How to Change the Background on Any Device, App, or Platform

Changing a background sounds simple — but the answer depends entirely on where you're doing it. The steps for changing your desktop wallpaper are completely different from changing a background in a video call, a photo editor, or a presentation app. This guide breaks down each major context so you know exactly what you're working with.

What "Changing the Background" Actually Means

The phrase covers several distinct actions:

• Wallpaper/desktop background — the image behind your icons on a phone or computer
• Virtual background — a digital replacement for your real environment in video calls
• App or browser theme background — the color or image behind an interface
• Document or slide background — a fill color or image in a presentation or word processor
• Photo background removal — editing out the background of an image entirely

Each one uses different tools, settings menus, and logic. Knowing which category applies to you determines where to start.

Changing Your Desktop or Phone Wallpaper 🖼️

Windows

Right-click on the desktop and select Personalize, then choose Background. From there you can set a solid color, a gradient, a slideshow, or a custom image file. Windows 11 also supports Spotlight, which rotates curated images automatically.

macOS

Open System Settings (or System Preferences on older versions), then go to Wallpaper. You can choose from Apple's built-in options or click the + button to add your own image.

Android

Press and hold on an empty area of the home screen, then tap Wallpapers. The exact path varies by manufacturer — Samsung, Google Pixel, and OnePlus each have slightly different UI, but the long-press gesture is almost universal.

iPhone / iOS

Go to Settings → Wallpaper → Add New Wallpaper. iOS 16 and later introduced customizable lock screen wallpapers with depth effects and widget layers, adding more options than earlier versions offered.

Changing Your Background in Video Calls 🎥

Virtual backgrounds work by using either chroma keying (a physical green screen) or AI segmentation (software that detects and replaces your surroundings in real time). The quality difference between these two methods is significant.

Zoom

Click the ^ arrow next to the video icon before or during a call, then select Virtual Background. You can upload custom images or videos. AI background removal works without a green screen, but results vary by lighting and webcam quality.

Microsoft Teams

Click the three-dot menu (More) during a call, then Video Effects. Teams offers blur, custom images, and curated scenes.

Google Meet

Click the three-dot menu at the bottom right, select Apply visual effects, and choose from blur options, pre-made backgrounds, or upload your own image.

Key variable: AI-based virtual backgrounds perform better on machines with a dedicated GPU or a newer CPU with neural processing support. Older hardware may produce choppy or imprecise cutouts.

Changing Backgrounds in Presentation and Document Apps

Google Slides

Go to Slide → Change background in the menu bar. You can apply a solid color, a gradient, or a custom image. Changes can be applied to a single slide or to all slides at once via the Add to theme option.

Microsoft PowerPoint

Right-click on a slide in the panel view and select Format Background. Options include solid fill, gradient fill, picture fill, and pattern fill. The Apply to All button pushes the change across the entire deck.

Google Docs / Word

Neither app uses a traditional "background" setting the same way presentations do. In Google Docs, you can change page color under File → Page setup. In Word, go to Design → Page Color. Note that page color often doesn't print by default — you may need to enable background printing in your print settings.

Removing or Replacing a Photo Background

This is a more involved process and falls into image editing rather than settings changes.

Built-in tools:

• Windows Photos (recent versions) has a one-click background removal tool
• iPhone (iOS 16+) lets you lift a subject from any photo with a long-press gesture
• Google Photos offers Magic Eraser on Pixel devices and some Workspace subscribers

Dedicated apps and web tools offer more control over edge refinement, replacement backgrounds, and export quality. Results depend heavily on the complexity of the original image — hair, transparent objects, and busy backgrounds are harder for automated tools to handle cleanly.

The Variables That Shape Your Experience

The "right" steps depend on a mix of factors that differ for every user:

• Operating system and version — menu locations and available features change between OS updates
• Hardware capability — AI background features require meaningful processing power
• App version — Zoom, Teams, and Meet update frequently; UI changes without much notice
• Use case — a professional video call, a casual photo edit, and a presentation all call for different tools and quality thresholds
• Lighting and environment — physical setup affects virtual background quality more than software settings do

Someone on a recently updated MacBook with good lighting will get a very different result from the same Zoom virtual background setting than someone on a four-year-old laptop in a dim room. The feature is the same; the outcome isn't.

What background you're trying to change — and the setup you're working with — is the part only you can see. 🔍