You cannot make your Google Calendar your desktop background using any native feature in Windows, macOS, or Google Calendar itself. To display a live, updating Google calendar desktop background, you must use a dedicated third-party application that automatically syncs your events to your wallpaper.
Can you make Google calendar your desktop background?
The short answer is no, Google Calendar does not offer a built-in option to set itself as your computer's desktop wallpaper. While you can view your calendar in a browser or app, placing a live version directly on your desktop requires external software. This article covers the verified tools that achieve this, along with alternative methods that get you close to the result.
How to set a live Google calendar wallpaper on Windows
For Windows users, the verified solution is DejaDesktop Calendar Wallpaper. This application integrates your Google Calendar events directly into your desktop background and updates automatically.
- Download and install DejaDesktop Calendar Wallpaper for Windows from the official source.
- Open the application and sign in to your Google Account to grant calendar access.
- Choose your display preferences, such as a monthly calendar view, look-ahead months, and your daily schedule.
- Apply the settings. Your desktop background will now show your live Google Calendar, updating automatically as events change.
How to set a live Google calendar wallpaper on Mac
DejaDesktop Calendar Wallpaper is also available for macOS, providing the same automatic, live calendar display on your desktop.
- Launch the application and sign in with your Google Account to sync your calendar data.
- Configure the calendar layout and information you want visible on your desktop.
- Activate the wallpaper. Your Mac desktop will now show your Google Calendar events, updating automatically.
Alternative: install Google Calendar as a desktop app (PWA)
If a true desktop background is not required, you can install Google Calendar as a Progressive Web App (PWA) using Google Chrome or Microsoft Edge. This creates a standalone, app-like window separate from your browser tabs. Note that this is an application shortcut, not a desktop background, it opens in its own window rather than being placed on your wallpaper. To do this, open Google Calendar in your browser, look for the install icon in the address bar, and follow the prompts to create the PWA.
Sync Google Calendar with your computer's built-in calendar
Syncing your Google Calendar with native desktop calendar applications, such as Windows Calendar or Apple Calendar on macOS, allows your events to appear within those apps. This step is often required for other desktop display tools that rely on your computer's built-in calendar data.
What about browser extensions for a calendar background?
Browser extensions that claim to change the "Google Calendar background" only customize the appearance inside the Google Calendar web interface. They do not affect your computer's desktop background. If you want to undo in Google Calendar changes made to event colors or density settings, you can revert them within the calendar's native settings, which only allow for changing event color sets (Classic or Modern) and density, not for uploading background images for the calendar itself or the desktop. For a true desktop wallpaper effect, you can first change background on Google Calendar to a solid color that blends with your screen.
