Windows spotlight image disappears again

Question

hi,

The Windows spotlight image has disappeared again. Can Microsoft or other users check if that is the case?

Answer 1

User Danilo Bonamoneta says the problem is related to the use of a local account in Windows with Onedrive and Windows Spotlight. I think he's right:

'I discovered that the problem is related to logging into OneDrive. If you delete your Microsoft account credentials from the Credential Manager, and also delete all the cache files in this path "%localappdata%\Microsoft\TokenBroker\Cache", Spotlight starts working again, but OneDrive, if it is still connected, will work for a few hours after which it will ask you to re-enter your credentials, creating the block again. The alternative is to enter the credentials into the Windows account, since the problem only occurs if the Windows user is a local account. Has Microsoft decided to block the functionality for those who do not use a Microsoft account in Windows? They have been pushing for a long time to prevent the use of local accounts.'

Answer 2

same problem

Answer 3

Windows spotlight can stop showing new images or appear to “disappear” if the feature is disabled by policy, replaced by a custom background, or affected by recent updates.

Key points from current behavior and documentation:

1. On Windows 10 and Windows 11 Enterprise/Education, Windows spotlight is the feature that rotates daily images on the lock screen and desktop background and can show suggestions, tips, and organizational messages.
2. After installing certain updates (for example, KB5046633 on Windows 11 or KB5048652 on Windows 10), the default wallpaper behavior can change so that Windows spotlight becomes the default background. This can also be modified again by policy or by user settings, which may make it look like Spotlight has “disappeared.”
3. If an organization deploys a custom lock screen or desktop background image via policy (Intune/MDM, Group Policy, or CSP), that custom image replaces the Windows spotlight image, even though Spotlight content (tips, messages) can still appear.
4. Windows spotlight itself is controlled by policy settings such as AllowWindowsSpotlight and ConfigureWindowsSpotlightOnLockScreen. If these are disabled or overridden, Spotlight images will no longer appear.

To verify and restore Spotlight on a single device (if supported by the edition):

1. Open Settings → Personalization → Lock screen.
2. Under Personalize your lock screen, select Windows spotlight.
3. On Windows 11/10 desktop background, open Settings → Personalization → Background, and under Personalize your background choose Windows spotlight if available.

If the device is managed (Insider, corporate, or school device):

• An administrator may have configured a custom lock screen or disabled Spotlight via Group Policy or MDM (Experience Policy CSP). In that case, the Spotlight image will not show even if it previously did.

Because this is an Insider scenario and behavior can change with builds, checking with other Insiders in the same channel and build, or reviewing any recent policy changes, is the most direct way to confirm whether this is a broader issue or specific to the device/policy configuration.

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References:

• Configure Windows spotlight (windows-11)
• Configure Windows spotlight (windows-10)
• Configure the desktop and lock screen backgrounds (windows-11)
• Configure the desktop and lock screen backgrounds (windows-10)
• Policy CSP - Experience
• Change the desktop background in Windows