Changing your background is the easiest way to customize your desktop experience inWindows 11or Windows 10. You can use any image, really, whether it’s custom wallpapers that shipped with your PC or a cat meme you downloaded from Facebook. Gamers gravitate to screenshots, while grandparents may have photos of the entire family.
Difficulty
What You Need
Windows 11 (or 10) PC
Mobile device (preferably an Android)
OneDrive account
Photos you want to add to your desktop background
This guide shows you how to set a photo as your Windows desktop background. The methods are easy. We’ll show you how, and suggest how you’re able to send photos on your phone to a Windows PC.
Get a photo onto your Windows PC using your phone app (Android only)
While you’re able to use any image downloaded from the internet, we tend to use photos of family and friends captured by our smartphones. You can tether an Android phone or iPhone using a USB cable, but the easier way would be to use the native tools in Windows.
We have a guide onhow to pair your Android phone with Windows, but you essentially install theYour Phone Companion appon the Android device and then sync it using the Your Phone app on Windows 11.
Step 1:With Your Phone open, clickPhotoslisted on the left.
Step 2:Right-click on a photo and selectSave Ason the pop-up menu.
Step 3:When File Explorer appears on the screen, select a destination on your PC and click theSavebutton.
Get a photo onto your Windows PC using OneDrive
You can use any cloud service like Google Drive and Dropbox, but OneDrive is native to Windows 11 (and 10), so there’s nothing to install other than the mobile apps. Set OneDrive to upload your photos to the cloud, and then either download the pictures using a desktop web browser or synchronize the cloud folder to your PC. This method is ideal for iPhone owners, as Microsoft and Apple do not provide a similar Your Phone app service.
If you sync the folder to your PC, photos are accessible using File Explorer. OneDrive is listed on the left along with the associated synchronized folders.
Keep in mind that you don’t necessarily need to have OneDrive upload all photos from your phone. The following instructions are ideal for those who use the free OneDrive account:
Step 1:Create a folder in OneDrive.
Step 2:On your phone, open the photo in your default viewer and then share it to the new OneDrive folder. (You’ll likely need the OneDrive app installed on your device to do this.)
Step 3:Sync that folder to Windows 11.
(OneDrive may already be synced to your Windows devices, but you can make sure that your folder is synced by selecting the OneDrive app icon from the taskbar’s lower-right corner (next to the system clock) or in the hidden icons menu. The icon looks like a cloud. Then selectHelp & Settings. Then chooseSettingsfrom the pop-up menu. On theAccounttab, click onChoose Folders. You’ll then be taken to a screen where you can choose which folders will sync to Windows (show up in your File Explorer.)
Step 4:Open the synced folder in File Explorer and move or copy the picture to a local spot on your PC.
Step 5:If you copied the file, delete the photo in the shared folder. Moving or copying the file does not delete the original photo stored on your phone.
Set a photo as your background (the easy way)
The easiest way to set any image as your desktop wallpaper is to do the following.
Step 1:Use File Explorer to locate the image you want to use.
Step 2:Right-click on the file.
Step 3:SelectSet As Desktop Backgroundlocated near the top of the long pop-up menu.
Set a photo as your background (the long way)
Step 1:Right-click anywhere on the desktop and selectPersonalizeon the pop-up menu. you’re able to also access this setting by clicking theAll Settingstile in theAction Center(the notification icon on the taskbar) followed byPersonalization.
Step 2:The Settings app appears on the screen with theBackgroundsection selected by default. Click theDown Arrowdisplayed underBackgroundand choosePicturelisted on the drop-down menu.
Step 3:Click theBrowsebutton to open File Explorer.
Step 4:Locate the picture you want as a background and then selectChoose Picture.
Step 5:Click theDown ArrowunderChoose a Fitand select one of six options on the drop-down menu.
Set your background on multiple monitors
This method could be easier, as setting different photos is essentially clear as mud. You’ll need to load images into a ribbon and then manually set the background for each screen. Otherwise, any single picture you choose displays across all screens.
Step 2:The Settings app appears on the screen with the Background section selected by default. Click theDown Arrowdisplayed underBackgroundand choosePicturelisted on the drop-down menu.
Step 4:Locate the picture you want as a background and then selectChoose Picture. This picture now appears on all screens.
Step 5:Click theBrowsebutton to open File Explorer.
Step 6:Locate the picture you want as a background and then selectChoose Picture. This picture now appears on all screens.
The object here is to get your pictures into the ribbon so you can set which picture is displayed on each screen. For instance, if you have three screens, you want three images loaded into the thumbnail ribbon.
Step 7:Right-click on a thumbnail and select the target display. In our example, we assigned an Xbox screenshot to Monitor 1. Repeat this step for all other displays.
If you have a dual-monitor setup, be sure and check outour guide on dual-screen wallpapersfor more tips.
Set multiple photos as a rotating background
What if you have multiple photos from a family trip and you want to see them all displayed as a backdrop? In this case, you would use the Slideshow setting.
Before you start, be sure to put all photos into a new folder somewhere on your PC. Everything contained within that folder will be used as your wallpaper.
Step 2:The Settings app appears on the screen with theBackgroundsection selected by default. Click theDown Arrowdisplayed underBackgroundand chooseSlideshowlisted on the drop-down menu.
Step 4:Locate and select the folder containing the photos you want to use as wallpaper.
Step 5:Click theChoose This Folderbutton. All pictures contained within that folder should appear on your screen(s).
Step 6:Click theDown ArrowunderChange Picture Everyand select one of six options ranging from one minute to one day.
Step 7:Toggle theShuffleandLet Slideshow Run Even If I’m On Battery Poweroptions as needed.
Step 8:Click theDown ArrowunderChoose a Fitand select one of six options on the drop-down menu.
Once you’re done, if there is a problem with the way your desktop looks with the new background, this can be fixed bychanging your Windows desktop resolution settings.
