How to Change Your Background on Any Device or App

Changing your background sounds simple — but the steps, options, and results vary significantly depending on whether you're working on a desktop OS, a mobile device, a video call platform, or a browser. Understanding where the setting lives and what's actually happening behind the scenes helps you get exactly the look you want.

What "Changing Your Background" Actually Means

The word background covers a few different things in tech:

• Wallpaper/Desktop background — the image displayed on your home screen or desktop
• Lock screen background — the image shown before you log in or unlock
• Video call background — a virtual image or blur effect applied during calls
• App or browser theme background — a color or image behind UI elements

Each of these is controlled differently, and the options available to you depend heavily on your device, operating system version, and the specific app involved.

Changing Your Desktop or Phone Wallpaper 🖥️

Windows

On Windows 10 and 11, right-click an empty area of the desktop and select Personalize, then choose Background. From here you can set a static image, a solid color, or a slideshow from a folder. Windows 11 adds a Spotlight option that cycles through curated Microsoft images automatically.

macOS

On a Mac, go to System Settings (or System Preferences on older versions) → Wallpaper. You can choose from Apple's built-in collections, your own photos, or a solid color. macOS Sonoma and later also support dynamic wallpapers that shift based on time of day.

iPhone (iOS)

Go to Settings → Wallpaper → Add New Wallpaper. iOS 16 and later introduced a significantly reworked wallpaper system, allowing depth-effect wallpapers, multiple customizable lock screen styles, and the ability to link specific wallpapers to Focus modes.

Android

The process varies more on Android because manufacturers like Samsung, Google, and OnePlus customize the interface. Generally, long-pressing the home screen and tapping Wallpaper & style (or a similar label) gets you there. Google Pixel devices include a dedicated Wallpaper app with curated collections and the option to set different images for home and lock screens.

Changing Your Background on Video Calls 🎥

Virtual backgrounds have become standard across major platforms. Here's how the core mechanics work:

To access these, look for the three-dot menu, the More button, or a dedicated Effects or Background icon during or before a call — it varies by platform.

How virtual backgrounds work: Your device uses either hardware-accelerated segmentation (splitting you from the background in real time) or a green screen to replace the area behind you. Processing quality depends on your CPU or GPU capability, lighting conditions, and whether you're using a dedicated webcam or built-in camera. A cluttered or poorly lit environment reduces the accuracy of background removal.

Changing Your Background in Browsers and Apps

Some browsers like Chrome and Edge let you customize the new tab page background directly. Click the Customize or pencil icon on the new tab page to upload an image or choose from a preset gallery.

Apps like Slack, Discord, and others also offer theme customization that adjusts background colors and accent tones across the interface — separate from a photo wallpaper.

The Variables That Affect Your Options

Not every background setting is available on every device or version. A few factors that determine what you can actually do:

• OS version — iOS 16+ unlocked major wallpaper features; older iPhones have fewer options
• Hardware capability — virtual background blur requires meaningful processing power; older machines may struggle or not support it at all
• App version — video call platforms update frequently; some background features roll out gradually
• Display type — on OLED screens, dark or black wallpapers can reduce battery drain meaningfully compared to bright images
• Storage and file format — most platforms accept JPEG and PNG for custom uploads; very large image files may be automatically compressed

What Different Users Run Into

A remote worker using Zoom or Teams daily will prioritize virtual background quality and may invest in a green screen for cleaner segmentation. A student on an older laptop may find virtual backgrounds laggy or unavailable entirely due to hardware limits. A mobile-first user on iOS or Android will find the wallpaper tools increasingly sophisticated, especially on newer flagship devices. A privacy-conscious user joining calls from home might rely on background blur rather than a custom image — simpler to enable, lower processing overhead.

The right approach depends not just on which device you're on, but why you're changing the background and what constraints your current setup introduces. Those specifics shape which method works best — and which trade-offs matter to you.