Is your Mac randomly changing your desktop wallpaper? In this troubleshooting guide, we have listed 7 ways to fix this and prevent it from happening again.
You set a beautiful picture as the wallpaper, but that picture is no longer the wallpaper once you restart your Mac. It has changed and has been replaced by the default macOS wallpaper. If you’re facing this annoying problem, here are the solutions to fix this.
1. Don’t delete or change the location of the wallpaper file
When you download a wallpaper on your Mac, chances are it’s saved to the Downloads folder. From there, you can right-click and choose Set Desktop Picture. Now, this image is your Mac’s background.
It will continue to be your Mac’s wallpaper as long as that file is not deleted or moved to a new location. So, if you set an image as the wallpaper, make sure you don’t delete its file.
In case you’re like me and want to keep your Downloads folder clean, move the image to some other folder you don’t use often. From there, right-click on it and choose Set Desktop Picture.
2. Stop your Mac from changing wallpaper automatically
macOS lets you shuffle through wallpapers at regular intervals. Follow these steps to stop your Mac from changing the wallpaper and stick to using only one wallpaper.
1) Open System Settings and select Wallpaper.
2) Do not select a wallpaper under the Shuffle Aerials section. While you are here, also make sure not to select a wallpaper that has the two-arrow shuffle icon.
Older versions of macOS let you spice up your wallpaper game by allowing you to change it automatically:
- When logging in
- When waking from sleep
- Every 5 seconds
- Every minute
- Every 5 minutes
- Every 15 minutes
- Every 30 minutes
- Every hour
- Every day
You can prevent it from happening by going to System Preferences > Desktop & Screen Saver and unchecking the Change picture option in the Desktop section. Now, your Mac’s wallpaper will not change periodically.
3. Turn off Dynamic wallpapers
If your Mac’s wallpaper remains the same but changes its appearance, that is because of the dynamic wallpaper, which changes automatically throughout the day based on your location. For instance, in the morning, it’ll appear bright, and gradually, by night-time, it’ll become dark. When you are using a dynamic wallpaper, the Change picture checkbox may also be grayed out.
To address this, go to System Settings > Wallpaper and pick a still image. In case a dynamic wallpaper is set, click the Automatic drop-down menu and choose Light or Dark.
If you’re on an older version of macOS, go to System Preferences > Desktop & Screen Saver. Next to your current wallpaper thumbnail, click Dynamic and choose Light (Still) or Dark (Still). Now, your wallpaper will not change its color and appearance throughout the day.
4. Update your Mac
macOS is no stranger to bugs, and inconveniences like this can happen if you’re running an old version of the operating system. Go to System Settings > General > Software Update to install the latest version of macOS available for your device.
5. Do you use multiple spaces with different wallpapers?
I’m a big fan of multiple virtual desktops or spaces on my Mac. At any point in time, I have about five desktops with different wallpapers.
If you change the position of these spaces (like move Desktop 3 to Desktop 1), you may be confused after restarting your machine as the main desktop now has a different wallpaper (the Desktop 3 you moved to the first position).
Related: Learn the basics of Mission Control to use multiple desktops (Spaces)
6. Are you using an external monitor with MacBook?
A few people have observed that if you have an external monitor (or more than one monitor) connected to your Mac, the wallpaper on the primary screen may change. One of the users on Apple’s discussions forum shared the following tip to fix the issue.
1) Make sure your MacBook’s lid is open and disconnect the external display’s cable.
2) Go to System Settings > Wallpaper or System Preferences > Desktop & Screen Saver and set a new wallpaper.
3) After setting the desired wallpaper, click the Apple icon and choose Shut Down.
4) Now, power on your Mac.
5) Once the Mac is powered on and you’re logged in, connect the external display cable.
After this, your Mac will not change the wallpaper even when you have an external display connected to it.
7. Delete the desktop picture database file
The above solutions should have fixed the issue, but in case it didn’t, follow these steps to delete (and recreate) the related database file.
1) Make sure you’re in Finder and click Go from the top menu bar.
2) Now, press and hold the Option key to reveal the Library option and click it.
3) Go to Application Support > Dock.
4) From here, delete the desktoppicture.db file.
5) Restart your Mac, and macOS will automatically recreate this file. After this, the wallpaper issue currently troubling you should no longer exist.
This is how you can stop your Mac from changing the wallpaper automatically. Now, you can have the picture you love as the desktop background, and it won’t switch randomly to the default macOS wallpaper.
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