Easy Ways to Use a Video as Wallpaper in Windows 10/11

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Turn your desktop background into a moving video

Written by Darlene Antonelli, MA

Last Updated: October 29, 2025 Fact Checked

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Using Lively Wallpaper

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Using Wallpaper Engine

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Using Desktop Live Wallpapers

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Using VLC

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Video

Are you tired of your static wallpaper? There are plenty of ways to create an animated background on your desktop using your own video. This wikiHow guide will teach you how to set a video as wallpaper on Windows 10 or 11 using Lively Wallpaper, Wallpaper Engine, Desktop Live Wallpapers, and the VLC media player.

Using a Video as a Wallpaper in Windows 10 & 11

To set a video as a wallpaper, download the Lively Wallpaper app. Click + Add Wallpaper, select your video, and then click the newly created wallpaper to set it as your background. You can also use the Steam app Wallpaper Engine to upload and create your own live wallpaper.

Method 1

Method 1 of 4:

Using Lively Wallpaper

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1
Download and open Lively Wallpaper from the Microsoft Store. If you don't already have this free app, you can download it for free from the Microsoft Store. Here's how to get it:
- Press the Windows key, type store, and click Microsoft Store in the search results.
- Type "lively wallpaper" into the search bar at the top of the store, and click Lively Wallpaper in the search results.
- Click Get.
- When it's downloaded, click Open.
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Click + Add Wallpaper. You can find this in the top-right corner. A window will open.
- If you want to search for an animated wallpaper using the Lively Wallpaper library, click Library instead. Otherwise, continue to the next step to upload your own video.
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Drag and drop the video file into the field. Alternatively, you can click Open, and then select the video file on your device.
- It may take a moment for your video to upload.
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Click the video. This will set it as your live wallpaper. Alternatively, you can click ••• in the corner of the wallpaper, then click Set as Wallpaper.
- To further customize your wallpaper, click ••• and then click Customize.

Method 2

Method 2 of 4:

Using Wallpaper Engine

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1
Buy and download Wallpaper Engine on Steam. Wallpaper Engine allows you to use animated wallpapers as your desktop background. While there's a huge library to browse from, you can also upload your own videos to create your own live wallpaper.^{[1]
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- If you don't already have these programs, you'll need to download Steam first. Then, purchase and download Wallpaper Engine from the Steam store.
- Wallpaper Engine can be purchased for 4.99 USD.
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Launch Wallpaper Engine. The icon will appear in the system tray (near the clock) on your taskbar.
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Right-click the icon in your system tray and select Create wallpaper. The system tray is the arrow on the right side of your taskbar. When you click it, you'll see a few icons pop up.
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Click Select File and select your video. The video must be in any of the following formats: MP4, WebM, AVI, M4V, MOV, or WMV.
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Enter a name and click OK. This will open a preview of the wallpaper.
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Click File, then Apply wallpaper. This will set the wallpaper as your background.

Method 3

Method 3 of 4:

Using Desktop Live Wallpapers

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1
Get Desktop Live Wallpapers from the Microsoft Store
. To open the Microsoft Store, you can either click the shopping bag icon in the taskbar or click the Start logo and look through the Start menu.^{[2]
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- First, click the search bar that's at the top of your screen, then type in "Desktop Live Wallpapers" and press Enter on your keyboard. Click Desktop Live Wallpapers with the icon that looks like a film strip on a purple background and click Get/Install.
- The Desktop Live Wallpapers app is a free app that only supports WMV, MP4, AVI, and MOV files and has limited controls, but for $3.99 USD, you can upgrade to Desktop Live Wallpapers Pro for more controls and options.
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Open Desktop Live Wallpapers. You should find this under "Recently added" in your Start menu.
- If you still have the Microsoft Store open, you can click Launch from there to open the app.
It's in the upper left corner of the app window and will close the tutorial.
You'll see this purple button in the lower left corner of the application window; your File Explorer will open.
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Navigate to the folder with your videos and click OK. All the videos inside the folder will play on your desktop, so if you want to play more than one video, move them all into one folder.
- If you later add videos to this folder, open Desktop Live Wallpapers and click the refresh icon in the lower right corner of your screen.
- If you want to change the playback settings, click Settings. You can adjust the background player as well as mute the audio.
- If you want to pause or play the wallpaper, right-click the Desktop Live Wallpapers icon in your system tray. Click Exit to close the app and stop the video on your desktop.^{[3]
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Method 4

Method 4 of 4:

Using VLC Media Player

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1
Download and install VLC Media Player. If you don't have VLC already installed, you can get it for free from videolan.org/vlc/download-windows.html.
- Click Download VLC, then follow the on-screen instructions to open the downloaded file and run the installer.
- Since VLC can run almost any video format, it's a good choice for running a video on your desktop. However, you have to leave the app open and running to set a video as your wallpaper.
You'll find this in the "Recently added" section of the Start menu if you've recently downloaded the app. If not, you'll find it lower in the list in your Start menu.^{[4]
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Click Media > Open File or press Ctrl + O on your keyboard to open File Explorer so you can load a video. After you double-click the video you want to play on your desktop, press the play icon in the media controls under the video preview.
A menu will pop up at your cursor.^{[5]
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You'll see this menu option in the second grouping of menu items.
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Click Set as Wallpaper. The video will play as your wallpaper, but you'll need to leave VLC open and playing to continue using it to play your video.
- To stop the playback, close and exit VLC, and your wallpaper will return to the original static image.^{[6]
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