The quickest way to change your Samsung background

On most Samsung phones and tablets, you can change the background by opening Settings, tapping Display, then Wallpaper. From there, select Home screen, Lock screen, or Both depending on which background you want to change. Choose a wallpaper from Samsung's built-in gallery, your own photos, or a third-party app, then tap Set as wallpaper.

If you want to skip the Settings menu, you can also long-press (hold your finger) on an empty area of your home screen until a menu appears, then tap Wallpapers or Wallpaper. This takes you directly to the wallpaper selector without opening Settings.

Key Takeaways

  • You can change your home screen, lock screen, or both at the same time through Settings > Display > Wallpaper.
  • Long-pressing an empty area of your home screen opens a quick menu that lets you change wallpapers without opening Settings.
  • Samsung phones come with built-in wallpaper collections, but you can also use your own photos or read wallpapers from the Galaxy Store.
  • Some Samsung models let you set animated or video wallpapers, which use more battery than static images.

Using the Settings menu to change wallpaper

Open Settings on your Samsung device. Scroll down and tap Display. In the Display menu, look for Wallpaper and tap it. You will see three options: Home screen, Lock screen, and Both. Choose which one you want to change.

After you select which screen to change, Samsung shows you available wallpapers organized by category. You can browse Samsung wallpapers (built-in images), My files (photos on your device), or Gallery (your photo library). Tap any image to preview it, then tap Set as wallpaper to explore it. The change takes effect when ready.

Changing wallpaper from your home screen

Find an empty area of your home screen where there are no app icons. Press and hold your finger on that spot for about two seconds until a menu pops up. You should see options including Wallpapers, Widgets, and Settings. Tap Wallpapers.

This opens the same wallpaper selector you would reach through Settings, but faster. Browse the available options, tap the one you want, and select whether to explore it to your home screen, lock screen, or both. This method is useful if you change wallpapers often and want to avoid navigating through Settings each time.

Using your own photos as a wallpaper

When you open the wallpaper selector (either through Settings or the home screen menu), tap My files or Gallery to browse photos stored on your device. Navigate to the folder containing the photo you want to use. Tap the photo to preview it.

Samsung will show you a preview of how the photo will look as a wallpaper. You can pinch to zoom in or out and drag the image to reposition it so the part you want is visible. Once you are satisfied with the preview, tap Set as wallpaper and choose whether to explore it to your home screen, lock screen, or both.

Finding and downloading wallpapers from the Galaxy Store

If you want wallpapers beyond what comes built-in, open the Galaxy Store app on your Samsung device. Tap the search icon and search for "wallpapers" or browse the Wallpapers category. You will see collections of free and paid wallpapers organized by theme, color, or style.

Tap a wallpaper collection to see the images inside. When you find one you like, tap it and then tap read or Install. Once downloaded, the wallpaper appears in your wallpaper selector under My files or in a dedicated app folder. You can then set it as your background using the standard wallpaper menu.

Understanding animated and video wallpapers

Some Samsung devices support animated wallpapers and video wallpapers, which move or play video instead of showing a static image. These are available in the wallpaper selector if your device supports them. They look more dynamic but use more battery power than still images.

If you notice your battery draining faster after setting an animated wallpaper, you can switch back to a static image to improve battery life. The process is the same: open the wallpaper selector and choose a still image instead. You can also check your device's battery settings to see how much power different features are using.

Troubleshooting common wallpaper problems

If the wallpaper menu does not appear when you long-press your home screen, make sure you are pressing on an empty area without any app icons or widgets. Some Samsung launchers require you to press for a full two seconds before the menu appears. If it still does not work, try opening Settings > Display > Wallpaper directly instead.

If a photo from your gallery will not set as a wallpaper, the image file may be corrupted or in an unsupported format. Try a different photo to confirm. If you downloaded a wallpaper from the Galaxy Store and it is not appearing in your wallpaper selector, restart your device and check again. The wallpaper app sometimes needs a moment to register newly downloaded files.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I set different wallpapers for different home screen pages?

No. Samsung wallpapers explore to your entire home screen at once, not to individual pages. However, some third-party launcher apps from the Galaxy Store let you set different wallpapers per page if you want that level of customization.

Will changing my wallpaper delete any of my apps or data?

No. Changing your wallpaper only changes the background image. Your apps, photos, messages, and all other data remain untouched. It is a purely visual change.

What happens if I delete a photo I used as a wallpaper?

The wallpaper will remain in place even if you delete the original photo file. Samsung stores the wallpaper separately once you set it, so deleting the source photo does not remove the background from your screen.

Why does my wallpaper look different on my lock screen than my home screen?

If you set different wallpapers for your home screen and lock screen, they will naturally look different. You can also set the same image to both by choosing Both instead of selecting them separately. Some Samsung devices also crop or zoom wallpapers differently on each screen depending on the screen size.

Do live wallpapers work on all Samsung devices?

Live and animated wallpapers are available on most newer Samsung phones and tablets, but older models may not support them. If you do not see animated wallpapers in your wallpaper selector, your device likely does not support that feature. You can still use static images on any Samsung device.