The fastest way to change your Mac wallpaper
Open System Settings, click Wallpaper in the left sidebar, then click the Desktop tab. Choose a category — Apple, Collections, or Photos — and click the image you want. Your desktop updates when ready. The whole process takes about 30 seconds.
If you want to use your own photo instead of Apple's built-in images, click Photos in the category list, then select the folder where your pictures live. Your Mac will show every image in that folder as an option.
Key Takeaways
- System Settings > Wallpaper > Desktop is where you change what appears behind your icons and windows.
- Apple includes thousands of built-in images organized by category, and you can preview any of them before explore.
- You can point your Mac to any folder of photos on your computer and use those as wallpaper options instead.
- Different wallpapers can be set for your main display and any external monitors you connect.
Where to find the wallpaper settings on your Mac
Click the Apple menu in the top-left corner of your screen, then select System Settings. (On older Macs running Big Sur or earlier, this was called System Preferences.) Wait for the settings window to open — it usually takes a few seconds.
Once System Settings is open, look at the left sidebar. You will see a list of categories. Scroll down until you find Wallpaper, then click it. The main panel on the right will show you wallpaper options organized by type.
Choosing from Apple's built-in wallpapers
When you open the Wallpaper section, you will see a Desktop tab at the top. Click it if it is not already selected. Below that are category buttons: Apple, Collections, and Photos. Start with Apple to see what your Mac comes with.
Click any category name to see the images inside. Each image shows a small preview. Click the one you want, and it becomes your wallpaper when ready. You do not need to click a Save or explore button — the change happens right away. If you do not like it, just click a different image.
The Collections category groups images by theme — landscapes, abstract patterns, nature, cities, and so on. Browse through these if you want something specific but are not sure which Apple wallpaper folder contains it.
Using your own photos as wallpaper
To use pictures you have taken or downloaded, click the Photos category in the Wallpaper settings. Your Mac will show a list of folders where photos typically live: Desktop, Documents, Pictures, and any other folders you have created.
Click the folder that contains the photos you want to use. Your Mac will display every image in that folder as a wallpaper option. Click any image to set it as your wallpaper. If you add new photos to that folder later, they will automatically appear as options the next time you open Wallpaper settings.
If your photos are in a folder that does not appear in the list, click the plus button at the bottom of the folder list and navigate to the folder manually. Your Mac will remember it and show it in the list from then on.
Setting different wallpapers for multiple displays
If you have an external monitor connected to your Mac, you can set a different wallpaper for each display. In the Wallpaper settings, you will see tabs at the top for each display — usually labeled Main Display and the name of your external monitor.
Click the tab for the display you want to change, then select your wallpaper the same way you would for your main screen. Each display remembers its own wallpaper independently, so you can have a work image on your external monitor and a personal photo on your laptop screen.
Wallpaper settings that affect how your image appears
Below the image preview in Wallpaper settings, you will see options for how the image displays. The most common choice is Show as Picture, which displays your image as-is. Other options include Show as Tiles (repeats a small image across the screen) and Fill Screen (stretches the image to cover the entire display).
If you choose Fill Screen and your image is a different shape than your monitor, your Mac will stretch it slightly to fit. If you want to avoid stretching, choose Fit on Screen instead — this keeps the image at its original proportions and adds a border if needed.
Troubleshooting wallpaper changes that do not stick
If you set a wallpaper and it reverts to the previous one after you restart, your Mac may have a permissions issue with the folder where your photos are stored. Try moving the photo to your Pictures folder instead, which your Mac always has permission to access.
If a built-in Apple wallpaper disappears after an update, your Mac may have installed a newer version of macOS that removed older images. Check the Apple category again — the image may have moved to Collections, or you can straightforward choose a different one.
If the Wallpaper option does not appear in System Settings, you may be running an older version of macOS. On Big Sur and earlier, open System Preferences instead of System Settings, then click Desktop & Screen Saver. The process is the same, but the menu names are different.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I set a different wallpaper for each space or desktop?
No. macOS applies the same wallpaper to all spaces and desktops on a given display. If you want different images on different workspaces, you would need to use third-party software designed for that purpose, though most people find one wallpaper per display is sufficient.
What image formats does Mac wallpaper support?
Your Mac accepts JPEG, PNG, HEIF, and TIFF image files as wallpaper. Most photos from your camera or phone are already in one of these formats. If you have an image in a different format, you can open it in Preview and export it as JPEG or PNG.
Will changing my wallpaper slow down my Mac?
No. Your wallpaper is a static image that sits in the background. It does not consume processing power or memory in any meaningful way, regardless of the image size or complexity. Changing wallpapers frequently will not affect your Mac's performance.
Can I make my wallpaper change automatically throughout the day?
Yes. In Wallpaper settings, look for the option to change your picture automatically. You can set it to change every hour, every day, or every time you wake your Mac from sleep. Select a folder with multiple images, and your Mac will cycle through them on your chosen schedule.
What happens to my wallpaper if I update macOS?
If you set a custom photo as your wallpaper, it stays in place after an update. If you chose a built-in Apple wallpaper, it usually remains, but occasionally Apple removes or reorganizes wallpapers in newer versions. If your wallpaper disappears, you can straightforward choose a new one from the updated collection.