Change your Gmail background

You can pick a theme to change your Gmail background. On a computer, you can make your background: 

  • The default theme
  • Dark theme
  • Other available themes
  • A photo uploaded to your Google Photos

Important:

  • To use an uploaded photo as your background, add the photo to Google Photos. Learn how to back up photos and videos.
  • Some themes allow you to change the text background, make corners darker, or blur the background. If these options aren't available, you can't make changes to the selected theme.
  • To save battery and make it easier to view messages on mobile, change to Dark theme.

Change the background theme

  1. On your computer, open Gmail.
  2. At the top right, click Settings .
  3. Next to "Theme," click View all.
  4. In the theme window, select a theme. 
    • For the default theme, select Default.
    • For Dark theme, select Dark.
    • For a pre-uploaded theme, select any theme.
  5. Optional: If available, at the bottom of the theme window, you can change the theme. 
    • To change the text background, click Text Background Text Background.
    • To make the corners darker, click Vignette Vignette.
    • To blur background theme, click Blur Blur.
  6. Click Save.

Set a photo as your background

To get started, make sure you've uploaded the image you want to use in a new or existing album in photos.google.com. Learn how to get started with Google Photos.

  1. On your computer, open Gmail.
  2. At the top right, click Settings .
  3. Next to "Theme," click View all.
  4. At the bottom left of the theme window, click My photos.
  5. In the background image window, select Featured or My photos.
  6. Select a photo.
    • If the photo is blurry, choose a larger photo.
  7. At the bottom left, click Select.
  8. Optional: At the bottom of the theme window, you can change the theme.
    1. To change the text background, click Text Background Text Background.
    2. To make the corners darker, click Vignette Vignette.
    3. To blur background theme, click Blur Blur.
  9. Click Save.

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