Software & Apps > Windows How to Change the Wallpaper on Your Computer or Phone How to change the wallpaper on desktop & mobile devices By Stacy Fisher Stacy Fisher Technology Educator Emporia State University Stacy is a professional technology educator with over 25 years' experience. She has published hundreds of articles, co-authored a book, and has appeared on national and local TV. lifewire's editorial guidelines Updated on November 16, 2021 Tweet Share Email Tweet Share Email Windows The Ultimate Laptop Buying Guide What To Know Windows: Open in Photos > right-click > Set as > Set as background.Mac & Linux: Open in file browser > right-click > Set Desktop Picture/Set as wallpaper.Mobile: Settings > Wallpaper (iOS); Settings > Wallpaper & style (Android). This article explains how to change your desktop wallpaper across various operating systems, including Windows, Mac, Linux, iOS, and Android. How to Set the Windows Desktop Background Changing the Windows desktop background is easy. There are two methods, depending on whether the image is currently open or not. With the photo open, right-click or tap-and-hold it, and then choose Set as > Set as background or, in older versions of Windows, Set as desktop background. Alternatively, perform a similar step in File Explorer: right-click the image and select Set as desktop background. Another way to change the desktop wallpaper in Windows is through the Personalize option from the desktop: In Windows 11/10, right-click the desktop and select Personalize. In Windows 8/7/Vista, access the Control Panel's Personalization applet. Select Picture from the menu in the Background section. Use an image from Microsoft or select Browse photos or Browse to find a different picture on your hard drive. Use an image you already own, or see this list of the best free wallpaper sites to download some others. We also keep a list of websites dedicated to free desktop wallpapers of a certain type, like holiday wallpapers, beach wallpapers, wallpapers for each season (like these Autumn wallpapers), and more. Optionally fit, stretch, or fill the screen with the photo, or even tile, center, or span it across several screens. Some versions of Windows offer additional options, like automatically changing the desktop wallpaper after a period of time, which comes in handy if you don't want to settle with just one background. Changing the Wallpaper on Other Devices Windows isn't the only operating system that can have its desktop wallpaper customized. Below are some instructions for other devices. macOS and Linux Right-click a photo and choose Set Desktop Picture. Use pictures from online or ones saved to your computer. Another way to change the desktop image on a Mac is to right-click a blank area on the desktop and choose the Change Desktop Background option. If you use this method, choose some other wallpapers and have all of them cycled on a schedule. If you're using a Linux OS, such as Ubuntu, right-click the photo saved to your computer and pick the Set as Wallpaper option from the menu. Another option is to right-click the desktop and go to Change Desktop Background. iOS, iPadOS, and Android Use this Android guide for changing your wallpaper, or check out this guide for picking a new iOS wallpaper. Changing Android wallpaper from the Photos app. Images you take with a phone or tablet will fit perfectly as the wallpaper image, but you can also visit sites that offer perfectly-sized images for your device. Unsplash is a great option for both platforms. See their iPhone wallpapers and Android wallpapers. Was this page helpful? Thanks for letting us know! Get the Latest Tech News Delivered Every Day Email Address Sign up There was an error. Please try again. You're in! Thanks for signing up. There was an error. Please try again. Thank you for signing up! Tell us why! Other Not enough details Hard to understand Submit