How to change desktop background and screensaver on Mac

Let's agree on the terminology first. On Mac, Desktop background = Wallpaper: it's the static or dynamic image you see on your desktop. A screen saver is an animation, video, or slideshow that appears after your Mac has been idle for a while and temporarily hides what's on your screen. On a Mac, you can use different images for your wallpaper and screen saver, or match them so they transition seamlessly from one to the other. Now, let's look at how to change your wallpaper on a MacBook and how to set up a screen saver.

How to change Mac wallpaper: Quick solutions

Let's start with a quick overview of the key ways to change Mac wallpaper.

Your goal	How to do it
Change your wallpaper	Go to System Settings > Wallpaper and select a built-in wallpaper or upload your own.
Rotate your own photos	1. Go to System Settings > Wallpaper. 2. Click Your Photos. 3. Choose a folder with photos. 4. Set the rotation interval.
Set a wallpaper from Finder	Right-click any image in Finder and choose Set Desktop Picture.
Set a wallpaper from Safari	Right-click an image in Safari and choose Use Image as Desktop Picture.
Set a wallpaper from Photos	Open Photos, select an image, click Share > Set Desktop Picture.
Change your screen saver	Go to System Settings > Wallpaper > Screen Saver and choose a screen saver.
Install custom screen savers	Download a .saver file, open it (or move it to ~/Library/Screen Savers), then select it in Screen Saver settings.
Get more dynamic wallpapers	Install 24 Hour Wallpaper for 105+ dynamic wallpapers and custom sunrise/sunset schedules.
Get aerial screen savers	Install Magic Window Air, then select it in System Settings > Screen Saver.

How to change wallpaper on Mac: Key solution

If you simply want to switch away from the default Mac desktop wallpaper, you should first try one of the Apple backgrounds already pre-installed on your Mac.

Here's how to change MacBook wallpaper:

1. On your Mac, go to the Apple menu > System Settings.
2. From the sidebar, click Wallpaper.
3. Click any picture to set it as your background, or upload your own photo.

In Settings > Wallpapers, you'll see several types of wallpapers, each working a little differently. Let's quickly compare them.

• Dynamic Wallpapers are static wallpapers that automatically change throughout the day, becoming darker toward the evening.
• Live Wallpapers are essentially short videos, and they are marked with a Play icon. On your desktop, they appear as a still image, but on the Lock Screen, they play as a video (and they're gorgeous). When you unlock your Mac, the video continues for a few seconds before smoothly transitioning into a static wallpaper.
• Shuffle Aerials is a mode that randomly cycles through Apple's Aerial live wallpapers from a selected collection, such as Earth, Landscape, or Cityscape.
• Pictures are standard static wallpapers.

At the bottom of this section, you'll also find Colors, where you can set a solid-color wallpaper. Simply adjust the color sliders or enter a HEX color code.

How to rotate your own backgrounds automatically 

There's also a way to add your own group of images, which gives you more flexibility in terms of setting them to automatically rotate later on.

Here's how to set wallpaper on Mac using your own photos:

1. Access System Settings > Wallpaper.
2. Click Your Photos.
3. Select a photo or a folder (then images will rotate according to your settings — from every 5 seconds to once a day).

How to set wallpaper on Mac that creates a traveler effect

If you like macOS's Dynamic Wallpapers, you can expand your collection with 24 Hour Wallpaper. It includes over 105 wallpapers in 5K resolution—far more than macOS offers out of the box.

One feature that really stands out is the ability to set a custom sunrise and sunset schedule. For example, you can have evening wallpapers appear earlier or later than your actual local sunset. This only affects the wallpaper schedule and doesn't change your Mac's system clock. The built-in macOS Dynamic Wallpapers don't offer this level of customization.

Take a look at a few of the collections below — each one includes plenty of stunning wallpapers.

How to change background on MacBook from Finder

To divert from Apple's preselected style, Macs allow you to set any image of your choice as a Mac desktop wallpaper: 

1. Locate the image in Finder.
2. Right-click on it.
3. Choose Set Desktop Picture. 

When choosing a custom background, check that it fits the desktop just right. If not, adjust the fit by accessing Desktop & Screen Saver in System Preferences and picking from either Fill Screen, Fit to Screen, Center, etc. 

How to set up desktop wallpaper using Safari 

Another quick method to swap desktop images is to set desktop pictures from Safari. We love this one because it lets us set up new wallpaper without even downloading it to Mac. 

Here's how to set desktop wallpaper from Safari: 

1. Find the image you like and open it in Safari.
2. Right-click on the image.
3. Choose Use Image as Desktop Picture. 

How to change desktop wallpaper via the Photos app

Before you go hunting down fresh wallpapers on the web, take a look at your photo albums. We bet there are many great memories that could keep living on your desktop! You can set a photo from Photos as wallpaper via System Settings, but there's also a faster way: 

1. Open Photos and select the photo you want to use as a desktop image.
2. Click the Share button.
3. Choose Set Desktop Picture. 

If you use a portrait photo or any photo that, in your opinion, has imperfections you'd like to fix, install Luminar. 

Read also:

How to choose and install the best screensavers for Mac

Once you've decided what your MacBook backgrounds should be, you can similarly adjust your Mac screensaver. You know that you have a screensaver on your Mac by default, right? 

To see your current Mac screensaver:

1. Open System Settings > Wallpapers.
2. Click Screen Saver.

Your default screensaver will appear on top. You can preview it if you like. 

If you want to change your screensaver, you can explore all the options and click on the one you like. Many screensavers present customization options for further adjustments. 

You might be wondering how to change the screen saver to something custom. Here's your quick guide:

1. Find a suitable screen saver and download it. The screen saver should have a .saver file extension. 
2. Install it: either double-click the file or move it to your Library > Screen Savers folder. 

You should now see the new screensaver in the Desktop & Screen Saver list.

Or, simplify screensaver search with Magic Window Air. This library of beautiful aerial screensavers will take your breath away. 

Here's how to set up aerial screensavers: 

1. Open Magic Window Air via Setapp.
2. Navigate to Screen Saver via System Settings.
3. Scroll down and find Magic Window Air.
4. Click Options and pick the videos you like.
5. Click on the star icon to add them to downloaded screensavers. 

   

How to customize your desktop: 2 additional ideas

Wallpapers and screen savers aren't the only things that shape your desktop experience. Here are a couple of ideas to make your Mac not just look better, but work better too.

1. Add widgets with WidgetWall. Pin the tools you use most, along with calendars, apps, system stats, photos, notes, and more — right on your desktop. See how beautiful it can become: 

2. Create desktop profiles with Desktop Composer. This app lets you build appearance profiles that switch your wallpaper, macOS settings, and app themes all at once. For example, you could have a Morning Vibes profile with a bright wallpaper or a Deep Focus profile with a minimal desktop and Do Not Disturb enabled. 

   

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Photo editing tools and wallpaper collections in one app

Whether it's your personal archive or default wallpapers, you can quickly make your workspace feel like yours with Setapp. This service gives you one-stop access to superb Mac software, including Gemini, PhotoBulk, Magic Window Air, Luminar Neo, CameraBag Pro, and 260+ more.  

Sign up for a free 7-day trial to give these apps a try and improve your daily workflow.