The fastest way to change your background

On Windows, right-click any empty spot on your desktop and select Personalize. Click Background in the left menu, then choose Picture, Solid color, or Slideshow. Pick what you want and close the window — the change happens when ready.

On a Mac, open System Settings (or System Preferences on older versions), click Wallpaper or Desktop & Screen Saver, then select a category on the left and click the image you want. The background updates right away.

Both methods take under a minute. If you want to use your own photo instead of a built-in image, the steps are slightly different — scroll down to the section on uploading a personal photo.

Key Takeaways

  • Windows users right-click the desktop, select Personalize, then Background to choose from pictures, colors, or slideshows.
  • Mac users open System Settings, click Wallpaper, and select from the built-in collections.
  • You can upload your own photo as a background on either system by browsing to the file location during setup.
  • Slideshow backgrounds cycle through multiple images at intervals you set, and work on both Windows and macOS.

Changing the background on Windows 10 or 11

Start by right-clicking any blank area of your desktop — not on an icon or file, but on the gray or colored space itself. A menu will pop up. Look for the word Personalize near the bottom and click it. This opens the Settings window.

On the left side of the Settings window, you will see a menu with several options. Click Background. The main area will now show you different background choices. At the top, you will see a dropdown menu that says Personalize your background. Click it and choose one of three options: Picture (a single image), Solid color (one flat color), or Slideshow (multiple images that change).

If you pick Picture, a row of thumbnail images appears below. Click any one to preview it on your desktop. Once you see one you like, just close the Settings window — Windows saves your choice automatically. If you pick Solid color, click the color square you want. For Slideshow, choose a folder of images and set how often they change (every 1 minute, 10 minutes, 1 hour, or when you sign in).

Changing the background on a Mac

Click the Apple menu in the top-left corner and select System Settings (on newer Macs) or System Preferences (on older ones). In the sidebar on the left, look for Wallpaper or Desktop & Screen Saver and click it.

You will see categories listed on the left side — Collections, Recent, or specific names like Nature, Solid Colors, or Dynamic. Click any category to see the images in it. Click the image you want, and it becomes your background right away. If you have multiple monitors, you can set a different background for each one by clicking the monitor thumbnail at the top.

If you want a slideshow instead of a single image, look for the Screen Saver tab (on older Macs) or check the Wallpaper options for a slideshow setting. You can set how often the image changes — usually every 30 seconds to 1 hour.

Using your own photo as a background

On Windows: Open the Personalize menu as described above and click Background. In the dropdown, select Picture. Below that, click Browse to find a photo on your computer. Navigate to the folder where your photo is saved, click the image, and select Choose picture. Windows will resize it to fit your screen.

If your photo is very small or very large, Windows may stretch or shrink it. You can control this by looking for the Choose a fit dropdown just below the Browse button. Your options are Fill (stretches to cover the whole screen), Fit (shrinks to show the whole image), Stretch (distorts to fill the screen), Tile (repeats the image), or Center (places it in the middle without resizing).

On Mac: Open System Settings and click Wallpaper. At the bottom of the sidebar, click the + button or look for Add. A file browser opens. Navigate to the folder with your photo, click the image, and click Add. The photo becomes your background when ready. If it does not fit perfectly, macOS will automatically scale it.

Troubleshooting common background problems

The background does not change after I select it: Close the Settings window completely and wait a few seconds. If it still has not changed, restart your computer. On Windows, try right-clicking the desktop again and selecting Refresh. On Mac, try clicking a different wallpaper and then clicking your choice again.

My photo looks stretched or blurry: On Windows, open Personalize again and try a different option in the Choose a fit dropdown. Fit usually works best for photos that are smaller than your screen. On Mac, try a different photo — macOS handles scaling automatically, but very small images may look pixelated.

I cannot find the Personalize option on Windows: Make sure you right-clicked on an empty part of the desktop, not on the taskbar at the bottom. If you right-clicked on a file or folder icon, the menu will be different. Also check that you are using Windows 10 or later — older versions have different menus.

The slideshow is not changing images: On Windows, go back to Background settings and make sure Slideshow is selected in the dropdown, not Picture. Check that you selected a folder with multiple images in it. On Mac, confirm that the slideshow option is turned on in the Wallpaper settings.

Using a slideshow background

On Windows: Open Personalize, click Background, and select Slideshow from the dropdown. Click Browse and choose a folder that contains multiple images. Below that, you will see Change picture every with a dropdown menu. Select how often you want the image to change: 1 minute, 10 minutes, 1 hour, or 1 day. You can also check the box for Shuffle to randomize the order. Windows will cycle through all the images in that folder automatically.

On Mac: Open System Settings and click Wallpaper. Select a collection that has a slideshow option, or click the + button to add your own folder of images. Look for a Change picture option and set the interval — usually Every 30 seconds, Every minute, Every 5 minutes, or Every hour. Check the Random order box if you want the images to appear in random sequence.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I set different backgrounds for different user accounts on the same computer?

Yes. Each user account has its own background setting. When you log in as a different user and change the background, it only affects that account. Other users will still see their own chosen background when they log in.

What image formats work as backgrounds?

Both Windows and Mac accept JPG, PNG, BMP, and GIF files. Windows also accepts TIFF and WEBP. Most photos from phones or cameras are JPG, so those will work without any conversion. If you have an image in a different format, you can open it in a free tool like Paint (Windows) or Preview (Mac) and save it as JPG.

My background keeps changing back to the default. Why?

On Windows, check that your account has permission to change settings — if you are using a restricted account, an administrator may have locked the background. On Mac, make sure you are not in a guest account, which does not save personalization changes. Restarting your computer and setting the background again usually fixes temporary glitches.

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

Standard Windows and Mac backgrounds do not support video or animation — only still images. However, Windows 11 offers Dynamic wallpapers that shift slightly throughout the day. Some third-party apps like Wallpaper Engine (Windows only) allow animated backgrounds, but they require separate installation.

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

On Windows, open Personalize, click Background, and select Solid color, then choose black or another color. Or click Picture and select one of the built-in Windows images. On Mac, open System Settings, click Wallpaper, and select one of the default collections like Solid Colors or Nature. Both systems will revert to a standard appearance.