Change Your Desktop Background in Three Steps

To change your desktop background, right-click on an empty area of your desktop, select Personalize (Windows) or System Preferences (Mac), then choose Background or Desktop and pick an image from your computer or the built-in gallery. The change takes effect when ready. On Windows 10 and 11, you can also open Settings > Personalization > Background from the Start menu. On Mac, go to System Settings > Wallpaper.

Both operating systems come with pre-loaded background images you can use without finding your own photos. You can also upload any image file from your computer — JPG, PNG, and BMP files work on both systems. The process takes less than a minute once you decide which image you want.

Key Takeaways

  • Right-click your desktop and select Personalize (Windows) or System Preferences (Mac) to open the background settings menu.
  • Windows and Mac both include built-in image galleries, so you do not need to find an image elsewhere to get your free guide.
  • You can upload any photo or image file from your computer by clicking Browse or selecting a folder in the background settings.
  • On Windows, you can set different backgrounds for multiple monitors, and on Mac you can choose different backgrounds for different desktops.

How to Change Background on Windows 10 and 11

The fastest way is to right-click on an empty spot of your desktop — not on a file or folder icon — and look for Personalize in the menu that appears. Click it, and the Personalization window opens directly to the Background section. You will see thumbnail images of available backgrounds. Click any one to preview it on your desktop, and it changes when ready.

If the right-click menu does not show Personalize, open the Start menu, type Settings, and press Enter. Once Settings opens, click Personalization on the left side, then click Background. You will see the same gallery of images. Under the image thumbnails, there is a dropdown menu that says Personalize your background — make sure it is set to Picture if you want a single image, or Slideshow if you want multiple images to rotate.

To use your own photo, click the Browse button under the image gallery. A file window opens. Navigate to the folder where your photo is saved, click the image, and click Choose picture. Windows will resize the image to fit your screen. If you want the image to fill the entire screen without stretching, look for the Choose a fit dropdown below the Browse button and select Fill.

How to Change Background on Mac

Click the Apple menu in the top-left corner of your screen, then click System Settings. In the sidebar on the left, click Wallpaper. You will see a grid of built-in wallpapers organized by category — Dynamic, Light, Dark, and Collections. Click any wallpaper to preview it, and it applies to your desktop right away.

To use your own photo, click the + button at the bottom of the wallpaper window. A file browser opens. Navigate to the folder containing your image, click the photo, and click Open. Mac will add your photo to the top of the wallpaper list and set it as your background. If you have multiple desktops or spaces, you can set a different wallpaper for each one by opening System Settings, clicking Wallpaper, and selecting which desktop you want to change from the dropdown at the top.

Using Built-in Image Libraries

Both Windows and Mac include free background images you can use without uploading anything. On Windows, the built-in images are organized by category — Flowers, Nature, Landscapes, and others. Browse through the thumbnails and click the one you like. On Mac, the built-in wallpapers are grouped into Dynamic (which change throughout the day), Light, Dark, and Collections (which include themes like Aerial, Earth, and Textures).

These pre-loaded images are already sized correctly for most screen resolutions, so you do not have to worry about stretching or cropping. If you want to rotate through several images instead of using just one, Windows lets you create a slideshow by selecting Slideshow from the Personalize your background dropdown and choosing a folder of images. Mac does not have a built-in slideshow feature in the wallpaper settings, but you can set a Dynamic wallpaper, which changes automatically throughout the day.

Uploading Your Own Photos

Any image file on your computer can become your desktop background. The most common file types are JPG, PNG, and BMP — all of these work on both Windows and Mac. To upload a photo, open the background settings (right-click and select Personalize on Windows, or go to System Settings > Wallpaper on Mac), then click Browse or the + button to open a file browser.

Navigate to the folder where your photo is stored. This is usually your Pictures folder, but it can be anywhere on your computer. Click the image you want and confirm your choice. The image will be set as your background. If the image is very large or very small compared to your screen, you may see distortion — Windows lets you adjust this with the Choose a fit dropdown (try Fit or Fill depending on whether you want to see the whole image or have it cover the entire screen). Mac automatically scales images to fit your screen.

Fixing Common Problems

If your background does not change after you select an image, try closing and reopening the Settings window. On Windows, if the image appears stretched or cut off, check the Choose a fit dropdown — Fill covers the whole screen, Fit shows the entire image with black bars if needed, and Stretch distorts the image to fill the screen. On Mac, if an image looks pixelated, it may be too small for your screen resolution — try a larger image file.

If you cannot find the Personalize option on Windows, make sure you are right-clicking on the desktop itself, not on a file or folder. If you are using a work computer, your administrator may have locked the background settings — in that case, you will not be able to change it. On Mac, if System Settings does not open when you click the Apple menu, restart your computer and try again.

Setting Different Backgrounds for Multiple Monitors

On Windows 10 and 11, you can set a different background for each monitor if your computer is connected to multiple displays. Open Settings > Personalization > Background, select an image, and look for the option that says Choose which displays show this picture. Click the dropdown next to each monitor name and choose a different image for each one. The changes take effect when ready.

On Mac, you cannot set different wallpapers for different physical monitors in the same way, but you can set different wallpapers for different desktops (also called Spaces). If you have created multiple desktops, open System Settings > Wallpaper, and use the dropdown at the top to select which desktop you want to change. Then choose a wallpaper for that desktop. Each desktop will remember its own wallpaper when you switch between them.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I use a video or animated image as my desktop background?

Windows 11 supports animated wallpapers through the Microsoft Store, but you have to read them separately — the built-in background settings only work with still images. Mac does not support video backgrounds on the desktop, though Dynamic wallpapers change their appearance throughout the day. Both systems let you use a slideshow of still images that rotate every few minutes.

What image size works best for a desktop background?

Your monitor's native resolution is the ideal size — for example, 1920 x 1080 for a standard laptop or 2560 x 1440 for a larger monitor. Both Windows and Mac will resize images automatically, so a slightly smaller or larger image will still work, but very small images may look pixelated when stretched across your screen.

Will changing my background slow down my computer?

No. A single background image uses very little memory or processing power. A slideshow that rotates through many images uses slightly more resources, but the difference is not noticeable on modern computers.

How do I remove a custom background I uploaded and go back to the default?

On Windows, open Settings > Personalization > Background and click one of the built-in images. On Mac, open System Settings > Wallpaper and select one of the pre-loaded wallpapers. Your custom image will remain in your file system but will no longer be your background.

Can I schedule my background to change at a specific time each day?

Windows does not have a built-in scheduling feature for backgrounds, but you can set up a slideshow that rotates through images every few minutes. Mac's Dynamic wallpapers change automatically throughout the day based on the time, but you cannot create a custom schedule.