How to change the desktop background in Windows

To enjoy a little variety when staring at their screens day-in day-out, many Windows users change their desktop background theme. Read on to find out how to change the background theme in Windows 11 and Windows 10, what individual setting options there are, and how to set up a monochrome desktop.

In Windows 10 you can adjust the background as follows:

1. Launch Settings by clicking on the Start menu or using the key combination [Windows] + [i].
2. Change the category to ‘Personalization’.
3. Select ‘Background’ and choose the image, solid colour, or slideshow you wish to set as your desktop background.
4. Select the desired colour, image, or image folder. If you want to use a specific image, click on ‘Browse’ and specify the location of the respective image file.

If you work with Windows 11, you can change the screen background as follows:

1. Launch Settings by clicking on the Start menu or using the key combination [Windows] + [i].
2. Change the category to ‘Personalization’.
3. Select the entry ‘Background’.
4. Select ‘Personalize your background’ and choose the desired background (‘Solid color’, ‘Image’ or ‘Slideshow’).
5. Choose a colour, desired background theme or the respective image album for a slideshow. Click on ‘Browse photos’ if you want to use an individual image file.

On Windows devices, you have three options to customise your desktop background:

• Images: Images are the most frequently employed option for desktop background themes. You could select a picture provided by Windows, download high-quality wallpapers, or insert a personal photo.
• Solid colour: It doesn’t always have to be a picture. You could change your desktop background to a solid colour. Windows provides a selection of colours or you can create your own.
• Slideshow: Don’t want to settle for a single image? You can set up a slideshow with any number of images. Just add them to the same folder for this purpose.

In principle, setting an image or slideshow for your desktop background is a simple process. Windows doesn’t have specific requirements when it comes to format either. Known image formats like JPEG or PNG are supported. However, those who value optimal arrangement of the selected image(s) should ensure the resolution of the image matches the resolution of the display.

The resolution of the image and the screen do not need to match. The appropriate ratio of width and height is a more important consideration and can be adjusted using an image editing program. If, for example, the desired image section is smaller than the screen resolution, the ‘Fill’ setting ensures that the image extends to the entire background.

Adjusting the desktop theme in Windows is quick and easy. Any adjustments to settings can be undone again later, giving you plenty of freedom to experiment with different options. The following instructions will guide you step by step through the process of changing the background image or background colour in Windows 10 and Windows 11.

From the drop-down, below ‘Personalize your background’, select the image, slideshow, or solid colour you wish to set as the background. Depending on your selection, you have various options to adjust settings.

Select ‘Background’ to toggle between solid colour, images, and slideshow from the drop-down menu. Once again, you can adjust the settings, depending on the selection you’ve made.