How to set separate wallpapers on dual monitors in Windows 11 (2024)

How to set separate wallpapers on dual monitors in Windows 11 (1)

A dual monitor setup helps you be more productive at home or at the office.

If you’re running such a setup on Windows 11, then you're already familiar with its benefits. However, you may not know that you can set separate wallpapers on dual monitors. We’re here to show you how to take full advantage of your dual monitor setup.

Below, we illustrate the easiest method to set separate wallpapers on two or more monitors. If you want to make things go faster, you can create a new folder on your desktop beforehand and fill it with images you want on your desktop. If not, you can always select images from the Pictures folder (or any folder you like).

Note that Windows 11 comes pre-installed with a number of background photos and themes. You can select a theme from the Personalization tab within Settings or create a custom one. We mention this in case you want a simpler way of giving your dual monitor setup some flair. But if you want to use your own images for your dual monitor setup, read on to find out how.

How to set separate wallpapers on dual monitors in Windows 11

1. Press the Windows + I keys on your keyboard. This opens up Settings. Conversely, you can click on either the Start or search icon on the task manager and type "settings" in the search bar.

How to set separate wallpapers on dual monitors in Windows 11 (2)

2. Select Personalization and then select Background.

How to set separate wallpapers on dual monitors in Windows 11 (3)

3. Click on Picture from the Personalize your background list.

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How to set separate wallpapers on dual monitors in Windows 11 (4)

4. Select Browse Photos and click on the image you want to use as your desktop background. You can choose photos from any folder you’ve stored images in.

How to set separate wallpapers on dual monitors in Windows 11 (5)

5. In Recent images, right-click on the image and select Set for monitor 1 or Set for monitor 2. This process also applies if you have more than two monitors.

How to set separate wallpapers on dual monitors in Windows 11 (6)

Now that you know how to set separate wallpapers on dual monitors in Windows 11, maybe it's time to improve your setup with one of the best monitors available. We've also got a ton of other Windows 11 tips, including seven hidden features in Windows 11 that will make you more productive. We also have plenty of other computing guides, including how to open HEIC files on Windows, how to use Task Scheduler on Windows, how to turn off automatic updates on Windows 10, how to recover data from a hard drive and how to transfer photos from iPhone to a computer.

How to set separate wallpapers on dual monitors in Windows 11 (7)

Tony Polanco

Computing Writer

Tony is a computing writer at Tom’s Guide covering laptops, tablets, Windows, and iOS. During his off-hours, Tony enjoys reading comic books, playing video games, reading speculative fiction novels, and spending too much time on X/Twitter. His non-nerdy pursuits involve attending Hard Rock/Heavy Metal concerts and going to NYC bars with friends and colleagues. His work has appeared in publications such as Laptop Mag, PC Mag, and various independent gaming sites.

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    How to set separate wallpapers on dual monitors in Windows 11 (2024)

    FAQs

    How to set separate wallpapers on dual monitors in Windows 11? ›

    Personalization\pageWallpaper” to the Run box and press Enter to open Desktop Background in Control Panel. Click the Browse to pick the folder containing your favorite wallpaper. The picture you like will appear in the box. Right-click on the picture and choose Set for monitor 1 or Set for monitor 2.

    How to have two different wallpapers on dual monitors in Windows 11? ›

    Personalization\pageWallpaper” to the Run box and press Enter to open Desktop Background in Control Panel. Click the Browse to pick the folder containing your favorite wallpaper. The picture you like will appear in the box. Right-click on the picture and choose Set for monitor 1 or Set for monitor 2.

    How do I separate dual monitor wallpapers? ›

    Let's have a look at the steps:
    1. Step 1: Click Start on the taskbar of your Desktop.
    2. Step 2: Select“Setting” and click on “Personalization”.
    3. Step 3: Click “Background” in the personalization and choose your picture for the background.
    4. Step 4: Now select "Set for monitor 1" to change the wallpaper for the primary Desktop.
    Mar 23, 2023

    How do I make my dual monitors work independently Windows 11? ›

    If you need more help, here's what to do:
    1. Select Start > Settings > System > Display. ...
    2. In the Multiple displays section, select an option from the list to determine how your desktop will display across your screens.
    3. Once you've selected what you see on your displays, select Keep changes.

    How to change background on only one monitor in Windows 11? ›

    Set Wallpaper Per Monitor Using Control Panel

    Windows will now open Control Panel's classic desktop background settings. Click on “Browse” to pick the folder containing your favorite wallpaper. 3. Now, right-click on the wallpaper and choose “Set for monitor 1” to set the wallpaper for the first monitor.

    How do I change the primary screen on dual monitors Windows 11? ›

    When you have multiple monitors sometimes you may want to adjust where Windows thinks the monitor is, to where it physically is to the other monitor. Right click the desktop and select Display settings. Here you can move the monitor boxes to wherever you want the to be. Be sure to click Apply at the end.

    How to set wallpaper on 2 monitors? ›

    Select Personalization, then click Background from the left-pane menu. Now, select an image from the Choose your picture section. You can also click Browse to locate the photo you like. After selecting your background image, right-click it from the list, then select Set for monitor 1 or Set for monitor 2.

    How do I split my Wallpaper Engine between two monitors? ›

    Under “Choose Monitor” you will see a drop-down menu with three options. Here you have the option to select either – “Wallpaper per monitor”, “Stretch single wallpaper”, or “Clone single wallpaper”.

    How to do separate things on dual monitors? ›

    To change what shows on your displays, press Windows logo key + P. Here's what you can choose. See things on one display only. See the same thing on all your displays. See your desktop across multiple screens.

    How to use two screens independently? ›

    Right-click on the Windows desktop, and select "Screen Resolution" from the pop-up menu. The new dialog screen should contain two images of monitors at the top, each representing one of your displays. If you don't see the second display, click the "Detect" button to make Windows look for the second display.

    Is Windows 11 good for dual monitors? ›

    Microsoft Windows 11 and Windows 10 support multiple monitor setup. A multiple monitor setup helps enhance productivity. When you connect an additional monitor to your Dell computer, Windows 11 and Windows 10 automatically detect the monitor and displays the desktop screen of the computer.

    Why are my two monitors showing the same thing? ›

    Verify Display Settings: Access the Display settings on your computer by right-clicking on an empty area of your desktop and selecting “Display settings.” Confirm that the display mode is set to “Extend these displays” rather than “Duplicate” or “Mirror.” Adjust the screen resolution and orientation settings if needed.

    How do I separate wallpapers for each monitor? ›

    To change desktop backgrounds individually for each monitor, head to Settings > Personalization > Background. Under Choose Your Picture, right-click a background image and select "Set For Monitor 1," "Set For Monitor 2," or whichever other monitor you want to use it on.

    How do I separate screens in Windows 11? ›

    Solution
    1. Click Start and Settings.
    2. Select System.
    3. Select Multitasking, and then switch Snap windows on.
    4. Select the window you want to split by the title bar, and then press the keyboard shortcut Windows key + left / right arrow.

    Can I have two lock screen wallpaper? ›

    Yes, just pick any category with the rotating feature (such as community lens or landscapes, button in the top right corner of the category) and set it on the lock screen.

    How do I get my lock screen wallpaper on both monitors? ›

    Click “Adjust Resolution” on the left. Choose “Extend these displays” from the Multiple Displays drop-down menu if you'd like a single screensaver to travel across both displays. Click “Duplicate these displays” if you want a duplicated screen saver to display on each monitor. Click “o*k.”

    How to set two different wallpapers on dual monitors in Windows 7? ›

    Setting Dual Desktop Backgrounds

    Click on System → Display to set up your dual displays. Return to the Settings menu and select Personalization. Click the Background tab and right-click on your desired wallpaper. Select “Set for monitor 1” or “Set for monitor 2” in the dropdown menu.

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