Change Desktop preferences on Mac
On your Mac, use the Desktop pane of Desktop & Screen Saver System Preferences to change the picture or color shown on your desktop (the background area of the screen). Learn how to customize the desktop picture.
To change these preferences, choose Apple menu 
, then click Desktop.
Option | Description |
|---|---|
Thumbnail of the current desktop picture | The desktop picture currently used on your Mac. To choose whether the image can change or is set to a light or dark version, click the pop-up menu (if available) next to the thumbnail, then choose an option. |
List of pictures, colors, and folders | Select an item on the left, then on the right, click a picture or color to use as your desktop picture. For some pictures, you must click the download icon Dynamic and Light and Dark desktop pictures automatically change throughout the course of the day based on your current location. If Location Services is turned off in Privacy preferences, the picture changes based on the time zone specified in Date & Time preferences. Some pictures provide still images so the picture doesn’t distract from the desktop appearance. For example, if you chose the dark appearance during macOS setup, the desktop picture is set to a dark still image. To use or stop using a still image (if available), click the pop-up menu next to the thumbnail, then choose an option. If your photos aren’t shown, they might not be in the expected file format—JPEG, PICT, TIFF, PNG, or HEIC. Use Preview to open your photos and save them in one of the formats. If your photos are shown but look fuzzy, try using larger ones, such as 1024 x 768 pixels. |
Add | To use an image from another folder, click the Add button |
Remove | To remove a folder you added, select it, then click the Remove button |
Fill Screen pop-up menu | When you select a picture from Photos or Folders, choose how you want to arrange it on the screen—for example, fill the screen or center the picture. For some choices, you can choose the color that appears around the picture. Some choices may distort the picture. |
Change picture | Have your Mac automatically cycle through all the pictures available in the item or folder you selected in the list on the left. Click the pop-up menu, then choose how often to change the picture—for example, every hour. This option may affect the performance of some apps, such as games, that use many graphics. |
Random order | When you select the checkbox to change pictures, you can display the pictures in a random order. |
(you must be connected to the internet). 
If you decide not to use a downloaded picture and want to delete it from your Mac, Control-click the picture on the right side of the pane, then choose Remove Download.