The quickest way to change your home screen photo
Open Settings, tap Display & Brightness, then Wallpaper, then tap "Add a New Wallpaper". Choose Photos, select the image you want, adjust it by pinching and dragging, then tap Set and choose Home Screen. That is the full process — it takes about 30 seconds once you have decided which photo to use.
Your iPhone stores wallpapers separately from your regular photo library, so changing one does not affect the other. You can have different photos on your home screen and lock screen at the same time, or use the same photo for both. The steps are identical whether you are using an iPhone 12, 14, 15, or any recent model.
Key Takeaways
- The Settings app is the only place to change your home screen wallpaper — you cannot do it from the Photos app or by long-pressing an icon.
- You can choose any photo from your library, or use one of Apple's built-in wallpapers that come with your phone.
- Pinching and dragging lets you zoom and position the photo so important details are not hidden behind app icons.
- You can set different wallpapers for your home screen and lock screen, or use the same one for both.
Using a photo from your library
Open the Settings app and scroll down to find Display & Brightness. Tap it, then tap Wallpaper. You will see thumbnails of your current home screen and lock screen wallpapers. Tap "Add a New Wallpaper" at the bottom.
A menu will appear with options including Photos, Live Wallpapers, and Collections. Tap Photos. Your photo library will open, organized by album. You can tap Recent to see your newest photos, or tap an album name like Screenshots or Camera Roll to browse. Select the photo you want by tapping it once.
The photo will appear on your screen with a preview of how it will look on your home screen. You can pinch to zoom in or out, and drag to move the photo around. This is important because app icons sit on top of the wallpaper — if your photo has a face or text you want visible, drag it so those details are not covered. When you are satisfied, tap Set.
A menu will ask where you want to use this wallpaper: Home Screen, Lock Screen, or Both. Tap Home Screen. Your home screen photo will change when ready.
Using Apple's built-in wallpapers
If you do not want to use one of your own photos, Apple includes dozens of wallpapers with your phone. Follow the same first steps: Settings, Display & Brightness, Wallpaper, Add a New Wallpaper. Instead of tapping Photos, tap Collections or Live Wallpapers.
Collections includes categories like Nature, Flowers, Astronomy, and Gradients. Tap any category to see the available options. Live Wallpapers are animated and will move slightly when you unlock your phone — these use more battery than static images. Browse until you find one you like, tap it, then tap Set and choose Home Screen.
Why your photo might look different on your home screen
When you set a wallpaper, app icons and widgets sit on top of it. If you chose a photo with a lot of detail or text, parts of it may be hidden. This is why the preview screen lets you pinch and drag — you can zoom in to make sure the important parts of your photo are visible in the spaces between icons.
If you set a wallpaper and then realize it does not look right, you can change it again using the same steps. There is no limit to how many times you can switch wallpapers, so you can experiment until you find an arrangement that works.
Setting different photos for home screen and lock screen
Your lock screen is what you see when your phone is locked. Your home screen is what appears after you unlock it. You can set them to different photos if you want. Follow the steps above, but when the menu asks where to use the wallpaper, tap Lock Screen instead of Home Screen. Then repeat the process to set a different photo for your home screen.
If you want the same photo on both, you can tap Both when the menu appears, and it will explore to both screens at once. This saves time if you have already found the photo and positioned it the way you want.
Removing a wallpaper you no longer want
If you set a wallpaper and later decide you want to go back to the default, open Settings, tap Display & Brightness, tap Wallpaper, and tap "Add a New Wallpaper". Choose a different wallpaper using the steps above. There is no separate "delete" or "remove" option — you straightforward replace it with something else.
If you want to remove a photo from your library so it does not appear in your wallpaper options, you would delete it from the Photos app instead. That is a separate process and does not affect wallpapers you have already set.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I use a screenshot as my home screen wallpaper?
Yes. Screenshots are stored in your Photos app in the Screenshots album. Follow the same steps: Settings, Display & Brightness, Wallpaper, Add a New Wallpaper, Photos, then tap the Screenshots album and select the screenshot you want.
What if I want to use a photo I just took?
Open the Camera app and take your photo. Then open Settings, Display & Brightness, Wallpaper, Add a New Wallpaper, Photos, and tap Recent. Your newest photo will be at the top. Select it and follow the steps to set it as your home screen wallpaper.
Does changing my wallpaper delete the old one?
No. Wallpapers are stored separately from your photo library. If you set a new wallpaper, the old one is straightforward replaced, but the photo itself remains in your library if you took it or saved it there.
Can I set a video as my home screen wallpaper?
No, but you can set a Live Wallpaper, which is a short animated clip. Tap Collections or Live Wallpapers instead of Photos when you add a new wallpaper. Live Wallpapers use more battery than static photos.
Why does my wallpaper look blurry?
Low-resolution photos may appear blurry when enlarged to fill your screen. If possible, use a high-resolution photo. You can also try zooming out slightly in the preview screen so the photo is not stretched as much.