If you want your desktop to feel more alive, setting a video wallpaper or live wallpaper is one of the easiest ways to upgrade its look.
Earlier versions of Windows 11 didn’t include a built-in video wallpaper feature. The good news is that Microsoft has finally started adding native video wallpaper support, and there are also reliable third-party workarounds if you don’t have access to it yet.
In this guide, we’ll walk through the different ways to set a video wallpaper on Windows 11, including the native Windows video wallpaper feature, Lively Wallpaper, and VLC Media Player.
How to Set Video Wallpaper on Windows 11
As of 2026, the landscape has finally changed. Whether you want to try Microsoft’s newly introduced native option or rely on powerful third-party tools, here’s everything you need to know to make your Windows 11 desktop come alive.
1. Using Windows Video Wallpaper Feature
Microsoft has officially reintroduced native video wallpaper support in Windows 11. This feature, reminiscent of the old DreamScene from the Windows Vista era, is currently rolling out in preview builds.
If you’re running the latest version of Windows 11, you can try setting a video wallpaper directly from Personalization settings.
Steps to set a video wallpaper natively:
1. Open Settings using Win + I.
2. Navigate to Personalization and select Background.
3. In the Personalize your background dropdown, select Video, then click Browse videos.
Note
If you don’t see the Video option, select Picture instead. Click Browse photos, and in the file picker, manually select a supported video file.
4. Select the .mp4 or .mkv video wallpaper file.
5. Click the Choose picture button to apply it.
Once completed, the selected video will be set as your desktop wallpaper.
If you don’t see this option yet, video wallpaper support is currently available only in preview builds of Windows 11 version 24H2/25H2 from the Beta Channel. The feature is not available in the Stable Channel.
2. Using Lively Wallpaper
Currently, if you want a reliable way to set up live wallpapers on Windows 11, you can use Lively Wallpaper. It is one of the best wallpaper applications available and allows you to easily set live wallpapers. Simply install it from the Microsoft Store.
Once you have installed the application, you can follow the steps below to set a live wallpaper as the background on your Windows 11 desktop:
1. Open the Lively Wallpaper app.
2. Click the Library tab to view the available live wallpapers, then select any wallpaper from the library and set it as your desktop background.
3. If you want to use a custom video, GIF, or YouTube video as your wallpaper, click Add Wallpaper from the top panel.
4. Click the Browse button to select a local video or GIF file, or paste a YouTube video URL to use it as a live wallpaper.
5. Once the wallpaper is added, Lively Wallpaper will take a few moments to process the video and prepare it for use as a live wallpaper.
6. After processing is complete, click the three-dot menu next to the wallpaper and select Set as Wallpaper.
If you want maximum control, smooth performance, and endless customization options, Lively Wallpaper is easily the most complete solution for live wallpapers on Windows 11.
3. Using VLC Media Player
VLC is one of the most popular media players; almost every Windows user uses it to watch videos. Besides playing media files, you can also use it to set a video desktop background on Windows 11.
Here’s how you can do it:
1. Install VLC Media Player on your Windows PC.
2. Open VLC Media Player and play the video you want to use as wallpaper.
3. Click Video in the menu bar and select Set as Wallpaper.
The video will immediately be applied as your desktop background. However, VLC Media Player lacks the features that Lively Wallpaper offers. When you set a video wallpaper using VLC, you cannot access your Windows toolbar, Start button, desktop icons, and shortcuts.
Although the video goes into full-screen mode, you can only use it when your computer screen is idle. The video will act as a desktop screen saver.
Give Life to Your Desktop Wallpaper
Adding a video or live wallpaper is an easy way to make your Windows 11 desktop feel more modern and dynamic. While Microsoft has started rolling out native video wallpaper support, it’s still limited to preview builds. Until it reaches the Stable Channel, tools like Lively Wallpaper offer the best overall experience, while VLC works for basic, temporary setups.
Whichever method you choose, video wallpapers are now a practical way to refresh your desktop and make Windows 11 feel more alive.
