Dual monitor setups are all the rage! But having the same background on all monitors is clearly underutilizing the aesthetic capacity of such an arrangement. Windows already provides all the options for you to set different backgrounds on dual monitors. So why not make the most of your display setup? If you’ve never tried this before, here’s what you need to know. 

How to set two different backgrounds on dual monitors on Windows 11

Before we begin, make sure you know how your displays are numbered. This you can do by opening the Settings app and going to System > Display. Here, click on Identify. A number will appear on each screen, identifying which monitor corresponds to which display number.

Now use the methods given below to set different backgrounds on different monitors. 

Method 1: Using Settings

  1. Open the Settings app (Win+I), and select Personalization > Background. 
  2. From the Personalize your background drop-down menu, select Picture.
  3. Right-click on one of the ‘Recent images’ and choose the display that you want to set as background.
  4. If you don’t find the image you want to set, click on Browse photos.
  5. Select a picture and click on Choose picture.
  6. By default, it will be applied to both backgrounds. It will also be added to the ‘Recent images’. 
  7. Now, simply right-click on one of your ‘Recent images’ and select the display for which you want to set it as background.
  8. And just like that, you’ll have two different backgrounds on two different monitors. 

Method 2: Using Control Panel

Control Panel offers another way for you to set two different backgrounds on the different monitors. Here’s how:

  1.  Press Win+R to open the RUN box. Then copy and paste the following script into it: shell:::{ED834ED6-4B5A-4bfe-8F11-A626DCB6A921} -Microsoft.Personalization\pageWallpaper
  2. This will lead you to the ‘Desktop Background’ window. Select the ‘Picture location’ from the drop-down menu. Alternatively, click on ‘Browse’ and select a picture folder.
  3. Right-click on an image and choose the monitor for which you want to set it as background. 
  4. Then right-click on an image and set it as the background for the other monitor. 
  5. And just like that, you’ll have different backgrounds on two different monitors.

Method 3: Apply Slideshow from a picture album

Slideshows automatically apply different wallpapers to different monitors. The only drawback with this method is that the pictures will be applied randomly and you won’t have control over which picture is being set for which monitor. 

If you don’t mind the randomness, here’s how to apply a slideshow and get two different backgrounds on two different monitors.

  1. Open the Settings app, then go to Personalization > Background.
  2. From the Personalize your background drop-down menu, select Slideshow.
  3. By default, the images from the ‘Pictures’ folder will be used. To change this, click on Browse.
  4. Select the folder that contains the images you want for your slideshow.
  5. Select other settings, such as duration, shuffle, and fit. 
  6. And that’s it! The slideshow will change wallpapers on the two monitors separately.

Method 4: Using a third-party app (Superpaper)

Superpaper is a free multi-platform wallpaper changer app that has some advanced features to set up dual monitor wallpapers. It’s available both as a portable installer and a full-fledged application. Use the following link to download and install it, and the steps to apply different wallpapers on your dual monitor setup:

Superpaper | Download Link

  1. Launch Superpaper after installation. Then choose the Separate image for every display mode in the left pane. 
  2. Then click on Browse to enter the wallpaper paths.
  3. Navigate to your images, select an image for Display 0, and click on Add source.
  4. Then choose an image for Display 1 and click on Add source.
  5. Click OK.
  6. Make sure to give your profile a name and Save it.
  7. Finally, click on Apply to apply the set the two images as wallpapers on the two different monitors. 

How to span a wallpaper across two monitors on Windows 11

Apart from setting two different wallpapers on the two monitors, you can also span a wallpaper across the two monitors. This can be especially appealing if you have a dual-monitor wallpaper (with twice the width of your screen resolution). Here’s how to apply it:

  1. Open the Settings app and go to Personalization > Background.
  2. Select Picture from the ‘Personalize your background’ dropdown. 
  3. Click on Browse photos.
  4. Select your dual-monitor wallpaper.
  5. Make sure the fit is set to Span.

FAQ

Let’s consider a few commonly asked questions about setting two different backgrounds on dual monitors.

What is the resolution of dual-monitor wallpapers?

Although you can choose a wallpaper with any width, the ideal resolution should have a width that is twice the resolution of your screen. So, if you have two 1920×1080 monitors, choose a wallpaper with 3840×1080 resolution.

Where are Windows wallpapers saved?

The Windows wallpapers are saved in the folder C:\Windows\Web\Wallpaper. 

Having different wallpapers on your dual monitor setup not only helps distinguish one monitor from another quickly but also adds some aesthetic personality to each of them. We hope this guide helped you set the same. Until next time!