# Matplotlib backends
You can use matplotlib to display figures in many different environments, from the Python shell, to windows that pop up, to files, Jupyter notebooks, GUI applications...
To support each case, matplotlib uses different "backends". Those are the pieces of code that do the work of displaying your charts in the appropriate place.
So when we or the official documentation talk about backends, they refer to this code that is in charge of displaying your charts.
For more information, I recommend checking out the official documentation[1] which has a very detailed description, as well as information on how to change your backend.
However, we won't need to change our backend here. You only might have to change it if you use Jupyter notebooks or Tkinter applications, for example!