Best Chrome wallpaper extensions

How Chrome wallpaper extensions work

A wallpaper extension replaces Chrome's new tab page with its own page and draws a picture behind it. The pictures come from one of three places: files bundled with the extension, an online collection the extension fetches from, or images you upload yourself.

If all you want is one still photo, Chrome's own new tab can do that: open a new tab, choose Customize Chrome and pick a background. Extensions are worth it when you want more: a larger library, higher resolutions, video wallpapers, scheduling, or a different layout on top.

What makes a good wallpaper extension

• Resolution that matches your screen. A 1920×1080 image looks soft on a 4K monitor. Look for a 4K option if your screen is large, and HD if it isn't; there's no benefit to downloading more pixels than you can see.
• Fast loading. The new tab should feel instant. Good extensions show a small preview first, cache what you use, and avoid fetching the same large file again and again.
• Readability controls. Busy pictures make text hard to read. Brightness, blur and dim sliders fix that without changing the wallpaper.
• Variety and search. Categories are a good start; a search box lets you find exactly the scene you want.
• Control over changes. Some people want a new picture every tab; others want one that stays put. Check which the extension does, and whether you can change it.
• Clear sources. Know where pictures come from, whether they're filtered for safe content, and whether the creators get credit.

Wallpaper styles you can choose in Atlas

The Atlas online library has a filter for each style below, plus All, 4K, Live and your Favourites. Every style has still images; the ones marked below also include live video wallpapers. You can type your own search too, such as "rain" or "lighthouse".

"Search only" means the style's filter shows still images, but you can still search the live library for it by name. What appears depends on what the sources have at the time.

Atlas's wallpaper features

Five kinds of background

• Built-in: Atlas's own live wallpapers.
• Online: the searchable library of HD and 4K stills from Wallhaven and live wallpapers from Pixabay Videos and WallpaperWaves.
• My file: any image or video from your computer.
• Colour or Gradient: a plain background, with your choice of colours and gradient angle.

Settings that keep it readable

Brightness, blur and dim apply to any wallpaper, and playback speed applies to video. The eight theme presets (Sand, Ocean, Rose, Mint, Violet, Ember, Lime and Mono) change the accent colour and glass tint to suit the picture.

Favourites and schedules

Star a wallpaper to keep it in Favourites; with an account, favourites follow you to other computers. A schedule switches wallpapers at the times you set. You can also step through the wallpapers with the "Next wallpaper" and "Previous wallpaper" commands in the Command Center (Ctrl + Space).

How it stays quick

Thumbnails in the library load lazily, and a new wallpaper fades in only once it's ready, so you never see a half-drawn picture. Live wallpapers have extra tricks to keep loading fast, covered in our page on how Atlas handles live wallpapers.

How to set a wallpaper in Atlas

1. Install Atlas from the Chrome Web Store and open a new tab.
2. Open Customize and go to the Background tab.
3. Choose Online, then pick a style such as Nature or 4K, or type a search.
4. Click a wallpaper to use it. Click the star to keep it in Favourites.
5. Adjust Brightness, Blur and Dim until your shortcuts and clock are easy to read.
6. To use your own picture, choose My file and select an image.

Wallpapers are only part of a new tab. If you're also comparing shortcuts, search and productivity tools, read our guide to choosing a Chrome new tab extension.