Microsoft’s Windows 8.1 is not well known for how easy it is to factory reset computers and tablets or get the latest apps and games from a safe place. He is mostly known for how completely alienating people who love the Start Screen and Desktop. It is Desktop that allows users to resize apps and store icons. It was also via Desktop where users could set a background. Many do not know that this is still true in Windows 8.1.
Setting a background in Windows 8.1 is both easy and somewhat more complicated than in Windows 7. This is because users need to understand two different interfaces: Start Screen and Desktop. By itself, you cannot set a background for the Start Screen in the traditional sense in Windows 8.1. There are some background-like things, but they’re called tattoos and they’re not that interesting visually. What you can do is make the Start Screen reflect the Desktop background you have set.
Let’s start.
First, press the Windows key on your keyboard or press the Windows button near your screen to return to the Home Screen.
Now is the time to take a look at your Start Screen and get an idea of how you want to change it. If you have a device with a mouse, move your mouse pointer to the corner of your screen. If you are using touch, place your finger on your screen and slide to .
Tap or click Charm in the button of the black Charms bar on the right side of your screen.
Welcome to the settings menu. Tap or click the option at the top of your screen in the Settings menu.
Here you can choose two colors and a Tattoo. Tattoos appear in the background of your Start Screen and have a unique design. You can customize any Tattoo with one of the options listed below. You can also choose a tattoo that changes the Taskbar color in the Desktop menu.
I mentioned earlier that you cannot change the Start Screen background individually, but you can link it to the Desktop. Click or tap the fourth row square with the rest of the tattoos. This should lock your Start Screen background to Desktop.
Now it’s time to change that Desktop background. Press the Windows key on your keyboard or the Windows button next to your device’s screen.
Click or tap the tile.
anywhere on the Desktop if you have a mouse. If you’re using touch, tap anywhere and hold to bring up the menu.
Click or tap on
The first thing you’ll notice on the Personalization screen is your Synced Theme. By default, Windows 8.1 uses Microsoft’s OneDrive settings to sync settings and render beautiful designs in the background. If you want the device you are using to be unique, you can choose other themes.
Tap or click .
Click or tap the drop-down menu labeled Image Location to browse through the wallpapers Microsoft includes and the images you have uploaded to your device. To get everything just the way you want it, select an image and change how it looks using the Image Position option.
Select multiple images to get a slideshow of overtime changing backgrounds. In Windows 8.1, you can set the background to cycle in increments of seconds, minutes, and hours. If you’re using a mobile device, it’s a good idea to leave the battery power checkbox enabled. Select the Mix box to get different backgrounds in random order.
It’s worth noting that Windows 8.1 automatically adjusts the accent color depending on what background is enabled.
When you have completed your selections, press .
Now return to your Start Screen or Desktop to admire the new background you have decided.
Again, it’s important to remember that when you set a background in Windows 8.1, it defaults to continuous sync. If you have a Windows 8.1 device that you normally leave at home, it’s not a big deal. This becomes a huge problem if you use your device publicly or if you used the same Microsoft Account on a computer at work. If you do not manually select the Unsynced Theme option, the backgrounds you set here will be automatically synced again.
To be clear, these options are only available to users of Microsoft’s Windows 8.1 operating system. If you’re running Windows 8, you’ll need to upgrade to Windows 8.1 before what’s presented to you looks like what’s in this tutorial. Windows 8.1 is a free update available directly from the Windows Store app.
