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How to Change the Background on Google Chrome

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One of our favorite features to the plain Google Search homepage back in the day was changing the background wallpaper on Google, but that was discontinued in late 2012 for a more streamlined experience for all users. However, with Google Chrome, users can customize the entire look of Google and the homepage with themes.

If you use Google Chrome but don’t want the plain white look it offers, and want to spruce things up a little bit, below we’ll explain how to change the background image and entire look of Google Chrome.

Read: Chrome for Mac Just Got a Lot Better

Back in 2011 I had a beach theme look to Google and Gmail on my PC, which was a nice addition to their plain layout we’ve been using for years, but most of that was killed off at one point. However, with Chrome themes you can make your entire web experience look completely different, and as you see fit. There’s a nice NYC theme (shown below) currently featured and free on the Chrome extension store as we speak. Read on to learn how easy it is to change the look of Chrome.

Chrome-theme

Themes in Google Chrome allow you to get a piece of that customization back, and they even have some neat little tricks like the ability to remove the Google logo completely. Leaving only a search bar, and tons of other customization if you look hard enough for a theme that fits what you want.

Instructions

In Google Chrome start by heading to the top right of the page and selecting the three lines menu button, and then select Settings. Once in here you’ll scroll down to themes, and hit Get themes.

Screen Shot 2015-03-02 at 12.04.15 PM

From here you’ll be navigated to the Google Chrome webstore and its extensions area. In here are hundreds of thousands of themes. These are from Google themselves, developers, or you can even customize your own. You can add Get lucky search buttons, search for brands, promotional materials and more. I’ve selected the NYC at Night theme shown at the top of the page, and it gives Google Chrome a nice look.

Screen Shot 2015-03-02 at 12.04.46 PM

Once you’ve found the theme you’d like simply select Add to Chrome, and it will verify compatibility and install. You’ll instantly notice the changes. Everything from movies, brands, games, sports and more can be applied for the look you’re after.

Chrome-themeapply

That’s it and you’re all done. You’ve now applied a custom theme that changed the entire look, depending on how much the theme includes, and changed the look of Google Chrome, the default page, and whatever else the theme is set to change. There’s an easy Undo button at the top if you don’t like it, or just continue on and enjoy your new look.

You can easily head into the extensions setting on Chrome and delete or disable a theme, go back to default, or download and apply different themes. This is just one of many ways to keep things fresh and different on your Laptop, PC, and Google Chrome. There’s even a “Google Background Extension” add-on you can use to only change the Google Search background, vs an entire theme we’ve shown above. Give them all a try, and enjoy.

12 Comments

12 Comments

  1. ian ludlow

    07/20/2015 at 12:07 am

    This is all very well if you want to download one theme and install it. But if you’ve downloaded more than one theme and would like to try them all out, periodically changing the theme, how do you do that ?

  2. Veena

    09/17/2015 at 5:16 am

    Don’t help at all

  3. Satish

    02/08/2016 at 11:11 am

    Its about theme they are telling about, but wanna add perticular image to chrome background. No meaning in the resolutions

  4. rick

    03/29/2016 at 11:08 am

    Didn`t work at all. Tried several times and only the very top of my home page displays some color.

    • Joel

      04/21/2016 at 8:22 am

      yes it did that to to me

  5. kelvin

    06/02/2016 at 3:58 am

    go to http://www.themebeta.com/ to make your own chrome theme

  6. kayla

    06/09/2016 at 8:30 pm

    How do you switch themes when you already have some added?

  7. Connie Medeiros

    07/07/2016 at 10:41 pm

    Mine only shows at the top as well. How do I get my Google page to show the theme I’ve chosen?

  8. Edward Herman

    09/13/2016 at 5:53 am

    This only works when you open a new tab! so if you set your homepage to open to new tab your background will be there! it was the other way around but something happened ?

  9. John

    05/05/2017 at 9:31 am

    Amazing its worked for newest version of my google chrome
    Thank you

  10. Suin.kim1

    05/15/2017 at 3:40 am

    I am trying to do on my iPad but I don’t know how?

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