To change your background on a Chromebook, right-click the desktop, select Set wallpaper & style, open Wallpaper, and select an image. You can choose a built-in picture, use your own photo, or have a collection change daily. Your desktop wallpaper, screen saver, and Chrome New Tab background have separate controls.
The short version
- Desktop wallpaper: Right-click the desktop and select Set wallpaper & style > Wallpaper.
- Your photos: In the wallpaper picker, choose My Images or select Google Photos.
- Automatic changes: Choose a wallpaper collection and enable daily changes.
- Browser background: Open a new Chrome tab and select Customize Chrome to change its appearance.
| Option | What you can change | Where it applies |
|---|---|---|
| Built-in images | Desktop wallpaper | ChromeOS, subject to administrator restrictions |
| Settings or keyboard route | Access to wallpaper settings | ChromeOS |
| Touchpad or Alt-click | Access to the desktop menu | Chromebooks with touchpads |
| Choose My Images | Wallpaper from a local photo | ChromeOS |
| Files shortcut | Wallpaper from one JPEG or PNG | Images outside Trash |
| Google Photos | Wallpaper from your photo library | Subject to account and policy restrictions |
| Daily rotation | A collection that changes daily | ChromeOS desktop |
| Themed collections | Light or dark wallpaper, or wallpaper with a paired animated screen saver | Radiance on ChromeOS, Dawn to Dark on Chromebook Plus |
| Freeform AI wallpaper | A picture generated from a prompt | Chromebook Plus with the freeform interface |
| AI theme templates | A picture generated from theme choices | Chromebook Plus with the template interface |
| Saved AI wallpapers | Previously generated pictures | Chromebook Plus freeform interface |
| Wallpaper sync | Wallpaper across Chromebooks | Devices signed into the same account |
| Screen saver | Idle-screen imagery | Personal accounts while charging |
| System appearance | Light or dark interface | ChromeOS |
| New Tab customization | A gallery background or uploaded picture | Chrome with account sign-in and Google as the default search engine |
| New Tab reset | Built-in background customization | Chrome customization panel |
| Browser appearance | Browser colors and light or dark mode | Chrome on Chromebook |
| AI browser themes | A generated New Tab theme | Eligible signed-in US users age 18 or older, subject to account and policy restrictions |
| Browser theme installation | Browser framing and New Tab background | Chrome on Chromebook |
| Browser theme removal | An installed theme | Chrome appearance settings |
| Theme gallery | Your choice of installable themes | Chrome Web Store |
| New Tab extension | A replacement New Tab page | Chrome where extensions are permitted |
| Daily Wallpaper extension | A daily New Tab image, clock, and quotation | Chrome New Tab page |
| Extension removal | An extension-controlled background | Chrome, subject to organization restrictions |
| Managed user wallpaper | Users' desktop wallpaper | Administrators managing ChromeOS users |
| Managed sign-in wallpaper | Device sign-in background | Administrators managing ChromeOS devices |
| Managed New Tab permission | Whether users can customize the background | Administrators managing users or browsers |
Open the desktop wallpaper picker
Right-click an empty area of the desktop, select Set wallpaper & style, then choose Wallpaper. Browse the built-in images and select the picture you want to apply. This changes the background behind your windows.
With a touchpad, place the pointer over the desktop and tap or press using two fingers to right-click. You can also hold Alt and click with one finger. Continue through Set wallpaper & style > Wallpaper, then select an image.
To go through settings, select the time, open Settings, then choose Wallpaper and style > Set your wallpaper & style. You can also press Alt + Shift + s to open the status area, then select Settings. Within settings, press Ctrl + f and search for Personalization to find the relevant controls.
Choose a photo of your own
For a picture saved on your Chromebook, open the desktop wallpaper picker and choose My Images. Select your picture to apply it. For a photo in your Google account, select Google Photos in the picker and choose a photo; access depends on your account and administrator policies.
You can also try the shortcut in Files: locate one JPEG or PNG image outside Trash, right-click it, and select Set as wallpaper if the command appears. This shortcut uses a centered crop, which can cut off the picture's edges. If the command does not appear, return to the desktop wallpaper picker, choose My Images, and select your picture there.
Set wallpaper to change automatically
To change your desktop picture each day, open the wallpaper picker, choose a collection, and enable daily changes. You can also manually refresh the wallpaper before the next daily update. This gives you a rotating selection from the collection.
For a wallpaper with a light or dark theme, select Radiance in Wallpaper. On Chromebook Plus, you can also choose a Dawn to Dark wallpaper, which comes with a paired screen saver that animates throughout the day. Choose the collection that matches the look you want.
To change the surrounding interface, right-click the desktop and select Set wallpaper & style. Under Theme, choose Dark for a dark interface or select Auto for scheduled light and dark switching. This setting changes system appearance rather than selecting a replacement photo.
Create an AI wallpaper on Chromebook Plus
On Chromebook Plus with the freeform wallpaper interface, right-click the desktop and open Set wallpaper & style > Wallpaper. Under Exclusive for Chromebook Plus, select Create your own. Enter a prompt describing the picture you want, or choose a sample prompt.
Select Create to generate pictures, or select Inspire me. Under Results, select an image to apply it as your desktop wallpaper.
If your Chromebook Plus shows Create with AI in Wallpaper, select it to use theme templates. Choose a theme, edit the underlined choices, then select Create or select Inspire Me. The available interface determines which set of controls you use.
Change the screen saver background
To change the imagery shown while your Chromebook is idle, open Set wallpaper & style > Screen saver. Enable it, then select Google Photos or Art gallery. Your screen saver selection is separate from your desktop wallpaper.
The screen saver works with a personal account while your Chromebook is charging, so connect the charger when you want to use it. Google says the screen saver is unavailable to school and work accounts.
Change the background on new Chrome tabs
For Chrome's built-in New Tab customization, sign in to your Google account and make sure Google is the default search engine. Open a new tab, select Customize Chrome, then choose Appearance > Change theme. Choose a gallery theme, or select Upload an image to use your own picture.
For a background that changes automatically, select a collection and enable Refresh daily. This rotates the New Tab background independently of your desktop wallpaper.
Eligible Chrome users in the US who are at least 18 and signed in to a Google account can also generate New Tab themes with AI, subject to account and policy restrictions. Open a new tab and select Customize Chrome > Change theme > Create with AI. Choose a subject and optionally select a style, mood, and color. Select Create, then select a generated theme to apply it.
Apply a browser theme or New Tab extension
A Chrome Web Store theme changes the browser framing and New Tab background. In Chrome, open More > Settings > Appearance > Themes, or open the Chrome Web Store Themes gallery in Chrome. Preview a theme, then select Add to Chrome to install it. To reverse the installation immediately afterward, select Undo.
You can also install a compatible extension that replaces the New Tab page, where extensions are permitted. Open its Chrome Web Store listing, select Add to Chrome, and, if prompted, select Add extension. Open a new tab to use its replacement page; further customization depends on the extension.
Daily Wallpaper is one such extension you can find in the Chrome Web Store. Its developer describes a replacement New Tab page with a daily image, clock, and quotation. It changes Chrome's New Tab page rather than your ChromeOS desktop.
Restore the browser background
To undo Chrome's built-in New Tab customization, open a new tab and select Customize Chrome. At the bottom of the panel, select Reset to Default Chrome. Use this control for changes made through Chrome's built-in customization panel.
To remove an installed browser theme, open Chrome's More > Settings > Appearance. Select Reset to default. This is the separate removal control for a theme installed from the Chrome Web Store.
Fix restrictions on a managed Chromebook
If your school or employer enforces a desktop wallpaper, you cannot choose your own while that policy applies. Ask your administrator about changing it. The following controls require administrator privileges and apply to managed ChromeOS users or devices.
To set a managed user's wallpaper, open the Google Admin console and go to Devices > Chrome > Settings. On User & browser settings, choose the organizational unit, then open General > Custom wallpaper > Upload. Choose a JPEG under 16 MB, select Open, then select Save. An organizational unit override may require selecting Override.
To set a managed device's sign-in background, open Devices > Chrome > Settings > Device settings in the Google Admin console. Choose the organizational unit, then open Sign-in settings > Device wallpaper image > Upload. Choose a JPEG, select Open, then select Save.
If policy blocks New Tab background customization, an administrator can open Devices > Chrome > Settings and select User & browser settings. Find New Tab page background, select Allow users to customize the background on the New Tab page, then select Save. The blocking policy also removes existing custom New Tab backgrounds.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do you keep the same wallpaper on two Chromebooks?
Sign in to both Chromebooks with the same account, then open Settings > Privacy and security > Sync and Google services > Manage what you sync. Enable Sync everything to synchronize your wallpaper along with your other synced settings.
How do you reuse or delete an AI wallpaper you created earlier?
In the Chromebook Plus freeform interface, open Set wallpaper & style > Wallpaper, then select Create your own and choose a previously generated wallpaper. For a saved result, select Create more to generate additional options from its prompt. Select Delete to remove a saved result from Recently used.
How do you make Chrome follow your Chromebook's dark mode?
Open a new Chrome tab, select Customize Chrome > Appearance, then choose Device to follow system appearance. You can instead choose Light or Dark to select the browser's appearance directly. The same panel also lets you choose a browser color.
How do you remove an extension's New Tab background?
Open Chrome's More > Extensions > Manage extensions and turn off the extension controlling your New Tab page. To uninstall it, select Remove, then select Remove again to confirm. Your organization may restrict these controls for an enforced extension.