How to Fix Your Mac's Wallpaper Keeps Changing Automatically Problem

Personalizing your Mac and having your own wallpaper is a great way to express yourself while using your computer. But if you’ve been using this kind of device for any period of time, you might have come across a particular downside – your wallpaper constantly resets to default values.

Your wallpaper may keep resetting for a variety of reasons, but don’t worry – as annoying as it is, the steps to fix this are not difficult.

Here is a list of the reasons why your Mac wallpaper is not sticking and how you can fix them.

Reason 1: you may have deleted the image

If you’ve used a photo from the internet or something you’ve taken yourself, you might find that your Mac’s wallpaper resets after you remove it. In this case, your computer has probably chosen to reset the settings to factory defaults because the file is missing.

You might not realize it since closing the lid and putting the MacBook to sleep is a fairly common practice. And only when you restart, you find the wallpaper different from the one you set. Here’s how to fix it.

Step 1: Download the image that was your screen saver to your computer. Alternatively, you can revisit the website you downloaded it from or – if you haven’t emptied it yet – remove the photo from the recycle bin on your computer.

2nd step: Go to the picture. While holding down the Ctrl key, click on the image with your trackpad.

Step 3: Select Set Desktop Image.

After doing each of the above operations, your background image should change immediately. As long as you don’t delete the image again, you shouldn’t have any further issues in this regard.

Reason 2: MacOS doesn’t allow it

Another reason why your wallpaper may keep reverting to defaults is that your Mac has a bug. This is something you might come across after Apple releases a new version of macOS; issues like this usually go away after subsequent updates resolve the issue.

If you think your Mac has some kind of bug, it’s a good idea to check for possible software updates. To do this, follow the steps that we have listed under this paragraph.

Step 1: Click on the Apple logo in the upper left corner of your Mac.

2nd step: Go down to System Preferences. This is the second option; you can find it below About This Mac.

Step 3: When you are in the System Preferences application, click on the Software Update option. The icon looks like a cogwheel and is closer to the bottom of this window.

Step 4: After clicking on Software Update, your computer will check for any updates. If you need it, you will see something telling you that you need to update your computer on your screen.

Step 5: If you are prompted to update your computer, click this option.

In the future, you can avoid the hassle of manually checking for updates by letting your computer install them automatically. To do this:

Step 1: Go back to System Preferences.

2nd step: Go to Software Update.

Step 3: Check the box that says “Automatically keep my Mac up to date.” “

If you click on Advanced, you will be able to customize it further.

Reason 3: your settings are wrong

In some cases, your computer’s desktop image will continually change because you have allowed it to do so.

In your Mac’s settings, you’ll find an option to choose a specific time you want your wallpaper to last. In many cases, however, you won’t want to check this box.

If you are concerned that this box is checked, the steps below will help you resolve this issue.

Step 1: Click on the Apple logo and go to System Preferences.

2nd step: Go to Desktop & Screensaver, which is at the top of this window.

Step 3: Near the bottom you will see an option called “Change Image:”. If the box is checked and looks blue, click it to uncheck it.

Step 4: Go to the image you want to make your screen saver. Once you find it, follow the steps in the first section to complete the process.

Keep your Mac wallpaper in place

When a Mac wallpaper suddenly changes, it’s both confusing and boring. You would be forgiven for thinking that there is nothing you can do about it. Fortunately, however, you have a lot of options.

The wallpaper on your desktop can change for various reasons, which you may not have thought about. But by identifying the cause, you can both fix the problem and prevent it from happening again.