How to Change Windows 10 Background

What You’ll Need

A Windows 10 PC or laptop
An image file (JPG, PNG, BMP) if you want to use your own picture
An internet connection if you want to download a background from the web (optional)

Step-by-Step

Right-click an empty area on your desktop. Avoid clicking on icons or the taskbar. A menu will appear.
Select “Personalize” from the menu. This opens the Settings app directly to the Background page. If you don’t see Personalize, your Windows version may be older—use the Start menu > Settings > Personalization instead.
Choose your background type from the drop-down menu under “Background.” You have three options: Picture, Solid Color, or Slideshow. Pick the one you want.
Pick a picture or color. If you chose Picture, you’ll see a few default thumbnails. Click one to apply it instantly. If you chose Solid Color, a grid of color swatches appears—click any color. For more options, click “Browse” to find an image on your computer.
Adjust the fit (optional). Below the image preview, there’s a “Choose a fit” drop-down. Options include Fill, Fit, Stretch, Tile, Center, and Span. “Fill” crops the image to cover the screen; “Fit” shows the whole image with possible black bars; “Center” places the image at its original size in the middle. Pick what looks best.
Close the Settings window. Your new background is applied immediately—no need to save. If you chose a slideshow, it will rotate automatically according to the interval you set.

Common Mistakes

Right-clicking on an icon or the taskbar—this opens a different menu. Always click an empty spot on the desktop.
Choosing “Browse” but not selecting a file—you must click the image file and then click “Choose picture.” Simply opening the folder doesn’t apply anything.
Using a very low-resolution image—it will look blurry or pixelated when stretched. Pick an image that matches your screen resolution (e.g., 1920×1080 for most monitors).
Forgetting to check the fit—if your image looks stretched or has black bars, the fit setting is likely wrong. Try “Fill” for a full-screen look.
Expecting the slideshow to work with a single picture—slideshow requires an album or folder with multiple images. If you only have one, it will stay static.

Tips

Use the “Browse” button to select any image from your PC—screenshots, photos, or downloaded wallpapers.
For a slideshow, click “Browse” next to “Album” and choose a folder with several images. You can set the picture change interval (e.g., every minute, hour, or day) and choose whether to shuffle the order.
If you use multiple monitors, right-click a specific image and choose “Set for monitor 1” or “Set for monitor 2” to assign different backgrounds to each screen.
To use a picture from the web, right-click the image in your browser and select “Save image as” to download it, then use Browse in Settings.
If you want a completely black or white background, choose Solid Color and pick black or white from the swatches.
You can also set a background from File Explorer: right-click any image file and choose “Set as desktop background.”

Troubleshooting

Background doesn’t change after selecting—First, check if you have a “Windows Spotlight” setting enabled. Go to Settings > Personalization > Lock screen and see if that’s interfering. Also, try restarting File Explorer: open Task Manager (Ctrl+Shift+Esc), find “Windows Explorer,” right-click it, and select “Restart.”
Background reverts to default after reboot—This can happen if you’re using a temporary profile or if a group policy restricts wallpaper changes. Try creating a new user account and see if the problem persists. If it’s a work computer, contact your IT admin.
Image appears stretched or distorted—Go to the “Choose a fit” drop-down and select “Fill” or “Fit.” “Stretch” forces the image to fill the screen, which can warp it. “Fill” crops the edges but keeps proportions.
Slideshow option is grayed out—This happens on battery power. Go to Settings > Personalization > Background, and under “Slideshow,” check “When on battery, pause slideshow” and turn it off. Or plug in your laptop.
Can’t find the Personalize option—If you’re on an older Windows 10 build, right-clicking the desktop may show “Display settings” instead. Click that, then scroll down to “Background” on the left menu. Or press Windows key + I to open Settings, then go to Personalization.
Background is black even after setting a picture—This could be a corrupted wallpaper cache. Go to Settings > Personalization > Background, select a different image, then switch back to your desired one. If that fails, restart your PC.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I use a GIF as my desktop background?

No, Windows 10 does not support animated GIFs as a static background. You can use a GIF as a slideshow image, but it will only show the first frame. For animation, you’d need third-party software.

How do I make my background change automatically?

Use the Slideshow option under Background. Select a folder with multiple images, set the interval (e.g., every 10 minutes), and enable shuffle if you like. Windows will rotate through them.

Why does my background look blurry?

Your image resolution is lower than your screen resolution. Check your screen resolution in Settings > System > Display, then use an image that matches or exceeds it (e.g., 1920×1080 for Full HD).

Can I set different backgrounds for each monitor?

Yes. Right-click the image you want on a specific monitor and choose “Set for monitor 1” or “Set for monitor 2.” Alternatively, in Settings > Personalization > Background, right-click a thumbnail and select the monitor.

Does changing the background affect performance?

Not noticeably. A static image uses negligible resources. Slideshows use a tiny bit of CPU and disk I/O when changing images, but it’s minimal. If you have a very old PC, a slideshow might cause slight lag.

How do I restore the default Windows background?

Go to Settings > Personalization > Background, and under “Background” choose “Windows Spotlight” (which shows daily images) or select the default Windows 10 wallpaper from the picture list. If you want the classic blue screen, pick Solid Color and choose the blue.

Sources: Microsoft Support. Menus and buttons can differ slightly by version. Spotted something out of date? Tell us.