How to Change the Office Background in Microsoft 365

Microsoft Office allows you to personalize the appearance of your apps by adding decorative background patterns. This simple customization can give your Office programs a unique and artistic look. The background pattern appears in the top-right corner of the Office interface and applies across all Office apps once changed.

Office offers several built-in background options to choose from, including Circles and Shapes, Underwater, Doodle Circles, Stars, Calligraphy, Circuit, Clouds, Doodle Diamonds, Geometry, Straw, Lunch Box, School Supplies, Tree Rings, and Spring. Let's explore how to enable and change the Office background.

Method 1: Change Office Background via Account Settings

Step 1: Open any Microsoft Office application like Word, Excel, or PowerPoint.

Step 2: Click on the "File" tab in the top-left corner to open the Backstage view.

Step 3: In the Backstage view, select "Account" from the left sidebar.

Step 4: Look for the "Office Background" section on the right side. Click the dropdown arrow next to it to see the available background options.

Step 5: Choose your desired background pattern from the list. For this example, let's select "Stars".

Step 6: The change will apply immediately. You'll see the new background pattern in the top-right corner of your Office application.

Method 2: Change Office Background via Options Menu

Step 1: Open any Microsoft Office application and click on the "File" tab.

Step 2: In the Backstage view, click on "Options" in the left sidebar.

Step 3: The Options dialog box will open. Make sure you're on the "General" tab.

Step 4: Scroll down to the "Personalize your copy of Microsoft Office" section.

Step 5: Find the "Office Background" dropdown menu and click on it to see the available options.

Step 6: Select your preferred background pattern from the list.

Step 7: Click "OK" to apply the changes and close the Options dialog box.

The new Office background will now be visible in the top-right corner of all your Microsoft Office applications.

Important Notes About Office Backgrounds

• The Office background change applies across all Office applications, including Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, and others.
• If you're using Dark Mode in Office, the background pattern may appear less transparent compared to the classic white theme.
• Changing the Office background doesn't affect your document contents or layouts. It only modifies the application interface.
• If you don't see the background after changing it, try restarting your Office applications.

Troubleshooting Office Backgrounds

If you're having trouble seeing or changing your Office background, try these steps:

• Ensure you're using a supported version of Microsoft Office (Office 365 or Office 2019 and later).
• Check for any pending Office updates and install them.
• If the background isn't visible, make sure you're not in Full Screen mode.
• Try switching between different Office themes (File > Account > Office Theme) to see if it affects the background visibility.

Customizing your Office background is a simple way to refresh your work environment and add a personal touch to your productivity tools. Experiment with different patterns to find the one that best suits your style and enhances your Office experience.