How to Add a Custom Message to the Windows 11 Lock Screen

If you use your Windows 11 laptop in public places like coffee shops, libraries, or university campuses, there is always a slight risk of misplacing it or having it stolen. If an honest person finds your locked laptop, they have no easy way to figure out who owns it or how to contact you, since they cannot get past the login screen.

To solve this problem, you can force Windows 11 to display a custom, permanent text message on the lock screen before anyone even attempts to enter a password. You can use this feature to display your name, a phone number, or an email address to help facilitate the return of your lost device.

This guide explains how to add a custom message to your Windows 11 lock screen using the Registry Editor.

Warning Before You Begin

The Registry Editor is a powerful administrative tool. Modifying the wrong keys can cause serious system issues. Follow these instructions carefully.

How to Add a Lock Screen Message

You will need to modify two specific registry strings to create the title of the message and the body text.

1. Click the Start button on your taskbar, type regedit in the search bar, and press Enter to open the Registry Editor. (Click “Yes” if prompted by User Account Control).
2. Using the folder tree on the left side of the window, navigate to the following path exactly:
   HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Policies\System
3. Click on the System folder to highlight it.
4. Look in the right-hand pane for a value named legalnoticecaption. Double-click it.
5. The “Value data” box will be empty. Type a title for your message (e.g., If Found, Please Return). Click OK.
6. Now, look for the value directly below it named legalnoticetext. Double-click it.
7. In the “Value data” box, type the actual body of your message (e.g., This laptop belongs to John Doe. Please call 555-0198 or email [email protected] to arrange a reward for its return.). Click OK.

Testing Your New Message

You do not need to restart your computer to see the changes take effect.

1. Close the Registry Editor.
2. Press the Windows Key + L on your keyboard to instantly lock your computer.
3. Click the screen or press a key to dismiss the clock.

Before the password prompt appears, you will now see a large text box prominently displaying the title and the message you just created. The user must click “OK” on this message before they are allowed to attempt a login.

How to Remove the Message

If you decide you no longer want the message to appear, simply reopen the Registry Editor, navigate back to the same System folder, and double-click both legalnoticecaption and legalnoticetext. Delete the text inside the “Value data” boxes so they are completely blank, and click OK.