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Published onApril 28, 2024
One of the first things to do when you get a new Chromebook is to customize it by changing the wallpaper or background. It’s so easy anyone could do it — and it only takes a minute or two. You can either use a custom Chromebook wallpaper or opt for one of the wallpapers already available on the device.
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The simplest way to change the wallpaper on your Chromebook is to use the Files app to navigate to the image you want to use, right-click on the image, and select Set as wallpaper.
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Editor’s note: We used an ASUS Chromebook Vibe CX34 Flip running Chrome OS version 124.0.6367.95 to formulate these instructions. Some steps and menus may differ slightly depending on your hardware and software version.
The first step is to ensure the image you want to use as your wallpaper is saved on the device. Find a great wallpaper online and download it to your Chromebook if it’s not. Once that’s sorted out, you can follow these steps to change the wallpaper.
If you want to look deeper into your background settings, you can also use the Chromebook settings to customize the wallpaper. Additionally, there are some pre-installed wallpapers here, making it easier and faster to find a great background for your Chromebook.
You can sync your wallpaper (and settings) across multiple Chrome OS devices. This will ensure you already have your wallpaper whenever you log into another Google device using your Google account.
This shouldn’t be happening, but some users are experiencing issues with the wallpaper turning black. It is usually associated with one of two things: grayscale mode or dark mode. You can learn all about Chrome OS dark mode here. If you want to control color, go to Settings > Accessibility > Display and magnification and toggle Color correction on. Click on the Filter drop-down menu and select anything other than Grayscale.
You should be able to use any image as a wallpaper on Chrome OS, as long as the image file format is supported. Google mentions Chrome OS supports JPEG and PNG photo files.
You can also change your screensaver on a Chromebook. Just go to Settings > Wallpaper and style > Set your wallpaper & style > Screen saver, and make sure the feature is turned on. Then, you can select your screen saver.
A Chromebook wallpaper should have equal or superior definition to the screen’s resolution. If you have a 1080p screen, you should at least use a 1080p image. This will ensure optimal image quality.
You can simply change the wallpaper following these steps. If you want the image gone from your Chromebook, find it in the Files app, select it, and click on the Trash icon.
The process to change the wallpaper on a school Chromebook is the same as with any other Chromebook. That said, the school’s IT team may limit this functionality. If this is the case, there is no way to change the wallpaper.
Chrome OS doesn’t support using GIF animated photos as a wallpaper.