2024-05-11T19:01:59+00:00

After unsuccessfully trying many responses in other threads to find out where the photos were taken that are used in Windows Spotlight and the Windows lock screen images, I found this page and IT IS SO EASY:

https://newsinitiative.withgoogle.com/resources/trainings/verification-google-image-search/

It gives exact instructions on how to search for the image using (Step 1) the Chrome browser and (Step 2) other browsers. I use Chrome, and the instructions couldn't have been easier.:

Visit google.com/images and click on the camera icon at the end of the search bar.

and then

Upload an original or cropped screen grab of the image.

I download and save the photos to a specific folder on my hard drive. Using the above instructions I click on the camera icon at Google Images, click on Upload and then navigate to my folder where I save them and select the photo I want to identify. It comes up with that exact image EVERY TIME with many links to where that photo appears, and you can ALWAYS identify exactly where the photo was taken. I then rename the one on my hard drive to where it was taken.

Since it is easy to forget how to grab and identify these photos, in the folder on my hard drive where I save them I keep a text file giving the instructions for (1) how to locate them on your hard drive, (2) how to download the images, since they change regularly and you have to grab them while the current set appears, and (3) how to identify where the photos were taken.

The easiest instructions for locating them on your hard drive: https://www.laptopmag.com/articles/find-windows-10-lock-screen-pictures

To download the new images when they change, go back to the above folder as it will now show the new/current images and repeat step one (copy them to another folder you have created).

Then identify where the photos were taken using the instructions at the beginning of this post and rename your image files accordingly. DO NOT RENAME THE IMAGES IN THE MICROSOFT FOLDER, rename only the ones you have copied to the folder where you are saving the ones you have chosen for your collection.

I hope this helps everyone else who, like me, was pulling their hair out trying to accomplish this.

Windows for home | Windows 10 | Windows Hello, lock screen and sign-in

Locked Question. This question was migrated from the Microsoft Support Community. You can vote on whether it's helpful, but you can't add comments or replies or follow the question.

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  1. Anonymous
    2024-07-16T08:32:28+00:00

    Microsoft used to have the option to click on 'like this this photo' , and it gave some info about the photo. I don't see that anymore.

    10+ people found this answer helpful.
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  2. Anonymous
    2025-01-13T19:56:36+00:00

    Hi Martin, I don't want to download the photo, I just want to know where it is. If your going to post them on your products, why not give credit to the location with a simple label? I suggest this because, the beauty is distracting, but making it a time-consuming exercise to research it doesn't seem efficient nor sustainable. A "Like" tab is also OK.

    Thank you, Tom

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  3. Anonymous
    2024-10-17T13:21:34+00:00

    We used to be able to click on an icon near the photo and see where it is from

    Has that option disappeared ?

    10+ people found this answer helpful.
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  4. Anonymous
    2025-04-09T07:44:40+00:00

    I found this solution much easier than the registry hacks, revers images etc the INet is plastered with!

    Cliff M. says on November 1, 2022 at 10:56 pm

    Don’t have “Like what I see?” on your screen.

    Simple,

    hold the Windows Button down and hit the letter L

    Your computer will go into lockscreen mode, and give you the “Like what you see” feature,

    the name of the place where the picture was taken,

    and in the center of the picture an explanation of the picture.

    Source: https://www.intowindows.com/know-where-a-windows-spotlight-picture-was-taken/#comment-856642

    8 people found this answer helpful.
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  5. Anonymous
    2024-07-16T22:37:10+00:00

    I actually saw it ONCE on a photo that came up last week when my computer restarted after a Windows update. The little camera image appeared in the upper right corner that I had read about but never seen on any of my lockscreen images, and it did identify where the photo was taken. That little camera has not appeared on any images since then, slinking back into the realm of legend. No matter, the camera icon in the Google search field is still working perfectly to identify images.

    5 people found this answer helpful.
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