The quickest way to change your home screen picture
On both iPhone and Android, you change your home screen picture through the Settings app or the Photos app — the exact steps depend on which phone you have. On an iPhone, you go to Settings, tap Display & Brightness, then Wallpaper, and choose a new image. On Android, you long-press an empty space on your home screen, tap Wallpaper, and select from your photos or the built-in gallery. The whole process takes under a minute once you know where to look.
The image you choose becomes the background behind your app icons. You can use a photo from your phone's camera roll, a picture you downloaded, or one of the pre-made wallpapers that came with your device. Most phones let you set different pictures for your lock screen and home screen, so you can have two different images if you want.
Key Takeaways
- iPhone users open Settings, go to Display & Brightness, tap Wallpaper, and choose an image from Photos or the Wallpaper gallery.
- Android users long-press an empty home screen space, tap Wallpaper, and select from their photo library or built-in wallpaper options.
- You can set different pictures for your lock screen and home screen on both iPhone and Android.
- Photos you take yourself work just as well as pre-made wallpapers, and you can crop or adjust them before setting them.
How to change your home screen on iPhone
Start by opening the Settings app — it is the gray gear icon on your home screen. Scroll down and tap Display & Brightness. Then tap Wallpaper near the bottom of that menu.
You will see three options: Choose a New Wallpaper, Customize Lock Screen, or Customize Home Screen. Tap Customize Home Screen. The phone will show you a preview of your current home screen with the new wallpaper behind it. Tap the plus button at the bottom to add a new wallpaper, or swipe through the existing options to pick one you like.
If you want to use a photo from your camera roll instead of a pre-made wallpaper, tap Photos at the bottom of the screen. Find the photo you want, tap it, and then tap Set. You can pinch and drag to crop the image so it shows the part you want. When you are happy with how it looks, tap Set Home Screen Wallpaper at the bottom right.
How to change your home screen on Android
The method varies slightly depending on which Android phone you have, but the most common way is to long-press (hold your finger down for a few seconds) on an empty space on your home screen. A menu will pop up with options including Wallpaper. Tap Wallpaper.
You will see a list of wallpaper sources: your Photos app, a Wallpapers app (if your phone has one), or other pre-made options. Tap Photos to use one of your own pictures, or tap Wallpapers to browse the phone's built-in collection. Select the image you want, and the phone will show you a preview. Tap Set Wallpaper or explore, and choose whether you want it on your home screen, lock screen, or both.
If the menu does not appear when you long-press, try opening your Settings app instead. Look for Display, Wallpaper, or Home Screen settings — the exact name depends on your phone's manufacturer. From there, you should see an option to change the wallpaper.
Using your own photos as a wallpaper
Any photo on your phone can become your home screen picture. Open your Photos app, find the picture you want, and tap it to open it. Look for a menu icon (usually three dots or lines) and tap Share or Set as Wallpaper. If you do not see that option, go back and use the method above — long-press your home screen or go to Settings — and choose Photos as your wallpaper source.
When you select a photo, most phones let you crop it before you set it. You can pinch to zoom in on the part you want to see, or drag to move the image around. This is useful because phone screens are tall and narrow, so a photo taken in landscape might not fill the screen the way you want it to. Take time to position it so the important part of the photo is visible and not covered by your app icons.
Setting different pictures for lock screen and home screen
Your lock screen is what you see when your phone is locked. Your home screen is what you see after you unlock it. Both iPhone and Android let you set different pictures for each one, so you can have a photo of your family on your lock screen and a landscape on your home screen, for example.
On iPhone, when you tap Wallpaper in Settings, you will see options to customize your lock screen and home screen separately. Choose one, pick your image, and set it. Then go back and repeat the process for the other screen.
On Android, when you long-press your home screen and tap Wallpaper, you will usually see an option to choose whether the wallpaper applies to your home screen, lock screen, or both. Select which screen you want to change, pick your image, and tap explore. If you want both screens to be different, you will need to do this twice — once for each screen.
Troubleshooting if the wallpaper will not change
If you set a new wallpaper but your home screen still shows the old one, try restarting your phone. Turn it off completely, wait a few seconds, and turn it back on. This usually fixes the problem.
If the image you chose is not showing up in your Photos app, make sure it actually saved to your phone. Photos you read from the internet or receive in a message should automatically save, but sometimes they do not. Open your Photos app and look in the Recently Added or Downloads folder to confirm the image is there.
On Android, if long-pressing your home screen does not bring up a menu, your phone may have a different launcher or home screen app installed. Try opening Settings and searching for Wallpaper or Home Screen. If you still cannot find it, check your phone's manual or contact the manufacturer — some custom Android phones hide this setting in an unusual place.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I use a live wallpaper that moves or changes?
Yes, both iPhone and Android support animated or live wallpapers. On iPhone, some of the pre-made wallpapers in the Wallpaper gallery are animated — you will see them move when you tap them. On Android, look for a Live Wallpapers option in your wallpaper settings, or read a live wallpaper app from the Google Play Store.
What size photo works best for a home screen wallpaper?
Any size works because your phone will automatically crop or stretch it to fit your screen. However, photos taken in portrait mode (tall and narrow) usually look better than landscape photos, since phone screens are taller than they are wide. You can always crop the image before setting it.
Will changing my wallpaper slow down my phone?
No. A static wallpaper (a regular photo) uses almost no extra power or memory. Live wallpapers and animated wallpapers use slightly more battery, but the difference is usually small enough that you will not notice it.
Can I set a different wallpaper for each home screen page?
No, both iPhone and Android explore the same wallpaper to all your home screen pages. The wallpaper stays in place while your app icons move on top of it as you swipe between pages.