Most people leave their Chrome new tab page blank without a second thought. Metro 2039 Stranger Live Wallpaper gives it something worth stopping for instead: an animated HD scene of a gas-masked soldier walking through fire and rubble, embers drifting past a ruined skyline in the distance.
It’s a free Chrome extension for anyone who wants their browser to carry a bit of that same scorched, end-of-the-world weight.
Features
Animated Metro 2039 wallpaper. The centerpiece of the extension. Embers drift through the frame, flames flicker behind the figure, nothing about it sits frozen the way a still image would.
HD and 4K quality. Sharp on a laptop screen, sharper still on anything bigger.
A wider dystopian wallpaper gallery. Beyond this scene, the collection includes other post-apocalyptic, ruined-world backgrounds.
Shuffle mode. Flip it on and a new scene loads with every tab, so the page keeps changing instead of sitting on one moment all day.
Custom uploads. Drop in your own image whenever you want a break from the built-in gallery.
A clock, date, and search bar layered over the scene, so the new tab page still does its job.
Quick links to bookmarks, browsing history, and your most visited sites.
A notes and to-do panel for jotting things down without switching tabs.
Weather, shown right on the page.
Offline support. Once a wallpaper’s cached, it loads with no connection needed.
Barely any weight. Chrome opens at the same speed with this running as it did before.
How to Download
- Search for Metro 2039 Stranger Live Wallpaper on the Chrome Web Store.
- Click Add to Chrome.
- Approve the permissions prompt.
- Open a new tab. The scene loads on its own.
No account to set up, no separate app, nothing standing between clicking install and seeing the scene on your next tab.
How to Use
The wallpaper appears the moment you install it. From there:
- Click the gallery icon in the corner of the new tab page.
- Look through the Metro 2039, dystopian, and wider post-apocalyptic categories.
- Pick a scene to set it, or switch on shuffle and let the gallery rotate through the collection on its own.
Prefer your own image instead? Use the upload option in that same panel. Ready to remove the extension? Right-click its icon in the Chrome toolbar and choose Remove from Chrome.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is it free? Yes. Every wallpaper, shuffle mode, and the rest of the gallery come with no cost attached.
Does it slow down my browser? No. Wallpapers cache locally after the first load, so new tabs open at the usual speed.
Can I use it without an internet connection? Yes, once the scene has loaded at least once. From there it’s stored on your device.
What information does it collect? Only what it needs to display a wallpaper on your new tab. No login required, no access to unrelated browsing.
Can I upload my own image? Yes, through the upload option inside the gallery panel.
Is this based on a specific game or movie? No. It’s an original dystopian illustration, not tied to any particular franchise.
Why Fans Keep This One Installed
A lone figure walking through fire and ruin is the kind of scene that needs a little movement to actually feel dangerous rather than staged. Freeze it and it’s just a photo of a costume. Let the embers keep drifting and the flames keep flickering behind him, and it turns into something closer to catching a moment out of a much bigger, much bleaker story.
The rest of the page stays out of the way. No dashboard of widgets crowding the view, no pop-up asking for an email, nothing pulling attention off the scene itself. Just a clock, a search bar, quick links, and a rotating set of dystopian wallpapers doing what a new tab background is supposed to do.
For anyone drawn to that kind of scorched, end-of-the-world atmosphere, that’s the whole appeal.
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