How to Change the Background in Windows 11- Instructions

How to Change the Background in Windows 11: Video

            This video lesson, titled “Background Settings in Windows 11,” shows how to change the background in Windows 11. This video lesson is from our complete Windows 11 tutorial, titled “Mastering Windows Made Easy v.11.”

Overview of How to Change the Background in Windows 11:

            To change the background in Windows 11, change the “Background” settings. To view the background settings in Windows 11, open the “Settings” app window. Then click the “Personalization” button at the left side of the screen to show the personalization settings for your computer to the right. Then click the “Background” button to the right to show the “Background” settings at the right side of the “Settings” app window.

            To change your background, click the “Personalize your background” setting button to expand it. Then use the drop-down within the “Personalize your background” button to select the type of background to customize. You are choices are “Picture,” “Solid color,” and “Slideshow.”

            To set a picture as the background in Windows 11, select the “Picture” choice. Then either select a recent picture in the “Recent images” setting section or click the “Browse photos” button in the “Choose a photo” section to launch an “Open” dialog box that lets you select a local picture from your computer to use. After selecting a picture, to adjust the way it fits into your background, select a fit choice from the “Choose a fit for your desktop image” setting’s drop-down.

            Alternatively, to set a solid color as the background in Windows 11, select the “Solid color” choice. Then either click to select a preset color in the “Choose your background color” setting section or click the “View colors” button for the “Custom colors” setting to open a “Pick your background color” window to set a custom color. If you choose to set a custom color, then click into the rainbow gradient to select a color and use the slider at the bottom of the window to set the color’s lightness or darkness. Then click the “Done” button to apply your custom background color.

A picture that shows how to change your background in Windows 11 by changing the Background settings.

            Alternatively, to set a slideshow of pictures as the background in Windows 11, select the “Slideshow” choice. Then click the “Browse” button in the “Choose a picture album for a slideshow” setting to open a “Select folder” button that lets you select the folder that contains the pictures to use for the slideshow and then click the “Choose this folder” button. The currently selected folder appears in the “Choose a picture album for a slideshow” setting button.

            To choose how often to rotate the slideshow’s pictures, select a choice from the “Change picture every” setting’s drop-down. To shuffle the picture order, click the “Shuffle the picture order” setting’s toggle button to set it to the “On” position. To let the slideshow run on battery power, click the “Let slideshow run even if I’m on battery power” setting’s toggle switch to set it to the “On” position. To select the fit to apply to the slideshow pictures, select a choice from the “Choose a fit for your desktop image” setting’s drop-down. To close the “Settings” app window, when finished, click the “X” button in its upper-right corner.

Instructions on How to Change the Background in Windows 11:

1. To change the background in Windows 11, open the “Settings” app window.
2. Then click the “Personalization” button at the left side of the screen to show the personalization settings for your computer to the right.
3. Then click the “Background” button to the right to show the “Background” settings at the right side of the “Settings” app window.
4. To change your background, click the “Personalize your background” setting button to expand it.
5. Then use the drop-down within the “Personalize your background” button to select the type of background to customize. You are choices are “Picture,” “Solid color,” and “Slideshow.”
6. To set a picture as the background in Windows 11, select the “Picture” choice.
7. Then either select a recent picture in the “Recent images” setting section or click the “Browse photos” button in the “Choose a photo” section to launch an “Open” dialog box that lets you select a local picture from your computer to use.
8. After selecting a picture, to adjust the way it fits into your background, select a fit choice from the “Choose a fit for your desktop image” setting’s drop-down.
9. Alternatively, to set a solid color as the background in Windows 11, select the “Solid color” choice.
10. Then either click to select a preset color in the “Choose your background color” setting section or click the “View colors” button for the “Custom colors” setting to open a “Pick your background color” window to set a custom color.
11. If you choose to set a custom color, then click into the rainbow gradient to select a color and use the slider at the bottom of the window to set the color’s lightness or darkness.
12. Then click the “Done” button to apply your custom background color.
13. Alternatively, to set a slideshow of pictures as the background in Windows 11, select the “Slideshow” choice.
14. Then click the “Browse” button in the “Choose a picture album for a slideshow” setting to open a “Select folder” button that lets you select the folder that contains the pictures to use for the slideshow and then click the “Choose this folder” button.
15. The currently selected folder appears in the “Choose a picture album for a slideshow” setting button.
16. To choose how often to rotate the slideshow’s pictures, select a choice from the “Change picture every” setting’s drop-down.
17. To shuffle the picture order, click the “Shuffle the picture order” setting’s toggle button to set it to the “On” position.
18. To let the slideshow run on battery power, click the “Let slideshow run even if I’m on battery power” setting’s toggle switch to set it to the “On” position.
19. To select the fit to apply to the slideshow pictures, select a choice from the “Choose a fit for your desktop image” setting’s drop-down.
20. To close the “Settings” app window, when finished, click the “X” button in its upper-right corner.