How to Enable Desktop Stickers in Windows 11

Microsoft introduced a fun, highly requested personalization feature to Windows 11: Desktop Stickers. Similar to placing stickers on a physical laptop lid or sending them in a chat application, this feature allows you to pin digital stickers directly onto your desktop wallpaper. The stickers remain in place even if you change your background image, adding a layer of permanent personalization to your workspace. However, Microsoft hides this feature by default on many installations, requiring a quick Registry edit to unlock it.

Important Pre-Requisites

Before proceeding, ensure you are running Windows 11 version 22H2 or newer. Additionally, Desktop Stickers do not work if you use the “Slideshow” setting for your background, or if you use multiple monitors with different wallpapers on each screen. You must use a single, static picture or a solid colour background.

How to Enable Stickers via the Registry

To unlock the sticker interface, you must add a single key to the Windows Registry.

1. Click the Start button, type regedit in the search bar, and press Enter to open the Registry Editor. Click Yes if prompted by User Account Control.
2. In the address bar at the top of the Registry Editor window, paste the following path and press Enter:
   HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\PolicyManager\current\device
3. Right-click the device folder in the left-hand pane, select New, and then click Key.
4. Name the new key Stickers and press Enter.
5. With the new Stickers folder selected, right-click anywhere in the empty white space on the right side of the window.
6. Select New > DWORD (32-bit) Value.
7. Name this new value EnableStickers and press Enter.
8. Double-click the EnableStickers value you just created.
9. Change the “Value data” box from 0 to 1.
10. Click OK and close the Registry Editor.

Restart your computer for the changes to fully take effect.

How to Add Stickers to Your Desktop

Once your computer restarts, adding stickers is incredibly simple.

1. Right-click anywhere on the empty space of your desktop wallpaper.
2. Select Add or edit stickers from the context menu.
3. A search bar and a gallery of stickers will appear at the top of your screen. Browse or search for a sticker you like.
4. Click a sticker to drop it onto your desktop.
5. You can now click and drag the sticker to position it, or use the corner handles to resize it.
6. When you are happy with the layout, click the small “X” at the top of the screen to exit the editor.

The stickers are now baked into your desktop experience. If you ever want to move or delete them, simply right-click the desktop and select “Add or edit stickers” again to reopen the editor.