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How to change your desktop wallpaper on a Mac

Three ways to do it, and the setting that makes a picture fill the screen properly.

These steps are for macOS Ventura, Sonoma and Sequoia, where the settings live in System Settings. On older versions the same options are in System Preferences, under Desktop & Screen Saver.

The quick way: from the Finder

1. Find the image file in the Finder (after a download, look in your Downloads folder).
2. Control-click it (or right-click).
3. Choose Set Desktop Picture. On some versions it sits under Quick Actions or Services.

From System Settings

1. Open the Apple menu and choose System Settings.
2. Click Wallpaper in the sidebar.
3. Click Add Photo and pick your image.
4. Use the pop-up menu next to the preview to choose how it fits: Fill Screen, Fit to Screen, Stretch to Fill Screen, Center or Tile.

Which fit to choose

Fill Screen is the right one almost every time. MacBook screens are a little taller than a 16:9 picture, so Fill Screen trims a thin strip on the left and right and leaves no black bars. Fit to Screen shows the whole picture with bars above and below.

Rotate a whole collection

1. Put the wallpapers in one folder.
2. In System Settings > Wallpaper, click Add Folder or Album and select that folder.
3. Pick Auto-Rotate in that folder's row, then choose how often the picture changes.

Two screens

Each display has its own wallpaper. With a second screen connected, the Wallpaper settings show one preview per display at the top: select a display, then pick its picture.