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How to Change Background on Gmail to a Stunning Photo

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Do you want to spice up your Gmail inbox with a fresh and personalized look?

If you’re bored with the default Gmail theme, you might be interested in changing your Gmail background to something more appealing and unique.

But how do you do that? And what’s the difference between a Gmail theme and a Gmail background anyway?

In this article, I’ll show you how to change background on Gmail on any device.

Let’s get started!

What’s the difference between a Gmail theme and a Gmail background?

There is no difference at all between a Gmail theme and a Gmail background. When changing the theme on Gmail on a Windows or Mac computer, only the background changes.

Even though Google calls them themes, most people refer to them as Gmail backgrounds for this reason.Why change your Gmail background?

There are many reasons why you might want to change your Gmail background. Here are some of them:

  • To express your personality and style. You can choose a background that reflects your interests, hobbies, mood, or preferences. For example, if you love nature, you can choose a background with flowers, trees, or animals. If you’re a fan of sports, you can choose a background with your favorite team or player.
  • To enhance your productivity and mood. You can choose a background that inspires you, motivates you, or relaxes you. For example, if you need some creativity boost, you can choose a background with bright colors, patterns, or shapes. If you need some calmness and focus, you can choose a background with soothing colors, landscapes, or textures.
  • To improve your user experience and accessibility. You can choose a background that makes it easier for you to read and write emails. For example, if you have vision problems or eye strain, you can choose a background with high contrast or low brightness.

How to change background on Gmail on a Windows or Mac

Changing your Gmail background on a PC or Mac is very easy and quick. Here are the steps:

  1. Open Gmail in your web browser and sign in to your Gmail account.
  2. Click on the gear icon ⚙️ in the upper right corner of your screen and select View all.
    how to change background on gmail
  3. You’ll see a gallery of default themes that you can choose from. You can scroll down to see more options or use the search box to find a specific theme.
    change background on gmail on windows or mac step 3
  4. To preview a theme, hover over it with your mouse cursor and click on it. You’ll see how it looks in your Gmail inbox.
  5. To apply a theme, click on Save at the bottom of the page.
    change background on gmail on windows or mac step 5

That’s it! You’ve successfully changed your Gmail background.

How to change background on Gmail on Android and iPhone

The steps to change background on Gmail on Android and iPhone are slightly different from changing it on a PC or Mac. Here are the steps:

  1. Open the Gmail app on your phone and tap on the menu icon ☰ in the upper left corner of your screen.
    change background on gmail on android and iphone step 1
  2. Tap on Settings at the bottom of the menu.
    change background on gmail on android and iphone step 2
  3. Tap on General settings.
    change background on gmail on android and iphone step 3
  4. Tap on Theme.
    change background on gmail on android and iphone step 4
  5. You’ll see three options: Light, Dark, and System default.
    change background on gmail on android and iphone step 5
  6. To change your Gmail theme to light or dark mode, tap on your preferred theme.

How to change background on Gmail to a stunning custom photo

If you’re not satisfied with the default themes that Gmail offers, you can change background on Gmail to a custom photo. You do this by changing the background image. Here are the steps:

  1. Follow steps 1 to 3 from the previous section on how to change your Gmail background on a Windows or Mac.
  2. Click on My Photos at the bottom of the theme gallery.
    change background on gmail to a custom photo step 2
  3. You’ll see a list of your albums from Google Photos. Head over to Google Photos and upload your image there to use it as your Gmail background. Select the “My Photos” option on the “Pick Your Theme” page afterward.
  4. Choose an image that you want to use as your Gmail background and click on Select.
    change background on gmail to a custom photo step 4
  5. You’ll see a preview with your chosen image as the background.
  6. To apply your custom photo background, click on Save at the bottom of the page.
    change background on gmail to a custom photo step 6

How to change background on Gmail – Conclusion

Changing your Gmail background is a fun and easy way to personalize and improve your Gmail inbox. You can choose from hundreds of default ‘themes’ or add a custom background.

I hope this article helped you learn how to change background on Gmail to get you more productive. But that’s just one thing you can do to boost your productivity…

Something else to give you more of a boost is to learn how to create a group email in Gmail and shoot a single email to multiple people at once and save time!

Happy emailing!

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