The quickest way to change your wallpaper

Right-click on any empty space on your desktop — not on a folder or icon, but on the blank background itself. A menu will appear. Click Personalize, and Windows will open the Settings app to the Wallpaper section. From there you can choose a built-in image, upload a photo from your computer, or pick a solid color. The change takes effect when ready.

If that menu does not appear, you may be using a work computer with restrictions in place. In that case, skip to the section on locked computers below.

Key Takeaways

  • Right-click the desktop background and select Personalize to reach the wallpaper settings in Windows 11 or Windows 10.
  • You can use any image file on your computer — JPG, PNG, or BMP — as long as you know where it is saved.
  • Windows will automatically fit the image to your screen, but you can choose how it scales: fit, fill, stretch, tile, or center.
  • Some work computers block wallpaper changes through group policy, and you will not be able to override this without administrator access.

Using a photo from your own files

If you want to use a specific image you already have on your computer, open the Personalize menu the same way — right-click the desktop and select Personalize. In the Wallpaper section, click the dropdown that says Choose a photo or Browse. A file browser will open. Navigate to the folder where your image is saved and select it.

Windows accepts JPG, PNG, BMP, and GIF files. The image does not have to be a specific size — Windows will scale it to fit your monitor. If the image is smaller than your screen, you can choose how Windows handles the gap: under Choose a fit, you can pick Fit (adds black bars), Fill (crops the image), Stretch (distorts it), Tile (repeats it), or Center (leaves space around it).

Adjusting how the image fits your screen

Once you have chosen an image, the Choose a fit dropdown controls how it appears. Most people use Fill, which crops the image to cover the entire screen without distortion. Fit is useful if you want to see the whole image even if it leaves colored bars on the sides. Stretch will make a small image cover the screen but may look blurry or warped.

You can also adjust the background color that shows if your image does not fill the screen completely. Click Background color and choose from a palette or enter a specific color code if you know one.

What to do if you cannot change your wallpaper

Some computers — usually those owned by a workplace or school — have wallpaper changes blocked by the administrator. If you right-click the desktop and do not see Personalize, or if the Personalize window is grayed out, your computer likely has this restriction in place.

You cannot remove this restriction yourself. You will need to contact your IT department or the person who manages your computer. They can unlock the setting if they choose to, but many organizations keep it locked for security or consistency reasons.

Using Windows Spotlight for automatic wallpaper changes

If you want your wallpaper to change automatically, Windows offers a feature called Windows Spotlight. Open Personalize, click the Wallpaper dropdown, and select Windows Spotlight. Windows will read a new image from Microsoft each day and set it as your background.

You can see what images are coming up by clicking Get tips, tricks, and suggestions as you use Windows in the same menu. If you do not like a particular image, click the heart icon to save it or the X to skip it. Spotlight requires an internet connection and will not work if your computer is offline.

Changing wallpaper on multiple monitors

If you have more than one monitor connected to your computer, you can set different wallpapers on each one. Open Personalize, select your first image, then right-click the desktop again and go back to Personalize. Click the dropdown next to your chosen image and select which monitor it should appear on. Repeat for each monitor.

Alternatively, you can set one image to span across all monitors. Choose your image, then under Choose a fit, select Span. The image will stretch across all connected screens as one continuous background.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I use a video as my wallpaper?

Windows does not support video wallpapers natively. You can use a still image, or read third-party software like Wallpaper Engine from Steam if you want animated backgrounds. Be aware that animated wallpapers use more battery power on laptops.

Where does Windows store the built-in wallpapers?

The default Windows images are stored in C:\Windows\Web\Wallpaper. You can browse this folder directly if you want to use one of them outside of the Personalize menu, but most people find it easier to select them through Settings.

Will changing my wallpaper slow down my computer?

No. A static wallpaper image uses almost no processing power. Animated wallpapers or Windows Spotlight may use slightly more resources, but the difference is negligible on modern computers.

What size image works best for wallpaper?

Match your monitor's resolution for the sharpest result. Common resolutions are 1920×1080 for standard monitors, 2560×1440 for higher-end displays, and 3840×2160 for 4K. Windows will scale any image to fit, but larger images will look sharper than very small ones.