How to set your desktop picture in Photos for Mac

By Serenity Caldwell, Cella Lao Rousseau
published

Got a family photo that you'd love to look at every time you turn on your Mac? You can use Photos for Mac to set your desktop picture for you!

Setting your desktop is as simple as selecting the photo you want to use and clicking the Share button in the toolbar, then selecting the "Set Desktop Picture" option.

How to set your desktop picture in Photos for Mac

  1. Open Photos on your Mac
  2. Click the Share Selected Photos icon in the upper right corner

  1. Click Set Desktop Picture
  2. You can adjust the layout of the desktop photo from your System Preferences.

What's your desktop background?

Are you someone who prefers to set your desktop background picture as a photo with pals, or do you prefer a super cool design you found online or a screenshot from your favorite video game? Let us know what your desktop background in the comments below!

Updated February 2018: Everything's current for the latest version of Photos for macOS High Sierra!

Photos for Mac

○ Photos for Mac review
○ Photos for Mac guide
○ Photos for Mac FAQ
○ Photos for Mac news hub
○ Photos for Macdiscussion
○ iCloud Photo Library
○ Photos for iOS

Serenity Caldwell
Serenity Caldwell

Serenity was formerly the Managing Editor at iMore, and now works for Apple. She's been talking, writing about, and tinkering with Apple products since she was old enough to double-click. In her spare time, she sketches, sings, and in her secret superhero life, plays roller derby. Follow her on Twitter @settern.

5 Comments
  • How do you do it with two monitors? Sent from the iMore App
  • That option doesn't show up in my share menu...
  • I'm running El Capitan 10.11.1 and this option no longer shows up. Apple in their wisdom have decided we must not change desktop backgrounds from the Photo App, or they have just moved the link somewhere....
    Still searching...
  • This only works if the app is not running in full screen, for some reason the desktop needs to be visible in the background for you to change the image. - hope this helps
  • Ive never been one for the desktop with my friends on it. Ive always stuck to either a cool design i found online, or what I've currently been using the past 2 years. A beautiful landscape of Jalisco, Mexico where im from.