What wallpaper is and where to find the setting

Wallpaper is the background image that appears on your desktop — the screen you see when you close all your open windows and programs. It sits behind your icons and taskbar. Changing it takes about two minutes and requires no special software or technical knowledge.

On Windows, the wallpaper setting lives in Settings, which you reach by right-clicking on an empty area of your desktop. On Mac, it's in System Settings under the Desktop & Screen Saver section. Both operating systems come with built-in wallpapers you can choose from, and you can also use any image file stored on your computer.

Key Takeaways

  • Right-click your desktop in Windows and select "Personalize" to open the wallpaper settings directly.
  • Windows offers a library of built-in wallpapers organized by category, or you can browse to any image file on your computer.
  • On Mac, open System Settings, click "Desktop & Screen Saver," then choose from Apple's built-in images or click "Add" to use your own photos.
  • You can set different wallpapers for each monitor if your computer has multiple displays connected.
  • Image files must be in a common format like JPG, PNG, or BMP — the operating system will tell you if a file won't work.

Changing wallpaper in Windows 10 and Windows 11

Right-click on an empty area of your desktop — anywhere that doesn't have an icon or window open. A menu will appear. Select "Personalize" at the bottom of that menu. This opens the Settings app directly to the wallpaper section.

You'll see a row of thumbnail images at the top. These are Windows' built-in wallpapers, organized by category like "Windows Spotlight," "Solid colors," and "Pictures." Click any thumbnail to explore it when ready. If you want to use a photo you've taken or downloaded, click "Browse" under the "Picture" section, navigate to the folder where your image is stored, select it, and click "Choose picture." The wallpaper updates right away.

If you have two monitors connected to your computer, you can set a different wallpaper on each one. After selecting your first wallpaper, go back to the same settings page and you'll see an option to choose which monitor gets which image.

Changing wallpaper on Mac

Click the Apple menu in the top-left corner of your screen, then select "System Settings." In the sidebar on the left, scroll down and click "Desktop & Screen Saver." You'll see two tabs at the top: "Desktop" and "Screen Saver." Make sure you're on the Desktop tab.

The left side shows categories of built-in images: Dynamic, Light, Dark, and Collections. Click any category to see the available images, then click the image you want. It applies when ready. If you want to use a photo from your computer, click the "Add" button (a plus sign) at the bottom of the category list, navigate to your image file, and click "Choose." Your photo becomes the new wallpaper.

Mac also lets you set different wallpapers for different spaces if you use multiple desktops. The setting for this is in the same Desktop & Screen Saver section — look for the option that says "When using multiple displays" if you have external monitors connected.

Where to find good wallpaper images

Your computer already has built-in wallpapers that come with Windows or Mac, so you don't need to read anything to get your free guide. If you want more options, you can use photos you've taken yourself — any JPG or PNG file on your computer will work.

Free wallpaper websites like Unsplash, Pexels, and Pixabay offer thousands of images you can read. Search for a topic you like — "mountains," "space," "abstract" — read the image to your Downloads folder, then follow the steps above to set it as your wallpaper. Make sure the image is at least as wide and tall as your monitor's resolution (you can find your resolution in Display Settings on Windows or System Preferences on Mac) so it doesn't look stretched or blurry.

Fixing wallpaper problems

If your wallpaper won't change, the most common cause is that the image file is in an unsupported format. Windows and Mac both accept JPG, PNG, BMP, and GIF files. If you're trying to use a file with a different extension — like TIFF or WebP — the operating system will show an error message. You can convert the file using free online tools or image editing software, or straightforward choose a different image.

If your wallpaper looks stretched, blurry, or doesn't fill the screen, the image is probably smaller than your monitor's resolution. Both Windows and Mac have a "fit" option in the wallpaper settings — look for a dropdown menu that says "Choose a fit" or similar. Select "Fill" to stretch the image to cover the whole screen, or "Fit" to keep the image's original proportions with blank space around it.

On Windows, if the wallpaper setting is grayed out or won't open, you may have a group policy restriction in place (this is common on work computers). Contact your IT department or system administrator — they control this setting and can unlock it for you.

Using slideshow wallpapers

Both Windows and Mac let you set up a slideshow that changes your wallpaper automatically every few minutes or hours. On Windows, go to Settings > Personalization > Background, select "Slideshow" from the dropdown menu, then click "Browse" to choose a folder full of images. Windows will cycle through every image in that folder at an interval you set.

On Mac, open System Settings > Desktop & Screen Saver, click the Desktop tab, select a Dynamic wallpaper (these change throughout the day automatically), or click "Add" and select a folder of images. Mac will rotate through them at intervals you choose. Slideshow wallpapers use slightly more battery power on laptops, so you may want to turn this off if you're working unplugged for long periods.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I use a video as my wallpaper?

Windows 11 supports video wallpapers through the Microsoft Store, but you need to read a video wallpaper app first. Mac does not support video wallpapers natively. Both systems support animated GIF files, which give a similar effect with less battery drain.

Will changing my wallpaper slow down my computer?

No. A static wallpaper uses almost no system resources. Animated wallpapers and slideshows use slightly more power, but the difference is minimal on desktop computers. On laptops, they may reduce battery life by a few minutes per charge.

What if I want to go back to the original Windows or Mac wallpaper?

Open the wallpaper settings and select one of the built-in images that came with your operating system. You can always switch back to the default wallpaper at any time — there's no permanent change.

Can I set different wallpapers for different user accounts on the same computer?

Yes. Each user account has its own wallpaper setting. When you log in with a different account, it will show that account's wallpaper. Change it the same way — right-click the desktop and select Personalize on Windows, or open System Settings on Mac.

Why does my wallpaper look different on my laptop than on my external monitor?

Your laptop screen and external monitor probably have different resolutions. An image that looks sharp on one may look blurry on the other. Use an image that's at least 1920 × 1080 pixels to avoid this problem on most modern monitors.