This hidden Windows 11 feature adds colorful stickers to your desktop

Aug 25, 2023

Windows 11 contains a deeply hidden feature that allows you to embellish your Windows desktop with colorful stickers. You can choose from cartoony clipart stickers like a small bee or a purple broccoli, and freely place and move them around. The stickers don’t offer any functionality whatsoever, but they’re a fun, secret way to put a personal touch on your desktop.

If you want to activate the stickers, you need to add them to the Windows registry. Type regedit in the Windows 11 search box, open the Registry Editor, then navigate to the folder “HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\PolicyManager\current\device”.

Right-click the “device” folder and select New > Key. Name the new key “Stickers”. Right-click on “Stickers” and select New > DWORD value (32-bit). Then give the new DWORD the name “EnableStickers”. Double-click on “EnableStickers” and set the “Value” to “1”. You must then restart Windows. Now you can activate the stickers!

Windows 11 contains a hidden feature that allows you to decorate your desktop with stickers. There are a large number of cartoon motifs to choose from.

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Note: The stickers are only available if you have selected either “Picture” or “Windows Spotlight” for “Personalize background” in the Windows Setting” under Personalization > Background. With the “Picture” setting, the “Fill in” option must be active for “Select a suitable picture for your desktop”. To remove the stickers again, call up “Add or edit stickers”, click the sticker you want to remove, and then click on the recycle bin symbol.

There are two ways to use the stickers. First, you can right-click on a free space on the desktop and select “Add or edit stickers”. Alternatively, you can open the Windows Settings app and head to the Personalization >Background section. Scroll down there and click on “Add stickers” next to “Select stickers for your wallpaper”.

In both cases, a window opens with a selection of clipart. Click on one of the stickers to transfer it to your desktop. There, you can move and resize it. You can select as many clipart stickers as you want to use!

Further reading: 10 obscure Windows features that will blow your mind

This article was translated from German to English and originally appeared on pcwelt.de.

Roland Freist bearbeitet als freier IT-Fachjournalist Themen rund um Windows, Anwendungen, Netzwerke, Security und Internet.