Turn off Windows Spotlight on the lock screen: the registry values
Short answer
UpdatedWindows Spotlight downloads the changing lock screen pictures along with tips and promotions. This tweak turns the rotating lock screen and its content subscriptions off for your account. In the registry it sets RotatingLockScreenEnabled to 0 under HKCU\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\ContentDeliveryManager, and 2 more values.
HKCUSoftware\
RotatingLockScreenEnabled10
What it does
Windows Spotlight downloads the changing lock screen pictures along with tips and promotions. This tweak turns the rotating lock screen and its content subscriptions off for your account.
In the app the switch is called "Disable Windows Spotlight", described there as: Stops Spotlight/lockscreen content downloads and tasks.
When it helps, and when it hurts
When it helps
- Stopping the image and promotion downloads and the tips on the lock screen.
When it hurts
- The lock screen shows a fixed picture instead of a new one every day.
What it writes
Exactly what the switch changes, read from the app's source. Switching it off is what the app writes when you turn the tweak off again.
| Key and value | With the tweak | Switching it off |
|---|---|---|
| HKCUSoftware\ | 0 | 1 |
| HKCUSoftware\ | 0 | 1 |
| HKCUSoftware\ | 0 | 1 |
From the app's source (spotlightoff.hpp), app 2.0.0, checked .
The same change by hand
You do not need the app for this one. These commands make the changes from the table above. Run them in a Command Prompt opened as administrator, and make a restore point first.
reg add "HKCU\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\ContentDeliveryManager" /v "RotatingLockScreenEnabled" /t REG_DWORD /d 0 /f
reg add "HKCU\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\ContentDeliveryManager" /v "SubscribedContent-338387Enabled" /t REG_DWORD /d 0 /f
reg add "HKCU\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\ContentDeliveryManager" /v "SubscribedContent-338389Enabled" /t REG_DWORD /d 0 /freg add "HKCU\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\ContentDeliveryManager" /v "RotatingLockScreenEnabled" /t REG_DWORD /d 1 /f
reg add "HKCU\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\ContentDeliveryManager" /v "SubscribedContent-338387Enabled" /t REG_DWORD /d 1 /f
reg add "HKCU\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\ContentDeliveryManager" /v "SubscribedContent-338389Enabled" /t REG_DWORD /d 1 /freg query "HKCU\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\ContentDeliveryManager" /v "RotatingLockScreenEnabled"How to undo it
In the app: Yes
Switching it off sets a standard Windows value, which may not be exactly how you had it.
Switch the tweak off in Frozen Tweaks. It writes RotatingLockScreenEnabled back to 1, SubscribedContent-338387Enabled back to 1, SubscribedContent-338389Enabled back to 1.
Changing several settings at once? The app's Make a restore point button, on every plan, makes a Windows restore point before you start.
Verdict
Harmless tidying, with no effect on games.
Questions
- What does the "Disable Windows Spotlight" tweak change in Windows?
- In the registry it sets RotatingLockScreenEnabled to 0 under HKCU\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\ContentDeliveryManager, and 2 more values. The full list is in the table on this page, read from the app's source.
- What is the standard value of RotatingLockScreenEnabled?
- Frozen Tweaks writes 1 when you switch the tweak off, which is the value it treats as the Windows standard. With the tweak on, RotatingLockScreenEnabled is 0.
- Is "Disable Windows Spotlight" safe to switch on?
- Harmless tidying, with no effect on games. The main cost: The lock screen shows a fixed picture instead of a new one every day.
- How do I undo it?
- Switch the tweak off in Frozen Tweaks. Switching it off sets a standard Windows value, which may not be exactly how you had it.
- Is "Disable Windows Spotlight" free in Frozen Tweaks?
- Yes. It is one of the free tweaks, with no time limit.
In the app
- Switch
- Disable Windows Spotlight
- Category
- Debloat
- Plan
- Free
- Undo
- Yes
Related guides
- Windows 11 Gaming Optimization: What Still Works in 2026An honest audit of Windows 11 gaming tweaks: which settings still measurably help in 2026, which are placebo, and which quietly cost you security.8 min read
- Low-End PC Gaming Optimization: Getting Playable Frame RatesWhat actually works on a weak PC, in order, including the one upgrade that beats every software tweak combined, and honest limits on what tuning can do.7 min read
More tweak explainers
- Activity historyActivity history records which apps and files you open so Windows can show a timeline and sync it to your Microsoft account. What it changes and how to undo it.2 min read
- Clipboard history and syncClipboard history (Win + V) keeps the last items you copied, and cloud clipboard syncs them to your other devices. What it changes and how to undo it.2 min read
- Edge WebView2 auto-updateWebView2 is the Edge engine other apps embed, and the EdgeUpdate services keep it and Edge up to date in the background. What it changes and how to undo it.3 min read
Written by
Frost LIVEFounder of Frozen Tweaks, based in Hamburg, Germany. Publishes settings guides for competitive games on his YouTube channel, Frost LIVE.
In the app
- Category
- Debloat
- Plan
- Free
- Undo
- Yes
Frozen Tweaks
Free for Windows 10 and 11
58 tweaks free, each with an undo switch. Never edits game files.
v2.0.0 · 6.4 MB · Windows 10 and 11, 64-bit · free account, no payment details
Or type frozentweaks.com on your PC.
The free Windows app for competitive games.
58 tweaks free, each with an undo switch. Never edits game files.
v2.0.0 · 6.4 MB · Windows 10 and 11, 64-bit · free account, no payment details
Frozen Tweaks runs on Windows. Send the link to your PC and download it there.
Or type frozentweaks.com on your PC.