To change the wallpaper in Windows 10, right-click an empty spot on the desktop and select Personalize. Under Background, choose Picture, then pick one of the pictures shown or select Browse to use your own. The desktop changes right away.
A quicker way: right-click any picture in File Explorer and select Set as desktop background.
Applies to: Windows 10 desktops and laptops. Checked against Microsoft Support on September 25, 2026.
Change the wallpaper in Settings
- Right-click the desktop and select Personalize, or go to Settings > Personalization > Background.
- Under Background, select Picture.
- Select a picture, or select Browse and choose an image from your PC.
- Under Choose a fit, pick how the image fills the screen.
Choose a fit
- Fill: covers the whole screen and crops the edges if needed. Best for most photos.
- Fit: shows the whole image, with bars if the shape doesn’t match.
- Stretch: fills the screen but can distort the image.
- Tile, Center, and Span are for small images and multiple monitors.
For a sharp result, use an image at least as large as your screen resolution, such as 1920 × 1080.
Use a slideshow or a solid color
Under Background, choose Slideshow to rotate pictures from a folder, and set how often they change. Choose Solid color for a plain background.
Set a different wallpaper on each monitor
- Go to Settings > Personalization > Background.
- Right-click a picture under Choose your picture.
- Select Set for monitor 1 or Set for monitor 2. Repeat for the other screen.
For more on two screens, see how to set up dual monitors in Windows 10.
Find the current wallpaper image
Windows keeps a copy of your current wallpaper. Press Windows + R, type %AppData%\Microsoft\Windows\Themes, and press Enter. The file named TranscodedWallpaper is your current background. Copy it and add .jpg to the name to open it.
The built-in Windows pictures are in C:\Windows\Web\Wallpaper.
If you can’t change the wallpaper
- Settings are grayed out: on a work or school PC, your organization may control the background.
- The picture looks blurry: use a larger image, and choose Fill.
- The wallpaper turns black: in Settings > Ease of Access > Display, make sure Show desktop background image is on.
Frequently asked questions
How do I change the lock screen picture?
Go to Settings > Personalization > Lock screen and choose Picture under Background.
Can I use a video or animated wallpaper?
Not with built-in settings. That needs a separate app.
Why does my wallpaper keep changing?
Slideshow or a theme might be turned on. Set Background to Picture.
To change the picture on the lock screen instead, see how to change the lock screen in Windows 10.
To change how the mouse pointer looks, see how to change your cursor in Windows 10.
To make Windows and apps dark, see how to turn on dark mode in Windows 10.
To add new fonts to your PC, see how to install fonts in Windows 10.
If you have two monitors, see how to use different wallpapers on dual monitors in Windows 10.
Windows 10 can’t use a moving wallpaper, but a Slideshow background comes close. See can you make an animated wallpaper in Windows 10?
Microsoft’s guide is Change the desktop background in Windows. More help is on our Windows Help & Guides page.
Matt Jacobs has been working as an IT consultant for small businesses since receiving his Master’s degree in 2003. While he still does some consulting work, his primary focus now is on creating technology support content for SupportYourTech.com.
His work can be found on many websites and focuses on topics such as Microsoft Office, Apple devices, Android devices, Photoshop, and more.