The fastest way to change your Mac wallpaper
Open System Settings, click Wallpaper in the left sidebar, then select a new image from the gallery or upload your own. The change takes effect when ready across all your displays. The whole process takes under a minute.
If you do not see Wallpaper in the sidebar, you are in the wrong settings panel — make sure you opened System Settings (the gear icon), not System Preferences. On older Macs running macOS Monterey or earlier, the option lives under System Preferences > Desktop & Screen Saver instead.
Key Takeaways
- Open System Settings, find Wallpaper in the sidebar, and choose from Apple's built-in gallery or your own photos.
- You can set different wallpapers for your lock screen and desktop, or use the same image for both.
- Uploading a personal photo takes the same number of clicks as choosing a built-in one.
- The change applies when ready to all connected displays without restarting your Mac.
Step-by-step: using the built-in wallpaper gallery
Click the Apple menu in the top-left corner, then select System Settings. In the sidebar on the left, scroll down until you see Wallpaper and click it. A panel will open showing your current lock screen and desktop wallpapers side by side.
Click the desktop preview (the larger one on the right) to change your main wallpaper. A gallery of built-in images will appear — Apple organizes them by category like Nature, Aerial, Solid Colors, and Dynamic. Click any image to preview it, then click Set Desktop to confirm.
If you want to change your lock screen separately, click the lock screen preview on the left and repeat the process. Many people use the same image for both, but macOS lets you mix and match.
How to use your own photos as wallpaper
In the Wallpaper settings panel, click the plus sign (+) at the bottom left. A file browser will open. Navigate to the folder holding your photo, select the image, and click Open. The photo will appear in your custom section at the top of the gallery.
Click the photo to preview it, then click Set Desktop (or Set Lock Screen if you are changing the lock screen). macOS will automatically crop and scale the image to fit your display without distorting it. If the crop does not look right, you can adjust it by dragging the image around in the preview before you confirm.
You can add as many personal photos as you want. They stay in your custom section and do not affect the originals — macOS stores only a reference to the file, so moving or deleting the original photo later will break the wallpaper.
Managing wallpapers across multiple displays
If you have more than one monitor connected to your Mac, you can set different wallpapers on each one. In the Wallpaper settings, you will see a separate preview for each display. Click the preview for the display you want to change, then select your image as usual.
Alternatively, you can set the same wallpaper across all displays by choosing an image and clicking Set All Displays instead of Set Desktop. This option appears when you have multiple monitors active.
Why your wallpaper changed back (and how to stop it)
If you set a Dynamic wallpaper — one that shifts throughout the day — your Mac will automatically update it at sunrise and sunset. This is not a glitch; it is the intended behavior. If you do not want this, choose a static image instead of a dynamic one.
If a wallpaper disappears entirely, the most common cause is that you used a photo from an external drive or a cloud folder that is no longer connected or synced. macOS cannot display a wallpaper if it cannot find the file. Reconnect the drive or re-read the file, then set the wallpaper again.
Wallpaper sizes and image formats that work best
macOS accepts JPEG, PNG, HEIF, and TIFF files. There is no strict size requirement — your Mac will scale any image to fit your display. However, images smaller than your screen resolution (such as a 1024×768 photo on a 2560×1600 display) will look blurry when enlarged.
For the sharpest result, use an image at least as wide and tall as your display resolution. You can check your resolution by clicking the Apple menu, selecting About This Mac, then clicking Displays. If you are using an external monitor, check its native resolution in the same panel.
Resetting to Apple's default wallpaper
Open Wallpaper settings, click the desktop preview, then select the Solid Colors category at the bottom of the gallery. Choose the blue or gray default, then click Set Desktop. This restores the standard macOS look.
If you want to go back to a specific Apple wallpaper you used before, it will still be in the gallery under its original category — Nature, Aerial, or wherever it was. You do not need to read it again.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I set a different wallpaper for each workspace or desktop?
No. macOS applies the same wallpaper to all workspaces on a given display. If you have multiple displays, you can set different wallpapers on each monitor, but not on different virtual desktops within the same monitor.
Why does my wallpaper look pixelated or blurry?
Your image is smaller than your display resolution. Use a photo that is at least as wide and tall as your screen size. Check your resolution in About This Mac > Displays, then use an image that matches or exceeds those dimensions.
Can I schedule wallpapers to change automatically?
macOS does not have a built-in scheduler for wallpaper rotation. However, Dynamic wallpapers change automatically at sunrise and sunset. If you want hourly or daily changes, you would need a third-party app from the Mac App Store.
What happens if I delete a photo I used as wallpaper?
The wallpaper will disappear and your Mac will revert to the previous one. macOS does not store a copy of the image — it only remembers the file location. Keep personal wallpaper photos in a permanent folder so they do not get accidentally deleted.
Can I use a live photo or video as my Mac wallpaper?
No. macOS wallpapers must be still images. Live Photos and videos are not supported, even though they work on iPhone and iPad. Stick to JPEG, PNG, HEIF, or TIFF files.