When compared to Windows 10, Windows 11 may appear to be more limiting and limited( Personalizing Windows ). To some extent, this is true, especially when it comes to the new Start menu and taskbar. However, you are not confined to Windows 11’s default appearance, feel, and functionality.
You may make the new version more comfortable and appealing by customising it in a variety of ways. Changing the background picture and colours, experimenting with alternative themes, tinkering with the Start menu, modifying the Lock screen, and rearranging the taskbar are all possibilities. Here are 11 ways to make Windows 11 your own.
Also Read: How to make windows 10 taskbar look like windows 11
Personalizing your Windows 11 computer’s Lockscreen is the first step in making the system appear like yours. With Windows 11, Microsoft added a number of new features and upgrades, including the ability to customise the Lock screen.
Microsoft has modified the Windows 11 interface as a result of this. You may also personalise the Lock screen in addition to the Start Menu. This implies that when you switched to the new OS, your existing lock screen personalization settings were reset.
The simplified menus, on the other hand, make customising your operating system easier than ever. Continue reading to learn how to customise the appearance and functionality of your lock screen.
HOW TO PERSONALIZE YOUR LOCK SCREEN
While Windows 11 allows you to personalise your Lock screen, Microsoft has removed a few features. To begin with, Windows 11 no longer supports multiple lock screen widgets, but you may still utilise widgets on your PC in other ways. You can, however, utilise a widget that will show at the bottom of the page. This is how you do it:
Step 1: Right-click on an empty space on your desktop to bring down the contextual menu and select Personalize.
Step 2: Click on the Lock screen option from the personalization settings menu.
Step 3: Select the drop-down next to ‘Personalize your lock screen’ option to choose between Windows Spotlight, Picture, or Slideshow.
Keep in mind that in order for Windows Spotlight to function, your computer must be connected to the internet since it downloads fresh backgrounds on a regular basis.
The Slideshow option allows you to select a folder containing images and rotates them automatically over time. Finally, Picture allows you to select an image file on your computer to use as your lock screen background.
Step 4: Click on the drop-down menu from the Lock screen status to choose the widget that you want to be displayed at the bottom of the lock screen
The widgets that appear in the list are determined by the applications that you have installed. If you’ve just upgraded, your widget selections will be limited to the standard ones, such as Mail for displaying emails and Calendar for displaying appointments.
Lock screen widgets are more likely to be found in productivity, banking, or retail apps available on the Microsoft Store. Manually installed software that uses executable files does not yet display in the widget list.
Step 5:Select the option to “Show lock screen background photo on sign-in screen.” This will allow Windows to use your lock screen wallpaper as your sign-in screen background.
If you haven’t set a password for your user account, you won’t see the PIN security page. In addition, the themes you download and apply will have no effect on your lock screen.
Tips for Personalizing Windows 11
Many aspects in Windows 11 may be tweaked to make the new OS appear and perform the way you want it to.
1. Change your background image
Do you dislike Windows 11’s default background image? To change the background, go to Settings, Personalization, and then Background. Select one of the other built-in pictures if you want a picture. Better better, use the Browse Photos option to select a photo or image from your own collection.
2. Create a background slideshow
Do you want your background image to update on its own? A slideshow will suffice. Change the Picture button to Slideshow in the Personalize Your Background area. Choose a picture folder from your computer. You may then choose the duration of each image and whether or not to shuffle the order.
3. Choose your colors
Select the Colors to option under Personalization. You may choose between bright and dark themes here. You may also select your preferred accent colour, which will display inside selected windows as well as on the Start menu, Taskbar, title bars, and window borders.
4. Turn to a theme
You might wish to store your background picture, colours, and other aesthetic components as a theme after you’ve altered them. Go to Personalization, then Themes under Settings. To save your current setup as a theme, click Save. Alternatively, you may apply a new appearance by selecting one of the offered themes. Additional themes are available for download from the Microsoft Store.
ADDITIONAL SETTINGS THAT YOU CAN CHANGE
The Lock Screen customisation page also has settings that alter how your lock screen functions. You may modify how long your computer’s display stays active while you’re not using it by following these steps:
Step 1: Open the Settings app, click on Personalization and select Lock Screen on the right-hand pane. Then, click on Screen timeout.
Step 2: Select the Screen and sleep option.
Step 3: You can modify the two values and set the timeout to anything from 5 minutes to Never.
Some of these settings will only be useful if you’re using a laptop. You can also set a screen saver to appear on your display when you’re not using your computer:
Step 1: Open the Settings app, click on Personalization and select Lock Screen on the right-hand pane.
Step 2: Select the Screen Saver from the Lock Screen personalization page.
Step 3: Open the drop-down menu under the Screen Saver section. That will open another pop-up window.
Step 4: Select a screen saver from the list.
Step 5: Modify the Wait value to set how long Windows 11 waits before displaying the screen saver. That means the screen saver will show up only after the time you specify.
You can also check the ‘On resume, display logon screen’ option which will show the logon screen option whenever you want to use your computer again.
Personalize the Lock screen
You can improve the Lock screen to make it more welcome and helpful. Select Lock Screen from the Personalization menu. Choose from Windows Spotlight, Picture, or Slideshow as your backdrop. Microsoft’s photos and other information are displayed in Windows Spotlight. Then choose whether to show the weather, your most recent email, or your calendar on the screen.
Tweak the Start menu
Not a fan of Windows 11’s new Start menu, which is more stark and restrictive? Despite the limited customization possibilities, there are measures you may do to improve it. Go to Personalize, then Start under Settings. First, disable any things in the Start menu or the All Apps screen that you don’t want to view. Frequently added applications, most used apps, and recently accessed things may all be disabled. You may also add individual folders to the Start menu to make them more accessible. Turn on the switches for folders like Settings, File Explorer, Documents, Downloads, and Pictures by clicking the Folders item.
Tidy up the Start menu
You probably don’t need all of the icons that are pre-installed on the Start menu. You’ll almost certainly want to add your own apps as well. You could also want to rearrange the order of the applications so that the ones you use the most are at the top. All of this may be done simply from the menu. Unpin From Start by right-clicking on a programme you wish to remove from the Start menu. To add applications to the menu, go to the All Apps tab and search for the ones you want. Select Pin To Start from the context menu when you right-click on one. Return to the menu and right-click an app you wish to move to the top of the list and select Move To Top. Finally, drag and drop applications to organise them according to your personal preferences.
Populate the Desktop
You probably want to add a few apps to your desktop for easy access. You can’t add pinned programmes from the Start menu to the desktop, unlike in Windows 10. You must instead navigate through the All Apps page. Select the link for All Apps from the Start menu. When you drag an app to the desktop, a shortcut to it is created immediately.
Adjust the taskbar
The Windows 11 taskbar, like the new Start menu, has received criticism for its lack of versatility. You may still customise the new taskbar in a few ways. To access the Taskbar, go to Settings, Personalization, and then Taskbar. First, disable any taskbar programmes you don’t use, like as Search, Task View, Widgets, or Chat. Then enable any features you’d like to use from the System Tray section of the taskbar, such as the Pen Menu, Touch Keyboard, and Virtual Touchpad. Then, for any programmes you wish to view immediately on the System Tray, like as OneDrive, Teams, or Explorer, turn on the switches.
Add apps to the taskbar
You can easily add any app to the taskbar. Right-click on an app in the Start menu and select Pin To Taskbar. Right-click on an app at the All Apps screen, select More, and then select Pin To Taskbar.
Control the taskbar
You can’t move the Windows 11 taskbar to any of the four sides of the screen as you can with the Windows 10 taskbar. But you can at least move it to a more familiar spot. From the Taskbar Personalization screen, select the option for Taskbar Behaviors. Change the alignment from Center to Left. Here, you can also opt to hide the taskbar and show or not show badges on taskbar icons.
PERSONALIZE THE LOCK SCREEN
Although Microsoft has limited the personalization options available in Windows 10, you can still customise the operating system to look the way you want.
Everything may be changed, from the Start menu to the taskbar and cursor. Make your Windows 11 installation reflect your individuality by following the instructions outlined above.