The fastest way to change your Mac background

Open System Settings (or System Preferences on older Macs), click Wallpaper in the sidebar, then select a category on the left—such as Apple Backgrounds, Colors, or Photos. Click the image you want, and it appears on your desktop when ready. That's the whole process.

If you want to use your own photo instead of Apple's built-in images, click Photos in the category list, then choose the album or folder where your image lives. Your photo will fill the desktop right away.

On very old Macs running macOS Monterey or earlier, the path is slightly different: open System Preferences, click Desktop & Screen Saver, then select Desktop at the top. The steps after that are the same.

Key Takeaways

  • System Settings > Wallpaper is where you change your background on any current Mac.
  • Apple provides dozens of built-in backgrounds organized by category, and you can switch between them in seconds.
  • You can set a photo from your own library as your background by selecting the Photos category and choosing an album.
  • If you have multiple monitors, you can set different backgrounds on each one from the same menu.

Using your own photos as a background

Click the Photos category in the Wallpaper settings. A list of your photo libraries and albums appears on the right side. Select the album or folder that contains the photo you want to use.

Once you pick an album, thumbnails of the photos inside appear below. Click the one you want. If the photo is wider than it is tall (landscape orientation), macOS will center it on your screen. If it's taller than it is wide (portrait), it will scale to fit without cropping.

You can also drag a photo directly from Finder onto your desktop to set it as your background, though using System Settings gives you more control over how the image is positioned.

Setting different backgrounds on each monitor

If you use an external display connected to your Mac, you can set a different background on each screen. In System Settings, the Wallpaper section shows thumbnails of all your connected monitors at the top.

Click the monitor you want to change, then select a new background from the categories below. The change applies only to that screen. Repeat for each monitor you want to customize.

Choosing between static images and dynamic backgrounds

Some of Apple's built-in backgrounds change throughout the day—these are called dynamic wallpapers. They shift from light to dark as the sun moves, or they cycle through different scenes. You'll see a small play icon on the thumbnail if a background is dynamic.

If you prefer a static image that never changes, stick with the regular photographs in the Apple Backgrounds or Colors categories. Dynamic backgrounds use slightly more battery power on laptops, though the difference is small.

Troubleshooting a background that won't change

If you click a new background and nothing happens, close System Settings completely and open it again. Sometimes the change doesn't register until you restart the settings app.

If you're trying to use a photo from your library and it doesn't appear, make sure the photo is actually in your Photos app or in a folder that Photos can see. Photos stored only in Finder (not imported into the Photos library) may not show up in the Wallpaper menu. You can drag those files directly onto your desktop instead.

On older Macs, if the Wallpaper option doesn't appear in System Settings, you're running an older version of macOS. Use System Preferences and look for Desktop & Screen Saver instead.

How to set a color instead of an image

Click the Colors category in Wallpaper settings. A grid of solid colors appears. Select the one you want, and your desktop background becomes that solid color when ready.

This is useful if you want a clean, minimal look or if you're trying to reduce the visual clutter on your screen. You can also create a custom color by clicking the color picker icon (usually a small circle or palette symbol) if your version of macOS offers that option.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I set a video as my Mac background?

No, macOS does not support video files as desktop backgrounds. You can only use still images or solid colors. Some third-party apps claim to add this feature, but they are not built into the operating system.

Why does my background look blurry or stretched?

This usually happens when the photo's dimensions don't match your screen's aspect ratio. A very tall, narrow photo on a wide monitor will either be stretched or have empty space on the sides. Try a photo that's closer to landscape orientation (wider than it is tall) for best results.

Will changing my background slow down my Mac?

No. A static background image has no effect on performance. Dynamic backgrounds use a tiny amount of extra power, but not enough to notice in normal use.

How do I remove a background I added to the Photos category?

You don't remove it from Wallpaper settings—you delete it from your Photos library or the folder where it's stored. Once it's gone from Photos or Finder, it will no longer appear in the Wallpaper menu.

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

macOS does not have a built-in scheduler for background changes. Dynamic wallpapers change based on the time of day, but you cannot set a custom schedule. Third-party apps exist for this, but they are not part of the standard Mac operating system.