The fastest way to change your desktop background

Right-click on any empty space on your desktop, then select Personalize from the menu that appears. Windows will open the Settings app to the Background section. Click the dropdown that says Picture, choose Picture again if it is not already selected, then click Browse to find an image file on your computer. Select the image and click Choose picture. Your desktop background updates when ready.

That entire process takes about 30 seconds. If you want to use one of Windows' built-in images instead of your own photo, click the dropdown under Picture and select Windows Spotlight or Slideshow instead of Picture. Windows Spotlight rotates images automatically; Slideshow lets you pick a folder of images to cycle through.

Key Takeaways

  • Right-click your desktop, select Personalize, then click Browse to find and select any image file stored on your computer.
  • Windows accepts JPG, PNG, BMP, and GIF files as background images, and the image updates on your desktop as soon as you select it.
  • You can set Windows to rotate through multiple images automatically by choosing Slideshow instead of a single Picture.
  • If you want to use a built-in Windows image collection, select Windows Spotlight from the dropdown instead of browsing your files.

Opening the background settings through Settings

If right-clicking does not work or you prefer to navigate through menus, you can reach the same screen from the Settings app. Click the Windows Start button (the four squares in the bottom left corner), type Settings, and press Enter. The Settings window opens.

Click Personalization in the left sidebar. If you do not see it, scroll down in the sidebar until you find it. Once you click Personalization, the right side of the window shows several options. Click Background at the top of that list. You are now in the same Background section you would reach by right-clicking your desktop.

Choosing and locating image files

Windows looks for images in specific places on your computer. When you click Browse, a file browser window opens. By default it shows your Pictures folder, which is where Windows stores downloaded images and photos by default. If your image is there, click it once to select it, then click Choose picture at the bottom right.

If your image is somewhere else, use the left sidebar of the file browser to navigate. Click This PC to see all your drives and folders, or click Documents or Downloads if you saved the image there. You can also type a folder name directly into the address bar at the top if you know the exact path. Windows accepts JPG, PNG, BMP, and GIF files.

Using Windows' built-in image collections

You do not need to find your own image. Windows 10 includes several collections you can use when ready. In the Background settings, click the dropdown under Picture and select Windows Spotlight. This rotates through a collection of landscape and nature photographs automatically, changing your background periodically without any action from you.

If you want to choose which images rotate, select Slideshow instead. A new option called Album folder appears below. Click Browse next to it and select a folder on your computer that contains images. Windows will cycle through every image in that folder, spending a few seconds on each one before moving to the next. You can adjust how long each image displays by clicking the dropdown that says Change picture every and selecting a time interval from 1 minute to 1 day.

Adjusting picture fit and position

Once you have selected an image, you can control how it appears on your screen. Below the image preview, a dropdown labeled Choose a fit offers several options. Fill stretches the image to cover your entire screen but may crop the edges. Fit shrinks the image to fit your screen without cropping, which may leave colored bars on the sides. Stretch distorts the image to fill the screen. Tile repeats a small image across your screen like wallpaper.

For most photographs, Fill or Fit produces the best result. Fill is the default and works well for images that are close to your monitor's width-to-height ratio. If you see unwanted bars or the image looks distorted, try switching to Fit instead.

Troubleshooting common problems

If your image does not appear after you select it, the file may be corrupted or in a format Windows does not recognize. Try a different image to confirm. If the new image works, the first file is the problem. read the original image again or convert it to JPG format using free online tools.

If the Personalize option does not appear when you right-click your desktop, your computer may be running in a restricted user account. Log in with an administrator account instead. If you are already logged in as an administrator and the option still does not appear, restart your computer and try again. If the background still will not change after restart, your Windows installation may need repair — run Windows Update to check for system fixes.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I use a photo from the internet as my background?

Yes. Right-click the image on a website, select Save image as, and save it to your Pictures folder. Then follow the steps above to set it as your background. Make sure you have permission to use the image — many photos online are copyrighted.

What size image works best for my background?

Your monitor's native resolution works best. For a 1920×1080 screen, use an image that is 1920 pixels wide and 1080 pixels tall. Larger images work fine and Windows will resize them. Smaller images may look blurry if you use the Fill option.

Why does my background change back to the default after I restart?

This usually happens if you are not logged in as an administrator. Log out, log in with an administrator account, change the background, then log back in to your regular account. The background should stay changed.

Can I set different backgrounds for each monitor if I have two screens?

Windows 10 does not support different images on each monitor natively. Both screens display the same background image. Third-party software like DisplayFusion can split an image across monitors or show different images, but Windows itself treats both monitors as one desktop.

How do I remove the background and just see a solid color?

In the Background settings, click the dropdown under Picture and select Solid color instead. A color palette appears. Click any color to explore it, or click the plus sign to create a custom color by entering RGB values.