Change your Mac background through System Settings
Open System Settings (the gear icon in your Dock or Applications folder), then click Wallpaper in the left sidebar. Click the desktop preview at the top, choose a category like Collections or Recents, select an image, and it applies immediately. That's the full process — no restart needed.
If you want to use your own photo instead of Apple's built-in images, click the plus sign at the bottom of the Wallpaper window, navigate to the folder where your photo lives, select it, and click Open. Your photo now appears in the Wallpaper list and you can click it to set it as your background.
You can also set different backgrounds for your desktop and lock screen. In the same Wallpaper window, you'll see tabs at the top for Desktop and Lock Screen — choose which one you want to change, then pick your image. Many people set a photo for their desktop and a solid color or different image for the lock screen you see when your Mac wakes up.
Key Takeaways
- System Settings > Wallpaper is the only place you need to go to change your background — there's no second step or hidden menu.
- You can use Apple's built-in images or drag in your own photos from your computer.
- Desktop and lock screen backgrounds are separate, so you can set different images for each one.
- Changes take effect immediately without restarting your Mac.
- If an image looks pixelated or stretched, your photo's resolution may be too low for your screen size.
Using your own photos as a background
Click the plus sign in the Wallpaper window and navigate to the folder containing your photo. You can select one image at a time, or hold Command and click multiple photos to add them all at once. Once you've added them, they show up in a folder called "Custom" at the top of your Wallpaper list.
If you want your background to change automatically, select a custom folder and then check the box that says "Change picture." You can set it to switch every hour, every day, when you wake your Mac, or on login. This works best if you've added several photos to the same custom folder.
Fixing backgrounds that look blurry or stretched
A background looks pixelated or blurry when the photo's resolution is smaller than your screen's resolution. If you're using a photo that's 1920 × 1080 pixels on a 5K display, it will stretch and lose sharpness. Check your photo's resolution by right-clicking it, selecting Get Info, and looking at the dimensions listed under Image.
For best results, your photo should be at least as wide and tall as your Mac's screen resolution. You can find your screen resolution in System Settings > Displays — look for the "Resolution" dropdown. If your photo is too small, you can use a free online tool to enlarge it, or simply choose a different image that's already high resolution.
Setting a solid color background
If you prefer a plain background instead of an image, click the Colors tab in the Wallpaper window. Choose from preset colors or click the color square to open a color picker and create your own shade. Solid colors load faster than images and can reduce visual clutter on your desktop.
You can also set a gradient (a smooth blend between two colors) by selecting Gradients from the left sidebar. These work the same way — click one to preview it, then click again to set it as your background.
Removing a custom background you no longer want
Open System Settings > Wallpaper and find the custom folder containing the image you want to remove. Right-click the image and select Delete, or select it and press Delete on your keyboard. The image is removed from your Wallpaper list but stays in the original folder on your Mac — this only removes it from the background options.
If you want to delete the entire custom folder, right-click it in the Wallpaper window and select Delete Folder. This removes all the images in that folder from your background options.
Changing backgrounds on multiple displays
If you have an external monitor connected to your Mac, you can set different backgrounds for each display. In System Settings > Wallpaper, you'll see a dropdown menu at the top that says "All Displays" or shows the name of a specific display. Click it and select which display you want to change, then pick your background. Repeat for each display.
You can also set all displays to the same background by selecting "All Displays" from the dropdown and choosing your image. This is faster if you want them to match.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I use a video or animated image as my background?
No, Mac backgrounds must be still images. However, you can set your background to change automatically between multiple photos, which creates a slideshow effect. Add several images to a custom folder, select that folder in Wallpaper, and check "Change picture" with your preferred timing.
Why does my background look different after I set it?
macOS may crop or adjust your image to fit your screen's aspect ratio. If your photo is very wide or very tall compared to your screen, parts of it might be hidden. Try a different photo with proportions closer to your screen's shape, or use the color or gradient options instead.
Where does macOS store the wallpaper images I download?
Images you add through the plus sign in Wallpaper are stored in a folder at ~/Library/Application Support/com.apple.sharedfilelist/com.apple.LSSharedFileList.ApplicationRecentDocuments/com.apple.wallpaper.recent.collections.sfl2, but you don't need to access this folder directly. Just use the Wallpaper window to manage them.
Can I set a different background for each user account on my Mac?
Yes. Each user account has its own System Settings, so when you log into a different account and change the background, it only affects that account. Other users will see their own backgrounds when they log in.
What image file types work as Mac backgrounds?
JPEG, PNG, HEIF, and TIFF files all work. Most photos from your camera or phone are JPEG or HEIF, so you shouldn't need to convert anything. If you have an older file format, you can open it in Preview and save it as JPEG or PNG.