Using your own picture as a wallpaper or background image on your Facebook profile is a great way to personalize your profile and make it feel more like your own space. With a custom wallpaper, you can show off your interests, share memories from a fun trip, or just put up a pretty landscape photo you like. While Facebook doesn’t have a built-in option to add a custom wallpaper directly, there are a few easy workarounds using either a desktop browser or the Facebook mobile app. Follow the steps below to learn how to set any image from your computer or phone as the background image on your Facebook profile.
Using a desktop browser
The easiest way to set a custom Facebook wallpaper is by using a desktop browser to access Facebook and installing a simple browser extension that allows custom wallpapers. Here are the steps:
- Open Facebook in your preferred desktop internet browser.
- Install the Social Fixer browser extension:
- For Chrome, search the Chrome Web Store for “Social Fixer” and add it.
- For Firefox, search the Firefox Add-ons site for “Social Fixer” and add it.
- Once installed, the Social Fixer icon will appear near the top of your browser window (it looks like a little robot). Click this icon.
- In the menu that pops up, click on “Theme”.
- Click the option for “Custom wallpaper” and then “Choose file”. Select the image file you want to use from your computer.
- Click “Apply changes”.
That’s it! The image you selected should now show up tiled as your Facebook profile background. You can return to the Social Fixer menu at any time to choose a new custom wallpaper.
Using the Facebook mobile app
If you primarily use Facebook on your phone, you can still set a custom wallpaper through the Facebook mobile app for iPhone or Android. However, because the mobile app doesn’t support extensions like the desktop browser, it requires downloading an additional app to enable wallpaper uploading.
Here are the steps for iPhone and Android phones:
iPhone
- Download the FB Wallpapers app from the App Store.
- Open the FB Wallpapers app and select the photo from your phone that you want to use.
- Use the cropping tool to trim or fit the image as needed.
- Tap “Set as FB Wallpaper”. This will prompt you to open Facebook.
- Open Facebook, and the selected image should now be set as your wallpaper.
Android
- Download the My Custom Wallpaper app from Google Play.
- Open the My Custom Wallpaper app and select the photo you want to use.
- Use the cropping tool to trim or fit the image as desired.
- Tap “Set to Facebook”. This will prompt you to open the Facebook app.
- Open Facebook, and your selected photo will be set as the wallpaper.
Tips for choosing and customizing your Facebook wallpaper
- Pick an image with solid colors or textures rather than photos with important people or objects, since those details will get obscured once tiled.
- Choose a high resolution image for best quality.
- Use the cropping and zoom tools in the wallpaper apps to focus on specific parts of your image.
- Tweak the brightness, contrast, saturation etc if needed to make colors stand out.
- Change your Facebook wallpaper regularly to match your mood or the season.
- Make sure the image doesn’t contain nudity, hate speech, or other content that violates Facebook’s terms.
Troubleshooting tips
If you are having trouble setting your image as a custom Facebook wallpaper, here are some things to check:
- Make sure you have installed the Social Fixer extension if using desktop browser, or downloaded the My Custom Wallpaper/FB Wallpapers app if using mobile.
- Check that the image file size isn’t too large. Try images under 5 MB.
- Crop or resize oversized images to fit the Facebook wallpaper dimensions.
- Double check that you selected the right photo and completed the upload steps.
- Force quit and relaunch Facebook app if wallpaper didn’t take effect.
- Try converting your image to JPG format if it’s not working as PNG.
Using third party apps and extensions safely
When installing new apps and browser extensions to customize Facebook, keep the following tips in mind:
- Only download apps from official app stores like Google Play and App Store.
- Check app ratings and reviews before downloading.
- Review the app’s requested permissions before installing.
- Avoid apps that seem sketchy, ask for too many permissions, or have very few downloads.
- Check browser extension reviews and look for ones with many users.
- Run a virus/malware scan if you notice suspicious behavior after installing an app or extension.
- Don’t grant more access to your Facebook profile than an app needs to function.
Conclusion
Setting a custom wallpaper is an easy way to personalize your Facebook profile and express your personality. With the Social Fixer browser extension on desktop or a dedicated wallpaper app on your iPhone or Android, you can upload any image from your device to use as your Facebook background. Choose an eye-catching image, customize it to fit your profile, and troubleshoot any issues with the steps outlined above. Just keep general safety and your privacy settings in mind when trying new third party apps. With the right image and tools, you’ll be able to showcase your chosen wallpaper to make your Facebook profile uniquely you.