The desktop background is the first thing you see when you open your computer. You should set it as a picture that speaks to you and gets you excited about starting your day. This guide shows you how to change your desktop background on Windows 11.
Change desktop background from Settings
- Go to Start and select Settings.
Open the Settings app. - Head to Personalization > Background.
Head to Personalization > Background. - Under Personalize your background, there are four options to select from, Picture, Solid color, Slideshow, and Windows spotlight.
- Picture: you can select an image from your computer as your background. After selecting an image, choose how it fits on the screen by selecting Fill, Fit, Stretch, Tile, Center, or Span.
The Picture option. - Solid color: allows you to select a solid color for your background.
If you choose Solid color, you can select any color from the palette or click View colors to open the Color Picker.
The Solid Color option. - Slideshow: allows you to select a folder of images to use as your desktop background that changes automatically after a set interval. Click Browse to choose any folder on your computer that contains images. The “change picture every” option controls the slideshow speed.
The Slideshow option. - Windows Spotlight: gives you a different image every day – this is controlled by Microsoft.
The Windows spotlight option.
Change desktop background by right-clicking
- Right-click the image you want to set as your background.
- In the Context Menu, select Set as desktop background.
Select Set as desktop background.
Change desktop background from Photos app
Windows 11 has a built-in Photo app that can be used to edit, view, and organize your photos. The app also has a feature that allows you to set any image as your desktop background.
- Go to Start and select Photos.
Go to Start and select Photos. - Locate the image you want to set as your background. Click the image and select the three dots menu on the top right. Then, choose Set as > Set as background.
Set as > Set as background.
Change desktop background from File Explorer
- Click Windows + E to open File Explorer.
- Locate and select the image you want to set as your background. In the upper toolbar, click the Set as background.
Click the set as background button.
Change desktop background using your browser
You can directly set an image as your background from a web browser without downloading the image:
Google Chrome
- Download the set as desktop background extension.
Add the set as desktop background extension to your chrome browser. - Right-click the image and click Set as desktop background.
Click Set as desktop background.
Firefox
Right-click the image and select Set Image as Desktop Background.
Change desktop background using third-party applications
Various third-party applications offer a wide range of customization options for your desktop.
Wallpaper Engine allows you to set beautiful live wallpapers as your desktop background. Another popular option, Rainmeter, allows you to create custom skins and widgets for your desktop.