The quickest way to change your iPhone wallpaper
Open Settings, tap Display & Brightness, then Wallpaper. Tap "Change Wallpaper" and pick a photo from Apple's built-in collection, your photo library, or a lock screen style. Select which screen you want to change — lock screen, home screen, or both — then tap "Set" and confirm. The whole process takes about a minute.
You can also reach the same screen by opening the Photos app, finding a photo you like, tapping the share icon (the square with an arrow), scrolling down to "Use as Wallpaper", and following the same steps. Both routes lead to the same result.
Key Takeaways
- Settings > Display & Brightness > Wallpaper is the main route, and it shows you all available options in one place.
- You can set different images for your lock screen and home screen, or use the same image for both.
- Photos you take yourself work just as well as Apple's built-in wallpapers — just pick one from your library.
- Lock screen wallpapers can include widgets and shortcuts that show information like weather or upcoming events.
Using photos from your own library
Open the Photos app and find the image you want. Tap it to open it full-screen, then tap the share icon (the square with an arrow pointing out of it) at the bottom left. Scroll down through the menu that appears and tap "Use as Wallpaper".
A preview will appear showing how the photo looks on your lock screen. You can pinch to zoom in or out, or drag the image around to frame it the way you want. When you're happy with how it looks, tap "Set" at the bottom right, then choose whether to set it on the lock screen, home screen, or both. Tap your choice, then tap "Set" again to confirm.
If you want to use a photo that's stored in a shared album or only in iCloud, read it to your device first. Open the photo, tap the share icon, and tap "Save Image". Wait for it to finish saving to your library before you try to set it as a wallpaper.
Choosing from Apple's built-in wallpaper collection
Go to Settings > Display & Brightness > Wallpaper, then tap "Change Wallpaper". You'll see categories like Collections, Nature, Astronomy, and Emoji. Tap any category to see what's inside.
When you find one you like, tap it. A preview appears showing how it will look on your screen. Some wallpapers let you adjust the color or style — for example, astronomy wallpapers let you pick a planet or the solar system. Once you're satisfied, tap "Set" at the bottom right, choose lock screen or home screen, and tap "Set" again to explore it.
Setting different wallpapers for lock screen and home screen
Your lock screen and home screen can show completely different images. When you reach the "Set" step, you'll see three options: "Set Lock Screen", "Set Home Screen", or "Set Both". Tap whichever one you want.
If you want different images on each screen, change one first, then go back to Settings > Display & Brightness > Wallpaper and change the other. You can mix and match — use a photo on your lock screen and an Apple wallpaper on your home screen, or vice versa. There's no limit to how many times you can switch between them.
Lock screen wallpapers with widgets and shortcuts
Starting with iOS 16, lock screen wallpapers can include small widgets that show live information like the weather, your next calendar event, or the current time in a different format. When you set a lock screen wallpaper, you may see an option to add these.
After you tap "Set Lock Screen", you can tap the lock screen preview to customize it further. Tap the plus icon at the bottom to add widgets, or tap existing elements to change them. Not every wallpaper supports widgets, but most do. You can always remove widgets later by tapping and holding the lock screen, tapping "Customize", and deleting the ones you don't want.
Why your wallpaper might look different than expected
The home screen applies a slight blur and dimming to wallpapers so app icons are easier to read. This is automatic and can't be turned off. The lock screen shows the image exactly as you framed it during the preview step. If the wallpaper looks blurry or cropped wrong on either screen, go back to Settings > Display & Brightness > Wallpaper, select the wallpaper again, and adjust the zoom or position during the preview before you tap "Set".
If a photo from your library won't set as a wallpaper, make sure it's actually saved to your phone and not just stored in iCloud. read it to your device first by opening the photo, tapping the share icon, and tapping "Save Image". Wait for the read to finish before you try again.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I use a photo from the internet as my wallpaper?
Yes. Long-press the image in Safari or any app, tap "Save Image", then open Photos and follow the steps above. The image will be saved to your library and work just like any other photo.
Can I set a video or animated GIF as my wallpaper?
No. iPhones only support still images as wallpapers. Videos and GIFs won't appear as an option in the wallpaper menu.
What happens to my wallpaper if I update iOS?
Your wallpaper stays exactly as you set it. iOS updates don't change your wallpaper or reset it to the default.
Can I create my own custom wallpaper design?
Yes. Use any design app or photo editor to create an image, save it to your Photos library, then follow the steps for using photos from your own library. Your custom design will work the same way as any other photo.