Windows 11’s Scrapped Dynamic Wallpapers: A Blast of Futuristic Elegance Lost in the Haze

Windows 11’s Dynamic Wallpaper Plans Have Been Scrapped

If you were hoping to spice up your Windows 11 desktop with some dynamic wallpapers, we’ve got some bad news for you. It seems that Microsoft has abandoned the idea of live wallpapers, which were once planned for the operating system.

The concept of dynamic wallpapers, featuring animations and subtle effects, was first spotted by an ex-Microsoft designer, Sergey Kisselev, who shared some purported images of these wallpapers on Behance. Kisselev explained that a variety of dynamic animations and still images were explored for Microsoft’s low-cost devices, primarily targeting educational users.

A Glimpse into the Past

Windows Central picked up on the fact that Kisselev shared these images, which were reportedly destined for Windows 11 23H2. However, Zac Bowden, a reporter at Windows Central, believes that dynamic wallpapers were supposed to be introduced with Windows 11 23H2, but that never happened.

The Verge Weighs In

The Verge noticed that Albacore, a well-known leaker on X, informed us that the components for these live wallpapers did ship in 23H2 (and actually 22H2 before it), as the groundwork for this feature. However, everything was stripped out in 24H2, indicating that Microsoft has canned the idea.

Analysis: Desktop Disappointment

If you were hoping for the desktop to be brought to life in a meaningful way with cool wallpapers, then it looks like your luck is out. The glimpse at what we could have had provided by the ex-Microsoft designer shows off some really smart backgrounds, which notably align with the new Windows 11 design scheme of having the Start menu in the middle of the screen by default.

So, we can but dream of such live backgrounds for Windows 11 – unless either Albacore is wrong somehow, or Microsoft backtracks (the latter seems unlikely). If you’re disappointed, maybe Windows 12 (or whatever the successor OS ends up being named) will give you the dynamic wallpapers you crave.

For Now, You’re Out of Luck

For now, though, Microsoft’s dynamic background plans appear to have run into a wall – a bland, brick one – and are not going anywhere. If you want a live background in Windows 11, you’ll need to go the third-party app route.

What Do You Think?

Are you disappointed by the news that dynamic wallpapers have been scrapped? Let us know in the comments below!

Image Credit: Sergey Kisselev / Behance.net / Microsoft