You can change your desktop background in Windows 11 to be a picture, solid color, a slideshow, or Spotlight collection.
A picture background can apply to a specific desktop or all desktops.
Solid color, slideshow, and Spotlight collection backgrounds apply to all your desktops.
Starting with Windows 11 build 22557, Microsoft updated the name of Spotlight collection to be Windows Spotlight, so it’s consistent with the Lock screen.
This tutorial will show you different ways to change the desktop background to a picture, solid color, slideshow, or Spotlight collection for your account in Windows 11.
It is required to activate Windows 11 before you can change the desktop background to personalize your PC using Option One, Option Two, or Option Three.
You will still be able to use Option Four, Option Five, or Option Six to change your desktop background without Windows activated.
When high contrast mode is turned on, the desktop background is automatically set to a solid color by default, but you can still set the desktop background to a picture or slideshow.
If you turned off showing your desktop background, the desktop background will be set to only show a solid black color no matter what you set as your desktop background in this tutorial.
Using an image the same size as the display resolution will give you the best looking results on the desktop background.
Contents
- Option One: Change All or Specific Desktop Background to Picture, Solid Color, Slideshow, or Windows Spotlight in Settings
- Option Two: Change All or Current Desktop Background to Picture, Solid Color, or Slideshow in Control Panel
- Option Three: Change All or Specific Desktop Background to Picture, Solid Color, or Slideshow in Task View
- Option Four: "Set as desktop background" in File Explorer
- Option Five: "Set as desktop background" in Photos app
- Option Six: "Set as desktop background" in Paint app
EXAMPLE: desktop background
Change All or Specific Desktop Background to Picture, Solid Color, Slideshow, or Windows Spotlight in Settings
1 Open Settings (Win+I).
2 Click/tap on Personalization on the left side, and click/tap on Background on the right side. (see screenshot below)
3 Do step 4 (picture), step 5 (solid color), step 6 (slideshow), or step 7 (Windows Spotlight) below for what you want as the desktop background.
4 Change All or Specific Desktop Background to a Picture
A) Select Picture in the Personalize your background drop menu. (see screenshots below)
B) Select an image you want from Recent images.
If you have more than one monitor (display) connected to your PC, then you can apply Recent images to all or specific monitors by:
1) Click/tap on a recent image to set for all monitors.
OR
2) Right click on a recent image, and click/tap on Set for all monitors or Set for monitor # you want.
If you have more than one virtual desktops, then you can apply Recent images to all or specific desktops by:
1) Click/tap on a recent image to set for all desktops on all monitors. (If you came from Option Three, then this will only apply to the specific virtual desktop on all monitors.)
OR
2) Right click on a recent image, and click/tap on Set for all desktops or Set for desktop > Desktop # you want on all monitors.
C) If Recent images doesn't have an image you want, click/tap on the Browse photos button, navigate to and select an image, and click/tap on Choose picture
D) Select Fill, Fit, Stretch, Tile, Center, or Span for what you want in the Choose a fit for your desktop image drop menu.
E) When finished, you can close Settings.
5 Change All Desktops Background to a Solid Color
A) Select Solid color in the Personalize your background drop menu. (see screenshots below)
B) Select a color you want under Choose your background color.
C) If Choose your background color doesn't have a color you want, click/tap on the View colors button to choose a custom color.
D) When finished, you can close Settings.
6 Change All Desktops Background to a Slideshow
A) Select Slideshow in the Personalize your background drop menu. (see screenshots below)
B) Click/tap on the Browse button to Choose a picture album for a slideshow. Navigate to and select a folder containing pictures you want for the slideshow, and click/tap on Choose this folder.
C) Select the time you want in the Change picture every drop menu.
D) Turn on or off Shuffle the picture folder for what you want.
E) Turn on or off Let slideshow run even if I'm on battery power for what you want.
F) Select Fill, Fit, Stretch, Tile, Center, or Span for what you want in the Choose a fit for your desktop image drop menu.
G) When finished, you can close Settings.
7 Change All Desktops Background to Windows Spotlight
Windows Spotlight is only available starting with Windows 11 build 22518 and build 22000.706.
You can right-click on the Learn more about this picture icon on your desktop to switch to between Spotlight pictures or tell Microsoft whether you like or dislike a picture.
A) Select Windows Spotlight in the Personalize your background drop menu. (see screenshot below)
B) When finished, you can close Settings.
1 Open Run (Win+R).
2 Copy and paste the command below into Run, and click/tap on OK to open the Desktop Background control panel applet.
shell:::{ED834ED6-4B5A-4bfe-8F11-A626DCB6A921} -Microsoft.Personalization\pageWallpaper3 Do step 4 (picture), step 5 (solid color), or step 6 (slideshow) below for what you want as the desktop background.
4. Change Current Desktop Background to a Picture on Specific or All Displays
A) Select a folder you want in the Picture location drop menu. (see screenshots below)
B) If Picture location doesn't have the folder you want, click/tap on the Browse button, navigate to and select a folder, and click/tap on OK.
C) Right click or press and hold on a single image you want, and click/tap on either Set for all monitors or Set for monitor # you want.
D) Repeat the step above if you have more displays you would like to set a specific picture for.
E) Select Fill, Fit, Span, Stretch, Tile, or Center for what you want in the Picture position drop menu.
F) When finished, click/tap on Save changes to apply and close the Desktop Background control panel applet.
5. Change All Desktops Background to a Solid Color on All Displays
A) Select Solid Colors in the Picture location drop menu. (see screenshot below)
B) Select a color you want.
C) If there isn't a color you want, click/tap on the More link at the bottom to choose a custom color.
D) When finished, click/tap on Save changes to apply and close the Desktop Background control panel applet.
6. Change All Desktops Background to Slideshow on All Displays
A) Select a folder you want in the Picture location drop menu. (see screenshots below)
B) If Picture location doesn't have the folder you want, click/tap on the Browse button, navigate to and select a folder, and click/tap on OK.
C) Select more than one image you want included in the slideshow.
D) Select Fill, Fit, Span, Stretch, Tile, or Center for what you want in the Picture position drop menu.
E) Select the time you want in the Change picture every drop menu.
F) Check (on) or uncheck (off) Shuffle for what you want.
G) Check (on) or uncheck (off) When using battery power, pause the slide show to save power for what you want.
H) When finished, click/tap on Save changes to apply and close the Desktop Background control panel applet.
Change All or Specific Desktop Background to Picture, Solid Color, or Slideshow in Task View
1 Open Task View (Win+Tab).
2 Right click or press and hold on the virtual desktop you want, and click/tap on Choose background. (see screenshot below)
3 Go to step 3 in option 1 to select a picture background for this desktop, or solid color or slideshow for all desktops.
1 Open File Explorer (Win+E).
2 Navigate to and open the folder the image you want to set as the desktop background is saved in.
3 Perform one of the following actions to set image as desktop background: (see screenshots below)
- Select the image, and click/tap on Set as background on the command bar.
- Right click or press and hold on the image, and click/tap on Set as desktop background.
1 Perform the steps below while you have an image you want to set as the desktop background open in the Photos app:
- Click/tap on the See more actions (3 dots) button.
- Click/tap on Set as.
- Click/tap on Set as background.
1 Perform the steps below while you have an image you want to set as the desktop background open in the Paint app:
- Click/tap on File on the menu bar.
- Click/tap on Set as desktop background.
- Click/tap on Fill, Tile, or Center for what you want.
That's it,
Shawn Brink
Related Tutorials
- Enable or Disable Desktop Stickers in Windows 11
- Delete Desktop Background Wallpaper History in Windows 11
- Change Lock Screen Background to Windows Spotlight, Picture, or Slideshow in Windows 11
- Change Theme in Windows 11
- Change Desktop Icon Horizontal and Vertical Spacing in Windows 11
- Reset and Re-register Windows Spotlight in Windows 11
- Add or Remove "Set as desktop background" Context Menu in Windows 11
- Add or Remove "Learn more about this picture" Desktop icon in Windows 11
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