How to Set a Live Wallpaper in Windows 11

Users are highly satisfied with the visual appeal of Windows 11. However, one feature they desire is Live Wallpapers. Despite the numerous customization options available in Windows 11, the option for Live or animated wallpapers is currently not included.

Fortunately, there is no need to feel discouraged. You can still access live wallpapers on Windows 11 through various third-party apps, and one of the options we will discuss is Lively Wallpaper. Let’s dive in.

How to Use Lively Wallpaper to Set Live Wallpaper

The Lively Wallpaper app is a highly recommended choice for obtaining live wallpapers on Windows 11. This free and open-source app provides customizable desktop wallpapers that are both animated and interactive.

The Microsoft Store is the top destination for obtaining Lively Wallpapers for your system.

• Open the Microsoft Store, type ‘Lively Wallpapers’ in the search bar, and click ‘Enter’ or click this link to open the listing directly.
• Go to the first listing and click on ‘Get’ to install the app. Then, click on ‘Open’ once it installs.

• The ‘Library’ will open, where you can find the wallpapers that the app offers out-of-the-box; 12 at the time of writing this. You can see the preview of the wallpapers right away. Some of them are live wallpapers, while others are interactive simulations. For example, Fluids is an interactive simulation that reacts to the system audio and cursor.

• Clicking any wallpaper will immediately set it as your desktop wallpaper. However, if you want to preview or customize it before setting it as wallpaper, click the ‘three-dot’ menu in the bottom-right of the wallpaper thumbnail.

• Then, select the option you want. In this case, we want to ‘Customize’ the wallpaper.

• The options for customizing will open, which will be different for different types of wallpapers. If the wallpaper is currently active on your desktop, you can see the changes you make in real time. Make the customizations and click ‘OK’.

• Click the ‘Close (X)’ button on the app window to close it.
• Lively will minimize to the system tray where it will stay open. You can access options like pausing the wallpaper, customizing it, closing the wallpaper, etc., from the system tray menu (right-click the app icon).

• If you completely quit the app, the wallpaper will also disappear since it doesn’t change the wallpaper at the system settings level. If you open the app again, the wallpaper will automatically return.
• The app is also set to run at startup by default, and you won’t want to change it if you don’t want to manually open the app to get the live wallpaper every time you turn on the system.
• You can configure the behavior of the app by going to ‘Settings’.

• Then, switch to the ‘Performance’ tab. Here, you can configure the behavior of the wallpaper in different scenarios, like when an application is in fullscreen or focused, when your laptop is on battery power or battery saver modes, etc.

Customize your Live Wallpaper

The app also gives you the option to add your own wallpapers. This feature allows for a wide range of content to be uploaded, such as videos (both local and online, including those from YouTube), GIFs, interactive web-based wallpapers, webpages, and even applications or games.

• To use your own wallpaper, click the ‘+’ icon from the options in the top-right of the app window.

• Then, drag and drop the file to the marked area or open it using a ‘File Explorer’ window if you have the file on your PC. To use an online video, enter the URL in the field provided.With the ‘Advanced’ option, you can create your own dynamic wallpaper. The app uses AI to transform photographs into 3D and create a parallax effect. You’ll need to download additional files to use this feature, though.

• Once you’ve selected the wallpaper, you can also customize it somewhat, and the customization options will vary depending on the wallpaper type.

How to Use Live Wallpapers on Multiple Monitors

If you happen to have more than one monitor connected, the Lively Wallpaper app allows you to apply live wallpapers (either the same or different) on all of them simultaneously.

• Click on the ‘Monitor’ icon from the app window.

• By default, the placement method selected for multiple monitors is ‘Selected Screen Only’. With this option, the wallpaper is only applied to the screen that is selected. You can change this setting to ‘Span across screens’, ‘Duplicate same wallpaper’.

• Select the screen you want to change the wallpaper for and click ‘OK’. Then, select a wallpaper from the library.

• Alternatively, you can check the option for ‘Always pick screen when choosing wallpaper’ so that it always asks which screen you want to apply the wallpaper to.

• Now, when you select a wallpaper from the library, you’ll get the option to choose the display.

If you are looking for live wallpapers for your Windows 11 PC, Lively Wallpaper is an excellent choice. However, for added variety and customization options, you may want to consider purchasing the Wallpaper Engine from Steam. It is reasonably priced at around $3-4 (price may vary depending on your region).