To change your Mac desktop background, open System Settings > Wallpaper and select an image. You can choose an Apple wallpaper, add a personal photo, or use a solid color. The main steps below use macOS 26 and 27 menus.
The short version
- Main setting: Open System Settings > Wallpaper to choose your background.
- Your own picture: Select Your Photos > Add Photo to choose a photo or image file.
- Finder shortcut: Hold Control, click an image file, and choose Set Desktop Picture.
- Matching desktops: Turn on Show on all Spaces to use the same wallpaper across your desktop spaces and connected displays.
| Method or option | Where to find it | What you can do |
|---|---|---|
| Apple wallpaper | Wallpaper categories | Select an Apple background |
| Personal photo | Add Photo > Choose from Photos | Choose a photo from your library |
| Image file | Add Photo > Choose File | Apply a saved image |
| Drag an image | Current wallpaper thumbnail | Drag a picture from Finder |
| Folder or album | Choose Folder or Photo Sets | Add a picture collection |
| Finder shortcut | Set Desktop Picture | Apply an image directly from Finder |
| Safari shortcut | Use Image as Desktop Wallpaper | Apply a web image |
| Photos shortcut | Share > Set Wallpaper | Apply a selected photo |
| Solid or rotating colors | Colors | Choose a swatch, add a color, or shuffle colors |
| Dynamic wallpaper | Dynamic Wallpapers | Choose the selected wallpaper's behavior |
| Aerial rotation | Shuffle Aerials | Rotate an aerial collection at a chosen interval |
| Personal photo shuffle | Options next to the wallpaper name | Shuffle images you added |
| Matching backgrounds | Show on all Spaces | Apply one wallpaper across spaces and displays |
| Separate backgrounds | Each space's Wallpaper setting | Choose a background for each space |
| Remove a custom item | Remove in the wallpaper chooser | Remove a photo, folder, or album from the chooser |
| Additional Apple download | Apple's WWDC26 wallpaper page | Download the Mac wallpaper |
| Moving wallpaper | MacWall's Home or Explore | Choose and apply a live wallpaper |
| Get MacWall | Download for Mac on its product page | Download the app for macOS 15 or later |
| Administrator lock | Managed Mac's configuration profile | Ask your administrator to change the enforced wallpaper |
Choose an Apple desktop background
Open System Settings, then select Wallpaper. Choose an image under Pictures, Dynamic Wallpapers, Landscape, Cityscape, Underwater, or Earth. On macOS 27, you can also choose from the Mac category; macOS 26 has the other main categories listed here.
The older macOS Monterey 12 path was Apple menu > System Preferences > Desktop & Screen Saver > Desktop. On macOS 26 and 27, use System Settings > Wallpaper instead.
Add your own photo or image file
To choose a picture from Photos on macOS 26 or 27, open System Settings > Wallpaper > Your Photos > Add Photo. Select Choose from Photos, then select the photo you want.
For an image saved as a file, select Your Photos > Add Photo > Choose File. Select the image and click Open. Alternatively, open System Settings > Wallpaper and drag an image from Finder onto the current wallpaper thumbnail.
To add a folder, open System Settings > Wallpaper > Your Photos > Add Photo, select Choose Folder, choose the folder, and click Open. For a Photos collection, select an album or folder under Photo Sets.
Set a picture directly from Finder Safari or Photos
When your image is already in Finder, hold Control and click the image file. Choose Set Desktop Picture from the menu. This applies the image directly without choosing it through the wallpaper settings.
For a web image in Safari, hold Control and click the image, then choose Use Image as Desktop Wallpaper. In Photos, select the photo, click Share, then choose Set Wallpaper. These menu labels apply to macOS 26 and 27.
Use a solid color or shuffle colors
For a plain background, open Apple menu > System Settings > Wallpaper > Colors. Select a color swatch to use it as your desktop background. In UK English, the category is labeled Colours.
Click the Add button to choose a custom color. To shuffle colors instead of keeping one color selected, click the Rotate button.
Choose how a dynamic wallpaper behaves
Open System Settings > Wallpaper > Dynamic Wallpapers and select an image. The choices beside its thumbnail depend on the wallpaper you select. They can include Automatic, Dynamic, Light (Still), and Dark (Still).
Select Automatic to have the wallpaper follow System Settings > Appearance. For a still version, select Light (Still) or Dark (Still) when the selected wallpaper offers that choice. If your chosen wallpaper has different controls, choose from the options beside its thumbnail.
Rotate aerial wallpapers or personal photos
To rotate aerial backgrounds on macOS 26 or 27, open System Settings > Wallpaper > Shuffle Aerials. Choose a collection, then choose an interval from the pop-up menu beside Shuffle.
To shuffle your own photos, open System Settings > Wallpaper and add a folder or album through Your Photos > Add Photo. You can shuffle images you add. Options for your wallpaper appear next to the wallpaper name at the top of the screen and vary based on the wallpaper you choose.
Set backgrounds for multiple desktop spaces
With additional desktop spaces or connected displays, you can apply the same wallpaper across them. Open System Settings > Wallpaper and turn on Show on all Spaces. Leave this setting off when you want separate backgrounds for different spaces.
To set up different backgrounds, open System Settings, then hold Control and click its Dock icon. Choose Options, then select All Desktops under Assign To. This makes the settings window accessible as you move between your desktop spaces.
Visit each space and change its Wallpaper setting to the background you want there. Press Control + Left Arrow or Control + Right Arrow to switch spaces. Keep Show on all Spaces turned off for separate backgrounds.
Use an app for continuously moving wallpaper
For continuously moving wallpaper, MacWall is a third-party option for macOS 15 or later. MacWall requires Pro for live wallpapers after the trial. To get the app, open the official MacWall product page and click Download for Mac.
In MacWall, choose a wallpaper in Home or Explore, then click Set Wallpaper. You can also switch wallpapers using the app's menu-bar controls. Its live Lock Screen and screen saver features require macOS 26 or later.
Fix a wallpaper locked by your administrator
On a managed Mac, an administrator can enforce a desktop picture through a configuration profile. Apple says specifying the wallpaper file in that profile also locks the picture. If your work or school Mac has an enforced wallpaper, ask your administrator to change the profile.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do you remove a custom wallpaper from the chooser?
On macOS 26 or 27, open System Settings > Wallpaper and select a replacement first, because the currently selected photo cannot be removed. Removing a custom item takes it out of the wallpaper chooser. Hover over the unwanted photo, folder, or album and click Remove.
Can you download an additional wallpaper directly from Apple?
You can get the Mac wallpaper from Apple's WWDC26 wallpaper page by clicking Download. On macOS 26 or 27, open System Settings > Wallpaper > Your Photos > Add Photo > Choose File, select the downloaded image, and click Open.
Does MacWall have keyboard shortcuts for choosing a wallpaper?
Press Command + K in MacWall to search for a wallpaper. Press Command + Return to apply the highlighted result.
Why do older instructions use different Photos and browser menu names?
On macOS Monterey 12, the older labels were Set Desktop Picture in Photos and Use Image as Desktop Picture in the browser. For macOS 26 and 27, use Set Wallpaper in Photos and Use Image as Desktop Wallpaper in Safari.