Change the desktop picture (background) on your Mac

Your Mac includes photos and other images that you can use as desktop pictures to give your Mac a custom look. Or you can use your own.

Change your desktop picture from System Preferences

  1. Choose Apple menu  > System Preferences.
  2. Click Desktop & Screen Saver.
  3. From the Desktop pane, select a folder of images on the left, then click an image on the right to change your desktop picture.

In macOS Mojave or later, you can also choose from Dynamic Desktop images, which automatically change throughout the day based on the time of day in your location.

Add a folder of your own images

To add a folder of your own images, click the add button (+) below the list of folders, then choose the folder that contains your images.

For best results, choose images that are stored on your startup disc. Images stored on a different disc may not load reliably after restarting your Mac, depending on how quickly the other disc becomes available after startup.

Change your desktop picture from Photos

  1. Open the Photos app.
  2. If you're using multiple displays, drag the Photos window over the desktop that you want to change.
  3. Control-click (or right-click) the image that you want to use.
  4. Select Share from the shortcut menu, then choose Set Desktop Picture from the sub-menu.

Change your desktop picture from the Finder

  1. From a Finder window or your desktop, locate the image file that you want to use.
  2. Control-click (or right-click) the file, then choose Set Desktop Picture from the shortcut menu. If you're using multiple displays, this changes the wallpaper of your primary display only.

If you don't see Set Desktop Picture in the shortcut menu, you should see a sub-menu named Services instead. Choose Set Desktop Picture from there.

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