Microsoft tests native video wallpaper in Windows 11 Insider builds

Microsoft is testing a built in video wallpaper feature for Windows 11, hidden in recent Insider Preview builds and first revealed by the leaker PhantomOfEarth on X on September 20. The capability, which appears in Dev and Beta channel test builds, would let users pick common video files such as MP4, MOV, AVI, WMV, M4V and MKV and have the clip play as the desktop background whenever the desktop is visible.

PhantomOfEarth posted a demonstration showing an MP4 being selected and used in the same workflow as a static wallpaper, saying "Welcome back, DreamScenes" to reference the earlier Vista-era feature. The functionality is currently disabled by default in the preview builds and was accessed by testers using a Windows configuration utility, indicating Microsoft has not yet officially announced the change or enabled it for all Insiders.

If it ships, the capability would mark a return of a concept Microsoft briefly experimented with in Windows Vista Ultimate under the DreamScene name. After DreamScene was discontinued, third party developers filled the gap with apps such as Wallpaper Engine and Lively Wallpaper that support video, animated and interactive backgrounds. Those tools...