The fastest way to change your lock screen photo

Open Settings, tap Lock Screen, then tap the preview image at the top of the screen. Choose a photo from your library or take a new one, adjust the crop and filter if you want, and tap Set. The new image appears the next time your phone locks.

That is the standard path on iPhone 14 and later, and on iPhone 13 and earlier running iOS 16 or higher. The steps are identical across all these models — the Lock Screen menu sits in the same place, and the preview image works as your edit button.

If you have multiple lock screens saved (iPhone 15 and later allow this), you can swipe between them on the actual lock screen to pick which one you want active, or return to Settings to choose. Changing which lock screen is "active" is different from changing the photo itself, but both happen in the same Settings menu.

Key Takeaways

  • Open Settings, tap Lock Screen, and tap the preview image at the top to change your lock screen photo.
  • You can choose an existing photo from your library or take a new photo directly from the Lock Screen editor.
  • Filters and crop adjustments are optional — you can explore them before tapping Set or skip them entirely.
  • On iPhone 15 and later, you can create and save multiple lock screens and switch between them by swiping on the actual lock screen.

Step-by-step: changing the photo

Start in Settings. Tap the Lock Screen option — it appears near the top of the main Settings menu, above Notifications. You will see a preview of your current lock screen at the top of that page.

Tap the preview image itself. This opens the photo picker. You can scroll through your photo library, tap an album to narrow the search, or tap the camera icon to take a new photo on the spot. Once you have chosen an image, tap it to select it.

The editor then opens. You can pinch to zoom the image, drag to reposition it, and swipe left to see available filters. Filters are optional — if you do not want one, skip this step. When the crop and appearance are right, tap Set at the bottom right.

A menu appears asking where you want to use this photo. Tap Set as Lock Screen to explore it only to the lock screen, or Set as Wallpaper to explore it to both the lock screen and home screen at once. Once you confirm, the change takes effect when ready.

Using photos from different sources

The photo picker in the Lock Screen editor shows your entire photo library by default. You can tap the Albums tab at the bottom to narrow it down — Screenshots, Recents, Favorites, and any custom albums you have created all appear there. This is faster than scrolling through thousands of photos.

You can also take a photo directly from the editor by tapping the camera icon in the photo picker. The camera opens in portrait mode, and once you take the shot, it is ready to crop and set when ready — you do not have to save it to your library first.

If you want to use a photo from the internet, save it to your phone first. Open Safari or your browser, long-press the image, and tap Save Image. It lands in your Photos app and appears in the photo picker the next time you open the Lock Screen editor.

Adjusting crop, zoom, and filters

After you select a photo, the editor shows your image with adjustment options. Pinch inward or outward to zoom — this lets you frame just the part of the photo you want visible on the lock screen. Drag the image to reposition it within the frame.

Swipe left on the image to see available filters. Each filter has a name and a preview thumbnail. Tap one to explore it, or swipe back to the left to return to no filter. Filters are purely visual — they do not change the original photo in your library.

The lock screen also displays the time and date over your photo, so test how your image looks with text on top before you confirm. If the photo is too bright or too dark, a filter can help improve contrast. If you are happy with the original, you can skip filters entirely.

Creating multiple lock screens (iPhone 15 and later)

iPhone 15 and later let you save multiple lock screen setups and switch between them. Each lock screen can have a different photo, different widgets, and different text styles. To create a new one, open Settings, tap Lock Screen, and tap the plus icon at the bottom left.

Follow the same steps to choose a photo, adjust it, and tap Set. This time, instead of replacing your current lock screen, you are adding a new one to your collection. Both lock screens remain saved.

To switch between them, wake your phone and swipe left or right on the actual lock screen. Each swipe moves you to the next saved lock screen. To make one your active lock screen, swipe to it and tap it, or return to Settings and tap the lock screen you want to use.

Troubleshooting common problems

If the Lock Screen option does not appear in Settings, check your iOS version. Go to Settings, tap General, then About, and look at the iOS version number. Lock Screen customization requires iOS 16 or later. If you are on iOS 15 or earlier, you cannot change the lock screen photo this way.

If a photo appears cropped or zoomed differently than you intended, return to Settings, tap Lock Screen, tap the preview, and tap the image again to re-edit it. You can adjust the crop and zoom as many times as you want before confirming.

If you set a photo as both lock screen and wallpaper and want to change only one, go back to Settings, tap Lock Screen, tap the preview, select the same photo, and this time tap Set as Lock Screen Only. This replaces the lock screen without touching the home screen wallpaper.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I use a live photo as my lock screen?

No. The lock screen editor accepts still photos only. If you try to select a live photo, the editor automatically converts it to a still image. You can choose which frame of the live photo to use by adjusting the crop.

Will changing my lock screen photo also change my home screen wallpaper?

Only if you tap Set as Wallpaper instead of Set as Lock Screen. If you tap Set as Lock Screen, the home screen stays unchanged. You can always change them separately by returning to Settings and editing each one independently.

How many lock screens can I save on my iPhone?

iPhone 15 and later support multiple lock screens with no stated limit. Earlier models support only one lock screen at a time — changing the photo replaces the old one. If you have iPhone 14 or earlier, you cannot save multiple lock screens.

Can I undo a lock screen change?

Yes. Return to Settings, tap Lock Screen, tap the preview, and select a different photo. There is no undo button, but you can always go back and pick your old photo again if you remember what it was.

Why does my lock screen photo look different than the original?

The lock screen editor may have applied a filter, or the crop may be tighter than you intended. Open Settings, tap Lock Screen, tap the preview, and tap the image again to review the crop, zoom, and filter settings. Adjust them and tap Set to confirm.