Change your Chrome background in three steps

You can change the background image that appears on Chrome's home page — the screen you see when you open a new tab. Chrome calls this the "theme," and you can pick from Google's built-in options, upload your own photo, or choose from thousands of designs in the Chrome Web Store. The whole process takes less than a minute.

The background you set only appears on new tabs in your browser. It does not change your computer's desktop wallpaper or affect how websites look when you visit them. Each person who uses your computer can set their own Chrome background without affecting anyone else's.

Key Takeaways

  • Open a new tab, click the pencil icon in the bottom right corner, and select "Background" to access Chrome's built-in background options.
  • Google provides free backgrounds organized by category — you can browse landscapes, abstract designs, art, and seasonal themes without leaving Chrome.
  • You can upload a photo from your computer by clicking "Upload from device" in the background menu.
  • If you want thousands more options, visit the Chrome Web Store and search for "themes" to install custom designs that change your entire browser appearance.

Using Chrome's built-in backgrounds

Open Chrome and create a new tab by pressing Ctrl+T on Windows or Cmd+T on Mac. You will see the Chrome home page with a search box in the center. Look at the bottom right corner — you should see a small pencil icon. Click it.

A menu will pop up with several options. Click "Background." Chrome will show you a grid of background images organized by category: Collections, Art, Landscapes, Cityscapes, and others. Scroll through the options and click any image you want to preview it. Once you have found one you like, click it again to set it as your background. The change happens immediately — your new tab will now display that background every time you open one.

If you want to go back to Chrome's default blank background, open the background menu again and click the blank white square at the top of the options.

Uploading your own photo as a background

You can use any photo stored on your computer as your Chrome background. Open a new tab, click the pencil icon, and select "Background." At the top of the background menu, you will see "Upload from device." Click it.

Your computer's file browser will open. Navigate to the folder where your photo is stored, select the image, and click "Open." Chrome will use that photo as your new background. The image will be resized to fit your screen, so very small photos may appear blurry or stretched. Photos that are at least 1920 by 1080 pixels work best.

You can change your uploaded background anytime by going back to the background menu and selecting a different image or one of Google's built-in options.

Installing themes from the Chrome Web Store

If you want more background options than Chrome provides by default, you can install a theme from the Chrome Web Store. Themes change not just your background but also the colors of your toolbar, buttons, and other browser elements. Open Chrome and go to chromewebstore.google.com. In the search box at the top, type "themes."

You will see hundreds of theme options. Click on any one to see a preview of how it will look in your browser. If you want to use it, click the blue "Add to Chrome" button. A popup will ask you to confirm — click "Add extension." The theme will install immediately, and your browser background and colors will change right away.

To remove a theme you no longer want, click the three vertical dots in the top right corner of Chrome, go to "More tools," select "Extensions," find the theme in the list, and click the trash icon next to it.

Troubleshooting background changes that do not appear

If you set a background but it does not show up on new tabs, make sure you are actually opening a new tab. Pressing Ctrl+T or Cmd+T, or clicking the plus sign next to your current tab, will show your background. Visiting a website will not — websites cover your background completely.

If your background still does not appear, try clearing your browser cache. Click the three vertical dots in the top right, go to "Settings," select "Privacy and security," click "Clear browsing data," make sure "Cached images and files" is checked, and click "Clear data." Then open a new tab again.

If you installed a theme from the Chrome Web Store and it is not showing, the theme may have been disabled. Go to the three vertical dots, select "More tools," click "Extensions," and make sure the toggle next to your theme is turned on (it should be blue, not gray).

Differences between backgrounds and themes

Chrome offers two ways to customize how your browser looks: backgrounds and themes. A background is just the image that appears on your new tab page — it does not change anything else. A theme is a complete design package that changes your background plus the colors of your toolbar, buttons, tabs, and other browser elements.

If you only want to change the image on your new tab, use the background option. If you want a more complete visual overhaul of your entire browser, install a theme from the Chrome Web Store. You can use both at the same time — a theme will set a background, but you can override it by selecting a different background from the background menu.

Frequently Asked Questions

Will my background show up on every device I use Chrome on?

If you are signed into the same Google account on multiple devices, your background and theme choices will sync across all of them. If you use Chrome on a device without signing in, your background choices will only stay on that device. You can change your background on each device separately if you want them to be different.

Can I use a video or animated image as my background?

Chrome's built-in background feature only supports still images. Some themes in the Chrome Web Store include animated backgrounds, but they are less common. Search for "animated theme" in the Chrome Web Store to see what options are available.

What happens to my background if I uninstall Chrome?

Your background settings are stored in your Google account, not on your computer. If you uninstall and reinstall Chrome and sign back into the same account, your background will return. If you sign into a different account, you will see that account's background settings instead.

Can I set different backgrounds for different user profiles in Chrome?

Yes. Chrome lets you create multiple user profiles, and each profile can have its own background and theme. Click your profile icon in the top right corner of Chrome, select "Manage people," and create a new profile. Each profile will have its own background settings that you can customize separately.