How to Set Background Image in Windows Terminal (personalization)

To personalize Windows Terminal, you can set a custom background image for each shell individually. Here are the steps to do so.

After a long time, Microsoft finally took the pill and started developing its Terminal application. You can download it from Github or Microsoft Store. Unlike other terminals, Windows Terminal acts as a central application for all the shells in Windows 10 and allows you to run them simultaneously in separate tabs.

For example, you can open Command Prompt, PowerShell, Ubuntu, etc., at the same time in separate tabs. If needed, you can even open multiple instances of the same shell in different tabs.

Along with the versatility, Windows Terminal also has excellent customization and personalization options. For example, you can change the color scheme, set the default shell in the terminal, change fonts, change cursor styles, etc. The ability to set Windows Terminal background image is one such personalization option. When running multiple shells in Windows Terminal, setting background images for each shell makes it much more welcoming and easy to recognize.

In this quick and straightforward Windows guide, let me show you the steps to set a wallpaper in Windows Terminal.

Set background image in Windows Terminal

You can set separate background images for each shell in the terminal. The good thing, unlike in older versions where you need to edit the Settings JSON file, you can now use the Settings panel to set or change the background image.

Follow these steps to set the background image in Windows Terminal.

1. Open Windows Terminal.
2. Click the dropdown menu on the title bar.
3. Select the “Settings” option.
4. Choose a shell on the sidebar.
5. Click on “Appearance” in the main panel.
6. Click “Browse” under the “Background” section.
7. Choose a wallpaper of your choice and click “Open.”
8. Press “Save” in the terminal.
9. With that, you set a background image in Windows Terminal.

First, open the Windows Terminal. You can do that by searching for “Windows Terminal” in the Start menu. After opening the app, click on the “Down” arrow icon on the title bar and select the “Settings” option.

In the Settings panel, select the shell for which you want to set the background image in Windows Terminal. In my case, I want to set a background image for PowerShell.

On the right panel, select the “Appearance” tab at the top.

Now, scroll down and find the “Background” section. Next, click the “Browse” button, find & select an image of your choice and click the “Open” button.

Click “Save” in the main window. As soon as you do that, Windows Terminal applies the background image.

To see the newly applied background image, go to the shell tab in Windows Terminal.

Customize background image appearance in Windows Terminal

After setting the Windows Terminal background image, you can change its look and feel by tweaking the transparency, acrylic, position, and stretch effects. All these options are available under the “Appearance” tab of the Shell settings.

To make the image a bit transparent, tweak the “Background image opacity” slider.

If the background image’s default position is not to your liking, change it under the “Background image alignment” section.

In the same manner, you can enable the blurry translucent effect by turning on the “Acrylic” option. Like Background Opacity, you can change the Acrylic intensity by moving the “Acrylic opacity” slider.

After making the changes, don’t forget to hit the “Save” button.

—

That is all. It is that simple to set a background image in Windows Terminal.

I hope that helps.

If you are stuck or need some help, comment below, and I will try to help as much as possible.