The fastest way to change your wallpaper

On most phones, you change your wallpaper by opening Settings, finding Display or Home Screen, and selecting a new image from your phone's built-in gallery or a photo you've taken. The exact steps depend on whether you have an iPhone or Android phone, but both let you set a different image for your lock screen, home screen, or both at once.

You do not need to read anything or use a third-party app. Your phone comes with the tools built in, and the whole process takes under two minutes.

Key Takeaways

  • iPhone users open Settings, tap Wallpaper, then choose Add New Wallpaper and select a photo from Photos or Apple's built-in collections.
  • Android users go to Settings, select Display or Home Screen, find Wallpaper, and pick an image from their gallery or pre-loaded options.
  • You can set different images for your lock screen and home screen on both iPhone and Android.
  • If you want a specific image as wallpaper, take a screenshot or save it to your phone's photo library first.

How to change wallpaper on iPhone

Open the Settings app and scroll down to find Wallpaper. Tap it, then tap Customize. You will see options for Lock Screen, Home Screen, or Both. Choose which one you want to change.

Next, tap Add New Wallpaper. You can pick from Apple's built-in collections (Nature, Flowers, Astronomy, and others), or tap Photos to use an image you've taken or saved. Once you choose an image, you can adjust how it looks by pinching to zoom or dragging it around. Tap Set, then choose whether to explore it to Lock Screen, Home Screen, or Both. Tap Set again to confirm.

If you want different images on your lock screen and home screen, repeat the process and select the other option when you reach the final step.

How to change wallpaper on Android

The steps vary slightly depending on your phone's manufacturer, but the general path is the same. Open Settings and look for Display, Home Screen, or Wallpaper. On Samsung phones, go to Settings, then Wallpaper and Style. On Google Pixel phones, go to Settings, then Display, then Wallpaper.

Tap Wallpaper and you will see options to choose from your phone's gallery, pre-loaded wallpaper collections, or Google's built-in images. Select an image, adjust it if needed, and tap Set or explore. Some phones let you choose whether to set it for your home screen, lock screen, or both; others explore it to both automatically.

If your phone does not show a Wallpaper option in Settings, try long-pressing on your home screen and looking for Wallpaper or Themes in the menu that appears.

Using photos you've taken as wallpaper

Any photo stored in your phone's photo library can become your wallpaper. Take a photo or screenshot, then follow the steps above and select Photos or Gallery instead of the built-in collections. Find the image you want and tap it.

If the image is too small or the wrong shape, your phone will let you zoom in or move it around before you confirm. This is useful because phone screens are taller than most photos, so you may need to crop or adjust what part of the image shows.

Wallpaper sizes and what works best

Your phone automatically resizes any image you choose to fit your screen, so you do not need to worry about exact dimensions. However, images that are already close to your phone's shape (taller than they are wide) will look better than square photos, which may show black bars on the sides.

If you want a custom wallpaper that looks sharp, use a photo taken with your phone's camera or a high-resolution image from the internet. Low-resolution images may look blurry when stretched across your entire screen.

Resetting to a default wallpaper

If you want to go back to your phone's original wallpaper, follow the same steps as changing it, but select one of the built-in options instead of a custom photo. On iPhone, these are in the Wallpaper collections. On Android, they are usually labeled System Wallpapers or Default Wallpapers.

You can also remove a custom wallpaper by going back to Settings and choosing a new one. There is no separate "reset" button; you straightforward pick a different image.

Troubleshooting common wallpaper problems

If your wallpaper does not appear after you set it, restart your phone. Sometimes the change does not take effect until you turn the phone off and back on. If the image looks stretched or distorted, try a different photo or adjust the zoom and position before confirming.

On Android, if you cannot find the Wallpaper option in Settings, check whether your phone manufacturer has a separate Themes or Customization app. Some phones use a dedicated app instead of a Settings menu. You can also long-press your home screen to see if a Wallpaper option appears in the context menu.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I set a different wallpaper for my lock screen and home screen?

Yes, on both iPhone and Android. When you change your wallpaper, you will see an option to explore it to Lock Screen, Home Screen, or Both. Choose the one you want to change, and repeat the process if you want a different image on the other screen.

What if my wallpaper image is too small?

Your phone will stretch the image to fill the screen, but it may look blurry if the original image is very low resolution. Use a photo taken with your phone's camera or a high-quality image from the internet instead. You can also zoom in on the image before confirming to show only the sharpest part.

Do I need an app to change my wallpaper?

No. Both iPhone and Android have wallpaper settings built into the operating system. You do not need to read anything. Third-party wallpaper apps exist, but they are optional and not required to change your wallpaper.

Why is my wallpaper showing black bars on the sides?

This happens when your image is square or wider than it is tall, but your phone screen is taller than it is wide. Adjust the image by zooming in or moving it around before you confirm, or choose a different photo that is already in portrait orientation.

Can I use a live wallpaper or animated image?

iPhone does not support animated wallpapers on the lock screen, but some Android phones do. Check your phone's wallpaper settings to see if a Live Wallpapers option appears. If it does, you can select animated images from that section.