Nothing is quite as impersonal and boring as the generic background already loaded on your computer. Whether it’s a drop of water or a landscape view of a place you’ve never been, it’s time to change it to something more reflective of you.
This guide shows you how to change the wallpaper of your Windows 10 desktop using a few simple steps. We’ll also show you how to change the background for the lock and sign-in screens. Want to use a third-party app instead? We have a favorite to recommend.
Change your wallpaper
Step 1: Right-click anywhere on the desktop, and select Personalize on the pop-up menu. The Settings app should open to the Personalization section by default and display your background options. This screen will look different in Windows 11 but the same options will be available.
Alternatively, you can click on the Start button followed by the gear icon displayed on the Start menu to open the Settings app. There you can select Personalization.
Step 2: Click the drop-down menu underneath Background and select one of three options: Picture, Solid Color, or Slideshow. In this example, we selected Picture. If you chose Slideshow or Solid Color, move on to the next sections. In Windows 11, you'll start by clicking the Background section.
Step 3: Select a thumbnail displayed under Choose Your Picture, and it automatically replaces your background. If the desired image isn’t displayed, move on to step 4.
Step 4: Click the Browse button.
Step 5: When File Explorer appears on the screen, locate the image you want to use and click the Choose Picture button. It’s now set as your background.
Step 6: Click the drop-down menu underneath Choose a Fit and select one of six options: Fill, Fit, Stretch, Tile, Center, or Span.
If you have more than one connected monitor, you can set a different background for each one. Let’s continue on and change the second display.
Step 7: With Settings still open, right-click on a thumbnail displayed under Choose Your Picture.
Step 8: Select the Set for Monitor 2 option on the pop-up menu.
Step 9: Rinse and repeat for any additional screen.
Note: To use multiple wallpapers, you’ll need to add each picture to the thumbnail ribbon by clicking the Browse button and selecting an image. This image fills display 1, so you’ll need to reset that screen’s wallpaper each time you add an image to the thumbnail ribbon.
Slideshow options
If you chose Slideshow, you have a different set of options. Keep in mind that if you have more than one display, a different wallpaper will appear on each one. Again, the Windows 11 interface will look a bit different but the general process is the same.
Step 1: Click the Browse button and locate the folder containing the images you want to use as wallpapers. You do not need to select the images individually.
Step 2: Click the drop-down menu underneath Change Picture Every and select one of six options spanning one minute to one day.
Step 3: Toggle the Shuffle feature on or off.
Step 4: Enable or disable the slideshow when running on battery power.
Step 5: Click the drop-down menu underneath Choose a Fit and select one of six options: Fill, Fit, Stretch, Tile, Center, or Span.
Solid color options
If you chose a solid color, your only options are to select one of 25 color swatches or click the Plus button next to Custom Color and create a background color.
Change your lock screen/sign-in screen
While you can change the wallpaper for both the lock and sign-in screens, you can also choose what appears on each one. As you adjust the wallpaper, you’ll see options to select an app that can show its detailed status and select seven additional apps to show their quick status. Leave these blank if you don’t want anything appearing on your lock and sign-in screens.
Step 1: Right-click on the desktop and select Personalize on the pop-up menu. The Settings app should open to the Personalization section by default and display your background options.
Alternatively, you can click on the Start button followed by the gear icon displayed on the Start menu to open the Settings app. There you can select Personalization.
Step 2: Select the Lock Screen tab listed on the left. In Windows 11, you'll want to start by clicking on the Lock Screen section.
Step 3: On the right, click the drop-down menu under Background and select one of three options: Windows Spotlight, Picture, or Slideshow. In this example, we chose Picture.
Step 4: You can either choose one of the preset images by selecting one of the thumbnails provided under Choose Your Picture. Or you can click the Browse button.
Step 5: If you choose the Browse button, File Explorer appears on the screen. Locate the image you want to use and click the Choose Picture button. It’s now set as your background.
Note: If you chose Slideshow, click the Plus symbol next to Add a Folder to select the folder holding your images. You do not need to choose a picture when you select Windows Spotlight.
Step 6: You can access an optional feature by selecting the toggle that appears next to Show Lock Screen Background Picture on the Sign-In Screen. This is a great thing to do if you want to replicate the lock screen’s background on the sign-in screen.
Use Backiee — Wallpaper Studio 10
If you’re the type of person who loves switching up your background pictures, a third-party app may be the best option for you (especially if you’d like to do this with minimal effort).
One of the most popular is Backiee — Wallpaper Studio 10. This impressive app gives you the chance to explore a medley of creative and modern wallpapers starring fantastic resolutions maxing out at 8K. You can do whatever you please with one of these sweet designs; feature one of them on your lock screen or add one to your desktop. And that’s not even half of it — this app also integrates directly with Bing, giving you the opportunity to peruse through photos without even popping your browser window open.
Unfortunately, you’ll have to deal with some annoying ads if you opt for the free version. However, you can remove them by spending a small fee that starts at $1.49 per month.
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