Windows 11 official release is set to be in October 2021 (2 months from now). With the coming of the new OS (operating system), a lot of people are wondering if it’ll be possible to change the desktop background and if it is possible will it be a difficult task to carry out or the process of changing the desktop background will be same as its predecessor (Windows 10). If you have similar questions, then continue reading because today’s guide is made to teach you how to change the desktop background in Windows 11.
What is the Windows 11 Desktop Feature?
This desktop feature is obviously not a new feature for Windows users but what makes the desktop feature unique in Windows 11 is the new customization that has been embedded into it.
The Windows desktop feature allows users especially those who are particular about arranging things to be able to organize their PC the way they want it letting them create different desktops (different environments) for different activities.
With Windows 11, you’d be able to create different desktops for different purposes. For example, you could have a desktop for games which comes as no surprise since Windows 11 was made with gamers in mind, a desktop for work and possibly a desktop for movies. Additionally, you will also be able to easily switch from one virtual desktop to another which is similar to the MacOS desktop feature.
Some people are privileged to have access to the Windows 11 initial build through the Windows insider program and as such, learning ways to change your desktop background is the knowledge you must have if you don’t want your PC looking bland.
Due to this and several other reasons, in today’s guide, I’ll be teaching you how to change the desktop background in Windows 11.
How to Change Desktop Background in Windows 11
Changing your desktop background isn’t a daunting task and in today’s blog post, I’ll be teaching different methods you can use in changing your Windows 11 background. All you’d have to do is, simply select a method you prefer and you’ll have your Windows 11 desktop background changed in no time.
How to Change Desktop Background in Windows 11 (The Desktop Method)
To learn how to change desktop background in Windows 11 using the desktop method, follow the set of instructions outlined below:
- Right-click on a space on your Windows 11 desktop background to reveal a menu.
- On that menu, click on Personalize.
- Under Personalize, click on Background.
- Click the drop-down menu found at the top right corner of the screen to select the type of background you’d like to use. Options available are Pictures, Slideshow and Solid Colour.
For Pictures
- If the Picture was your selected choice, click on Browse Photo then select an image of your choice from your device’s storage. Additionally, you can also select a recent background from the thumbnail previews found at the top.
- Go to the location where the picture you’d like to use is stored and click on the desired picture.
- After selecting the picture, click on Choose Picture.
Once you do that, know that you have successfully learnt how to change desktop background in Windows 11.
For Slideshow
- Click on Browse.
- Go to the folder that contains all the pictures you’d like to use for the slideshow.
- Click on that folder and click on Choose this folder.
- Once you do this, you have successfully learnt how to change desktop background in Windows 11 and the first picture on that folder will be automatically set as your desktop background.
- Furthermore, you can customize the slideshow feature by deciding how long it takes before a pictures changes. You can do this by clicking the arrow down button to the right of Change picture every, to select the speed.
- You can also choose to shuffle the way the pictures are being displayed as your background if you don’t want to follow the order in which the pictures are arranged in the folder. To do this toggle the button for Shuffle the picture order.
You should know that using the slideshow method when changing your Windows 11 background drains battery and as such Windows 11 has a feature to stops the slideshow when your PC is running on battery power (when the PC is not charging). If you don’t like this, you can bypass it by clicking on the toggle button for Let slideshow run even if I’m on battery power. You will only find this feature on laptops and portable systems, just in case you can’t find this feature.
Finally, you can also customize the fit and the image(s) selected as your desktop background will be resized. To do this, click on the arrow down button to the right of Choose a fit for your desktop image.
For Solid Colour
- Click and choose your preferred Solid Colour to use Solid Colour as your desktop background. Additionally, you can choose a custom colour if you don’t want the solid colours displayed by clicking on View colours and selecting the desired colour.
How to Change Desktop Background in Windows 11 (The Right-click Method)
Amongst all the methods that’ll be listed in this guide, this is one of the easiest methods available that you can use to change desktop background in Windows 11. To learn how to use this method, follow the set of instructions outlined below:
- Locate the image you’d like to use as your desktop background.
- Right-click on that image.
- From the options that’ll be made available, click on Set as desktop background.
Once you do this, the selected image will now be used as your desktop background. Even though this is the easiest method available it’s not the most efficient because if the image you want to use is saved with a popular image format it won’t come up when you right-click on the image.
How to Change Desktop Background in Windows 11 (The File Explorer Method)
In Windows 11 you can also change your desktop background from your file explorer in two methods. Follow the sets of instructions outlined below to learn how to change desktop background in Windows 11.
First Method
- Open your File Explorer.
- Locate the image you’d like to use as your desktop background.
- Click and select the image. Once you do this, an option to use that image as your background should come up at the toolbar found at the top of your screen. Click on that option to set that image as your desktop background.
Second Method
- Open your File Explorer.
- Locate the preferred image you’d like to use as your desktop background.
- Click and select on that image.
- Click on Picture Tools found at the top of your screen.
- A list of options should appear and you can either Rotate left, Rotate right, Slideshow and Set as background. Click on Set as background.
Now you know both methods, you can use any method you prefer to change desktop background on Windows 11 using the File Explorer method.
How to Change Desktop Background in Windows 11 (The Settings Method)
This method is similar to the first approach (the desktop method). To learn how to change desktop background in Windows 11 using the settings method, follow the set of instructions outlined below:
- On your keyboard, press Windows + I to open the Settings On the left, you will find Personalization. Click on Personalization.
- Click on Background.
- Select the desired type of background. You can either select from Pictures, Slideshow or Solid Colours.
Follow the steps from the desktop method for Pictures, Slideshow and Solid Colours to complete the process.
How to Change Desktop Background in Windows 11 (Control Prompt Method)
Interestingly, you can also change the desktop background in Windows 11 using CMD. To learn how to use this method to change desktop background in Windows 11, follow the set of instructions outlined below:
- On your keyboard, press Windows + S.
- Search for CMD.
- Right-click on Command Prompt and select Run as administrator.
- Enter the command reg add “HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Control Panel\Desktop” /v wallpaper /t REG_SZ /d PATH. Rather than typing PATH when you are when inputting the command on your PC, put the location of the image you’d like to use as your desktop background and press Enter on your keyboard.
- After the command must have run, Type EXE user32.dll,UpdatePerUserSystemParameters.
If you have successfully gotten to this point, your desktop background will change to the desired image and you’ll realize you have learnt how to change desktop background in Windows 11 using the command prompt method.
Note: This method is only used to change your desktop background to an image with a .bmp extension. For other extensions like .jpeg, .jpg, and .png use the other methods outlined above.