Windows 11 Brings Back Video Wallpapers After a 19-Year Absence

Windows 11 users will soon be able to breathe new life into their desktops without resorting to third-party software. The latest test builds of the operating system include a native feature that allows setting a video as the desktop wallpaper. Discovered in Insider builds, the function supports all popular video formats — MP4, AVI, MKV, MOV — and the process of swapping a static image for a dynamic one will be just as simple, handled through the standard Personalization settings.

This new feature marks a return to an idea Microsoft first implemented almost two decades ago. Back in 2007, Windows Vista Ultimate included a technology called DreamScene that enabled video wallpapers, but the company scrapped the feature with the release of Windows 7.

Ever since, users who wanted more from their desktop than a static image have had to turn to third-party applications like Wallroom Engine or Lively Wallpaper. Now, it seems a long-lost tool for animating the desktop may be coming to Windows 11 in the near future. How this feature will impact laptop battery life and overall system performance remains an open question. Microsoft has not yet officially announced this new capability, meaning it could undergo further refinement and optimization for an indefinite period.

The update that will deliver video wallpapers to stable versions of Windows 11 is expected in one of the upcoming monthly patches. The return of such functionality to Windows signals Microsoft's move away from a long-standing limitation and an acknowledgment of the growing demand for a more personalized and dynamic user experience.

The comeback of video wallpapers isn't the only major update Microsoft is preparing for its OS. The company has previously announced a significant overhaul of its built-in apps. For instance, the classic Notepad has gained offline AI features that work without an internet connection or subscription by leveraging local processing on an NPU (Neural Processing Unit). Meanwhile, the Paint app has added support for layers and its own proprietary .paint file format for saving projects, significantly expanding its creative potential.