Remove Google Background Image: How To Get Rid Of Google.com Wallpaper

UPDATED 6/10/2010 1:43PM ET: Google has turned off the auto-appearing background image, Marissa Mayer, Google's VP of Search Product and User Experience, said in a tweet.

She wrote, "Actually as of now :) @Jon_E Google search background back to normal tomorrow, says @marissamayer."
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Highlighting one of its new features, Google introduced a background image on Google.com--but it seems users aren't pleased with the new look.

"Remove Google background image" soared to the number 2 spot on Google trends, and the Huffington Post has received emails from readers eager to remove the background image that is appearing, by default, on Google's homepage.

One user wrote on the Google help forum, "I'm boycotting Google until this cr*p gets fixed. Who's the genius who came up with this idea to copy Bing WITHOUT giving the user an option to NOT have a background image? So fired." Another said, "It is frustrating to have that as a background... more frustrating is that it can't be removed/disabled..."

Microsoft even called out Google's copycat homepage--which, with its photo background, looks strikingly like Bing's--via Twitter. As ABC's World Newser noted, someone tweeted on Microsoft Europe's official twitter feed, "We've lost a background image, if found please return to bing.com ;)"

If you've added a custom Google background image and want to get rid of it, click "Remove background image," which should appear at the bottom left hand corner of Google.com.

If, however, you're just hoping to restore Google to its plain white background, you may have to wait until tomorrow--as with Google Doodles, the unusual Google background image may just be a temporary, one-day change. You could also try uploading a plain, white image to give Google back a more normal look (instructions on how to change the background image are here) or you can access the plain white Google at Google's SSL search page: https://www.google.com/ (H/T: Ed C. and Ellen on Facebook.

What do you think of Google's background image? Tell us in the comments below.

Comments

[walleymr]

08:35 AM on 06/14/2010

MOM! Google copied me!!!!

[Hirnlego]

08:33 PM on 06/13/2010

Microsoft had an original idea?

[the-lexicon]

05:40 PM on 06/13/2010

Microsoft calls out Google for being a copycat?

oh, man, I just died.

[Rob Armstrong]

02:34 PM on 06/13/2010

I don't know if ASK is still hanging in as #4 engine... but they had background options long before Bing came along.

[Madbunny]

12:24 PM on 06/13/2010

Oddly enough I keep my home page on bing, mainly because I like some of their interesting images. The search engine sucks though, so I just go to google when I need to look something up.

[Bruckley]

10:53 PM on 06/12/2010

Yeah because Microsoft has never copied another company's idea before.

Having said that, thank god this was removed. The beauty of google is its uncluttered interface and fast load time.

[BlueinVA]

05:11 PM on 06/11/2010

Bummer. I enjoyed my google background image. What's the big deal? Nobody else sees my google home page.

[Madbunny]

12:21 PM on 06/13/2010

you can put them back on. Just click the background image link at the bottom left.

[tweets4twits]

05:01 PM on 06/11/2010

LOL the new definition of irony: Bing accusing Google of copying its look and feel. Cause everyone knows the most important feature of a search engine is what background image it displays.

[TheOceanWalker]

09:44 PM on 06/11/2010

My thoughts exactly. As if a background image represents some kind of brilliant innovation.

[DZComposer]

01:41 PM on 06/11/2010

Microsoft has no leg to stand on about accusing people of copying, This is the pot calling the kettle black.

[GCurry]

11:39 AM on 06/11/2010

I have moved to Chrome browser, love it. One of its features is that the "URL bar" is where you also put search keys. URL lookup is just one kind of search and Google search can figure it out.

Problem avoided - there is no Google background, unless you theme Chrome.

[mobman007]

05:06 AM on 06/11/2010

That was really bugging me.

My browser default homepage was google, I got annoyed and changed my homepage to laalten.com . My internet connection is not so fast, so it took so much time to load the entire background image.

[Layman23]

12:51 AM on 06/11/2010

Hahaha... What if google called out Microsoft for its BING to begin with?

[mmm pecan pie]

11:43 PM on 06/10/2010

Gosh I missed the whole brouhaha. By the time I saw it, it was gone! lol I don't know why Google would do anything BING does. Bing suxors big time.

[Infostream]

11:37 PM on 06/10/2010

I always wished they would have just switched to a black background, the idea behind Blackle.com. Because lighting up a white screen uses more energy, Blackle estimates as of today that the few people who use the Google search on Blackle have saved 1,904,037,953 Watt hours. Would add up to a lot if Google did it. But then nowadays in "green" America people drive with their headlights on during the day and think somehow that energy is coming from marketing magic, not their gas tank. Hmm, wonder why they lobbied Washington to be able to do the mileage estimates they advertise with the automatic daytime headlights turned OFF.

As for the background, for me the more choices the better, but for most - any change is a chance to bitch and moan, the great American spoiled brat past-time.

[mobman007]

05:07 AM on 06/11/2010

Have you checked laalten.com as a better alternative ?

[rainbowblue]

10:41 AM on 06/11/2010

If you have an LCD monitor, it doesn't save energy. The site's feature only works for CRT monitors, and those are horrible things in the first place...

[Wide Stance]

11:24 PM on 06/10/2010

Google is so wishy-washy. They are totally at the mercy of their ad consumers.