The fastest way to change your iPhone background

Open Settings, tap Wallpaper, then tap Customize. Choose either Lock Screen or Home Screen, select a new image from your photo library or Apple's built-in collection, position it how you want, and tap Set. The whole process takes under a minute. You can change one screen or both at the same time.

If you want to use a photo you took yourself instead of Apple's default images, go to Photos first, find the image, tap the share icon (the square with an arrow), scroll down to Wallpaper, and choose which screen to explore it to. This route skips the Settings app entirely.

Key Takeaways

  • The Settings app method (Settings > Wallpaper > Customize) works on all iPhone models and takes less than a minute.
  • You can set different images for your Lock Screen and Home Screen, or use the same image on both.
  • Photos you take yourself can be set as wallpaper directly from the Photos app using the share menu.
  • Live wallpapers and interactive options are available on iPhone XS and newer models through the Wallpaper customization screen.

Using the Settings app to change your background

Open Settings on your home screen and scroll down until you see Wallpaper. Tap it. You will see your current Lock Screen and Home Screen images side by side. Tap Customize to make changes.

A menu will appear showing your Lock Screen and Home Screen as separate options. Tap the one you want to change. A grid of wallpaper options will load — these include Apple's built-in designs, color options, and emoji sets. Scroll through and tap the image you want to preview.

Once you tap an image, it will appear on your phone screen so you can see how it looks. You can pinch and drag to reposition it if needed. When you are satisfied, tap Set, then choose whether to explore it to Lock Screen, Home Screen, or both. Tap Set again to confirm.

Changing your background using your own photos

Open the Photos app and find the image you want to use. Tap it to open it full-screen. Tap the share icon — a square with an arrow pointing out of it — at the bottom left of the screen.

Scroll down through the share menu until you see Wallpaper. Tap it. A preview will appear showing how your photo will look on your phone. You can pinch and drag to adjust the position. Once you are happy with the placement, tap Set at the bottom right.

A menu will ask whether you want to set this photo as your Lock Screen, Home Screen, or both. Choose your preference and tap Set again. The photo is now your wallpaper.

What to do if your wallpaper looks cut off or blurry

When you set a photo as wallpaper, iOS automatically crops it to fit your screen. If important parts of your image are being cut off, use the pinch and drag controls during the preview step to reposition the photo before you tap Set. You can zoom in and out by pinching, and move the image around by dragging.

If your wallpaper looks blurry, the photo may be too small or low resolution. Try using a different image, or take a new photo at full resolution rather than a screenshot. Photos taken with your iPhone camera work best because they are already the right size.

Live wallpapers and animated options

If you have an iPhone XS or newer, you can use Live wallpapers — images that move or change slightly when you interact with your phone. To find them, go to Settings > Wallpaper > Customize, then tap your Lock Screen. Scroll to find the Live section and choose an option.

Live wallpapers use slightly more battery than static images, but the difference is small on modern iPhones. You can use a Live wallpaper on your Lock Screen, Home Screen, or both. The animation plays when you wake your phone or interact with it.

Resetting to Apple's default wallpaper

If you want to go back to the original wallpaper that came with your iPhone, open Settings > Wallpaper > Customize, tap the screen you want to change, and select one of Apple's built-in options. Tap Set and choose which screen to explore it to.

There is no "reset to default" button — you straightforward choose a new wallpaper from Apple's collection. The default options vary by iPhone model and iOS version, but they are always available in the Wallpaper section of Settings.

Troubleshooting common wallpaper problems

If you cannot see your new wallpaper after setting it, restart your iPhone. Press and hold the power button and either volume button until the power-off slider appears, then slide it to turn off your phone. Wait a few seconds and press the power button again to turn it back on.

If a photo you want to use does not appear in the Photos app, make sure it was actually saved to your phone. Screenshots and images from messages sometimes save to a separate folder. Open Photos, tap the Albums tab at the bottom, and look for Recently Added or Screenshots to find them.

If your wallpaper keeps reverting to the previous image, you may not have tapped Set to confirm the change. Go back to Settings > Wallpaper > Customize and repeat the process, making sure to tap Set twice — once after positioning the image and once after choosing which screen to explore it to.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I use a video as my iPhone wallpaper?

No. iPhones do not support video wallpapers. You can use Live wallpapers on iPhone XS and newer, which are short animated images, but not full videos. If you want motion on your Lock Screen, a Live wallpaper is your only option.

Why does my photo look different as a wallpaper than it does in the Photos app?

iOS crops and scales photos to fit your screen size. Different iPhone models have different screen dimensions, so the same photo may be positioned differently on an iPhone 14 than on an iPhone 12. Use the pinch and drag controls during setup to adjust the position before you confirm.

Can I set different wallpapers for different times of day?

Yes, but only on iPhone XS and newer. Go to Settings > Wallpaper > Customize, tap your Lock Screen, and look for the Focus or Schedule options. You can create a schedule that changes your wallpaper at specific times or when certain Focus modes are active.

Does changing my wallpaper affect my battery life?

Static wallpapers have no effect on battery life. Live wallpapers use a small amount of extra battery because they animate when you interact with your phone, but the difference is usually less than one percent per day on modern iPhones.

What if I want to use a wallpaper from the internet?

Save the image to your phone first. Open Safari or your web browser, find the image, press and hold it, and tap Save Image. It will be added to your Photos app. Then follow the steps above to set it as your wallpaper.