Dina Bader: Need a change? Start with your Mac's desktop and screensaver

Give your Mac a more personal touch with a new background or screen saver. Learn how right here!

Changing your desktop background or screen saver is a nice, easy way to give your Mac a more personal touch. Some people even like to move beyond Apple's built-in crop of backgrounds and use their own collections.

Here's how to spice up your Mac on macOS Big Sur or previous macOS versions by changing the desktop or screensaver.

How to pick a built-in desktop image

Launch System Preferences from the Dock or by clicking the Apple button on the top left of your screen. Alternatively, right-click on your current desktop image and select Change Desktop Background.
Click Desktop & Screen Saver.
Choose the Desktop tab.
Select Desktop Pictures under the Apple menu in the sidebar.
Click a desktop image under Desktop Pictures.

How to pick a dynamic desktop image

You can also select a dynamic wallpaper, which will change throughout the day.

Launch System Preferences from the Dock or by clicking the Apple button on the top left of your screen. Alternatively, right-click on your current desktop image and select Change Desktop Background.
Click Desktop & Screen Saver.
Choose the Desktop tab.
Select Desktop Pictures under the Apple menu in the sidebar.
Click a desktop image under the Dynamic Desktop or Light and Dark Desktop section.

How to choose your own picture as your background

Launch System Preferences from the Dock or by clicking the Apple button on the top left of your screen. Alternatively, right-click on your current desktop image and select Change Desktop Background.
Click Desktop & Screen Saver.
Choose the Desktop tab.
Click the + button at the bottom of the sidebar.
Single-click the folder you want to use.
Click Choose.
Select on your chosen folder in the sidebar.
Choose an image from that folder.

How to set up rotating backgrounds

Launch System Preferences from the Dock or by clicking the Apple button on the top left of your screen. Alternatively, right-click on your current desktop image and select Change Desktop Background.
Click Desktop & Screen Saver.
Choose the Desktop tab.
Click the folder you'd like your wallpapers to come from.
Check the box next to Change picture.
Click how often you want your wallpaper to change.

How to set up screen savers

Launch System Preferences from the Dock or by clicking the Apple button on the top left of your screen. Alternatively, right-click on your current desktop image and select Change Desktop Background.
Click Desktop & Screen Saver.
Click the Screen Saver tab.
Click the style of screen saver you want.
Click the source you'd like to use for your screensaver in the Source dropdown menu.
Click when your screen saver should start.
Toggle where to Show with clock.
Also toggle whether to use a random screen saver.

How to set up Hot Corners

Hot Corners are customizable shortcuts linked to the corners of your Mac's screen. When you move your cursor to a Hot Corner, the associated action will take place. For instance, you can set your bottom-right corner to activate your screen saver. The following will teach you how to set up Hot Corners of your very own.

Launch System Preferences from the Dock or by clicking the Apple button on the top left of your screen. Alternatively, right-click on your current desktop image and select Change Desktop Background.
Click Desktop & Screen Saver.
Click the Screen Saver tab.
Click Hot Corners.
Select the associated dropdown menu when you've found the corner you wish to customize.
Choose the action that you want to execute when using that Hot Corner, e.g., Start Screen Saver.
Click OK.