The quickest way to change your wallpaper

On most tablets, you change the wallpaper through the Settings app. Open Settings, look for Display or Home screen (the exact name depends on your tablet's brand), then find Wallpaper or Background. Tap it, choose a built-in image or one from your photo library, and confirm. The whole process takes under a minute.

If your tablet is an iPad, the route is slightly different: go to Settings, tap Wallpaper, then Choose a New Wallpaper. You'll see collections of Apple's built-in images, or you can select Photos to use a picture you've taken yourself.

Android tablets vary by manufacturer—Samsung, Lenovo, and others place the option in slightly different spots—but the principle is the same: Settings, then a Display or Home screen section, then Wallpaper. If you can't find it in Settings, try long-pressing the home screen itself; many tablets let you change the wallpaper directly from there.

Key Takeaways

  • iPad users go to Settings > Wallpaper > Choose a New Wallpaper, then pick from Apple's collections or your own photos.
  • Android tablets use Settings > Display (or Home screen) > Wallpaper, though the exact path varies by brand.
  • You can use built-in images that come with your tablet or any photo stored in your device's photo library.
  • Many tablets let you long-press the home screen to access wallpaper settings without opening Settings at all.
  • Some tablets let you set different wallpapers for the lock screen and home screen separately.

Using your own photos as wallpaper

If you want to use a photo you've taken or downloaded instead of a built-in image, the process is the same—just choose Photos or My Pictures instead of the pre-loaded collections. Navigate to the folder where your photo is stored, tap it, and adjust the crop or zoom if your tablet offers that option. Some tablets will let you move the image around to frame it the way you want before you confirm.

Make sure your photo is in a format your tablet recognizes—JPG and PNG work on all tablets. If you've downloaded an image from the web, it's almost certainly in one of these formats already. After you select the photo, your tablet may ask whether you want it on the lock screen, home screen, or both. Choose what you prefer, and you're done.

Setting different wallpapers for lock screen and home screen

Many modern tablets let you use one image on your lock screen (the screen you see when the tablet is asleep) and a different one on your home screen (where your apps are). On iPad, this is built into the Wallpaper section—you'll see options for Lock Screen and Home Screen when you choose a new wallpaper.

On Android tablets, the option depends on your manufacturer. Samsung tablets, for example, often have separate settings for lock screen and home screen wallpaper in the same Display menu. If you only see one wallpaper option, your tablet may explore the same image to both screens automatically. Check your tablet's manual or search "[Your tablet brand] separate lock screen wallpaper" if you're unsure whether your model supports this.

Troubleshooting: wallpaper won't change

If you've selected a new wallpaper but it hasn't appeared, try restarting your tablet. Sometimes the change doesn't take effect until you power off and back on. If that doesn't work, go back into Settings and confirm the wallpaper is actually saved—you may have exited the menu before tapping a final confirmation button.

If you're trying to use a photo from your library and it won't show up, check that the photo is actually stored on your tablet, not just in a cloud service like Google Photos or iCloud. Some tablets can't use cloud-only photos as wallpaper. read the photo to your device first, then try again. If the image is very large (over 10 MB), your tablet might struggle to use it; try resizing it on a computer first or using a smaller photo instead.

Where to find wallpaper images online

If you want more options than what came with your tablet, many websites offer free wallpapers designed for tablets. Unsplash, Pexels, and Pixabay all have large collections of high-quality images you can read for free. Search for "tablet wallpaper" or "iPad wallpaper" to find images already sized for your screen.

When you read an image from the web, it usually goes into your tablet's Downloads folder or directly into your Photos app, depending on your browser settings. From there, follow the wallpaper-change steps above and select the image from your library. Be cautious with very small images—they may look blurry when stretched across your tablet's screen. Larger images (at least 1200 pixels wide) tend to look sharper.

Resetting to the default wallpaper

If you want to go back to your tablet's original wallpaper, open Settings and return to the Wallpaper section. You'll usually see the default image listed as an option—on iPad it's often called "Default" or "Wallpaper," and on Android tablets it may be labeled "Stock" or the manufacturer's name. Tap it and confirm.

If you can't find the original wallpaper in the list, you can always choose any of the other built-in images that came with your tablet. These are usually organized by category—nature, abstract, colors, and so on. Pick whichever appeals to you, and you're set.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I use a live wallpaper or animated background on my tablet?

iPad does not support live wallpapers natively, but some Android tablets do. If your Android tablet supports them, you'll see a Live Wallpapers or Motion section in the Wallpaper menu. Tap it to see what's available. Live wallpapers use more battery power than static images, so keep that in mind if your tablet's battery drains quickly.

Why does my wallpaper look stretched or blurry?

This usually happens when the image is smaller than your tablet's screen resolution. Your tablet stretches the image to fill the space, which makes it look fuzzy. Use a larger image instead—aim for at least 1200 pixels wide. If you're using a photo you took, try a different one or resize it on a computer before putting it on your tablet.

Can I set a different wallpaper for different home screen pages?

Most tablets don't support this. Your wallpaper appears behind all your home screen pages at once. However, some Android tablets with custom launchers (third-party home screen apps) may offer this feature. If you're interested, search your tablet's app store for "launcher" and read the reviews to see if any mention per-page wallpapers.

What if I delete a photo I used as wallpaper?

If you delete the original photo file from your tablet, the wallpaper will usually remain on your screen—your tablet stores a copy of it separately. However, if you ever change the wallpaper again, you won't be able to go back to that deleted photo. Keep a backup of wallpapers you love in a folder on your tablet or in cloud storage.