4 customization apps I use to keep my desktop fresh and exciting

Stardock Deskcapes

Create your own animated wallpapers

Stardock Deskcapes is perfect for people who want to create personalized active wallpapers. With this app, I can upload any video from my laptop or phone, and I can apply it as a desktop wallpaper or screensaver in seconds.

Doing this lets me relive special moments with my daughter or unforgettable vacations with my family and friends. I can also use the playlist feature to cycle through various wallpapers I choose in sequence to keep things fresh.

I prefer having different wallpapers on each monitor because it's more exciting than having the same one on both.

If I don't want to create custom wallpapers, I can browse through the library to find something that catches my eye. It offers a vast range of static and animated wallpapers across categories like animals, science fiction, games, and more. I regularly browse the most popular and latest categories to discover eye-catching wallpapers.

Once I've found what I'm looking for, I can choose which monitor to display it on. I prefer having different wallpapers on each monitor because it's more exciting than having the same one on both. DeskScapes offers a 30-day free trial and requires a $4 monthly subscription.

Backiee Wallpaper

A massive selection to choose from

Backiee is my favorite wallpaper app because it's free and has loads of exciting content under one roof. Everything is sorted into user-friendly categories, so I don't waste time searching through thousands of images to find what I want.

I type what I'm looking for in the search bar or browse categories, like Popular, Editorial selections, or countries, to find the latest images. There's also a wide selection of live wallpapers that add stunning effects and trippy visuals when I'm looking for something different.

Backiee is my favorite wallpaper app because it's free and has loads of exciting content under one roof.

Managing all the wallpapers I like would be a significant challenge if it weren't for Backiee's easy filing system. The app lets me create folders to organize images by category, like anime or nature, and it even has a history log I can go back to at any time. I'm happy with the free version of Backiee despite the ads, but you can unlock widgets and other advanced features for a one-time fee of $10 for the Premium version.

7TSP

Change your icons

7TSP is a free app that lets me replace my standard Windows icons with custom alternatives that match my new wallpapers. I can choose between a variety of icon packs in bright colors and exciting designs from different websites and import them into the app. The process can be a bit complicated, but it's worth it for the in-depth customization on offer.

To use 7TSP, I downloaded the application, which runs directly from its folder without installation. Then I downloaded icon packs from sites like vinstartheme.com and vsthemses.org.

I imported the downloaded theme .zip files into 7TSP and clicked the Start Patching button to apply them. Patching can be risky, but the app automatically creates a Windows restore point so I can reverse the process if needed.

Wallpaper Engine

Automate your wallpaper rotation

Wallpaper Engine is an excellent alternative to Deskscapes for adding unique wallpapers to each monitor in my setup, but it works differently. It lets me clone a single wallpaper across all displays, stretch a wallpaper across all displays, or apply a unique wallpaper to each display. I then save my preferences to different profiles, which I can use later when I feel like it.

I like that I can select multiple wallpapers and add them to a playlist. It then becomes easy to change the wallpaper at set intervals, either randomly or in a specific order. Wallpaper Engine also lets me customize the transitions between them with vertical or horizontal fades and slides, along with other options.

Unlike the other apps mentioned so far, Wallpaper Engine runs through Steam and requires an account and a one-time payment of $5. It's worth it for the fantastic customization options and huge wallpaper range.

These include categories such as medieval, cyberpunk, retro, sports, and more, all easy to find with a handy search tool. I can also sort them by type, resolution, and age rating to narrow my search results.