Windows 11 gets a new desktop watermark on unsupported hardware

by Shivendra Singh · March 21, 2022

A user types on the Surface Pro 8 from behind. The screen displays the Windows 11 start menu on a white and blue background.

Photo by Becca Farsace / The Verge

Microsoft is pushing ahead with plans to warn Windows 11 users that have installed the operating system on unsupported hardware. In a new update to Windows 11, a watermark has appeared on the desktop wallpaper for unsupported systems, alongside a similar warning in the landing page of the settings app.

Microsoft had been testing these changes last month, but they’re now rolling out to Release Preview just ahead of a full release to all Windows 11 users in the coming days. While Microsoft doesn’t mention the addition of a watermark in its “improvements” list for this update, testers have noticed it’s included.