The fastest way to change your iPhone background

Open Settings, tap Wallpaper, then tap Add New Wallpaper. Choose where you want the new background: Home Screen, Lock Screen, or Both. Pick a photo from your library, a built-in wallpaper, or a photo you took yourself. Adjust the size and position with your fingers, then tap Add at the bottom right. A menu will ask you to confirm which screen gets the new background — tap your choice and you're done.

The whole process takes about 30 seconds. You can change your home screen background separately from your lock screen background, or set the same image for both at once.

Key Takeaways

  • Settings > Wallpaper > Add New Wallpaper is the standard path on all iPhone models running iOS 16 or later.
  • You can use photos from your Camera Roll, built-in Apple wallpapers, or photos you've taken yourself.
  • Home screen and lock screen backgrounds are separate — you can change one without touching the other.
  • After you pick a photo, you can pinch and drag to reposition it before confirming the change.
  • On older iPhones running iOS 15 or earlier, the path is Settings > Wallpaper > Choose a New Wallpaper.

Using a photo from your Camera Roll

Open Settings, tap Wallpaper, then tap Add New Wallpaper. Tap Photos at the bottom of the screen. Your Camera Roll will open. Scroll through and tap the photo you want to use as your background.

Once you've selected a photo, the screen will show a preview of how it will look on your home screen. You can pinch with two fingers to zoom in or out, and drag the image around to frame it the way you want. The area you see in the preview is what will actually show on your screen — the parts outside the preview box will be cropped out. Tap Add when you're happy with the framing.

A menu will appear asking whether you want this photo on your Home Screen, Lock Screen, or Both. Tap your choice. If you chose Both, the same photo will appear on both screens. If you chose one screen, your other screen keeps its current background.

Choosing from Apple's built-in wallpapers

Open Settings, tap Wallpaper, then tap Add New Wallpaper. Instead of tapping Photos, tap one of the category names — Collections, Nature, Astronomy, Flowers, or Solid Colors, depending on what your iPhone offers. Scroll through the options and tap the one you want.

A preview will appear showing how the wallpaper looks on your home screen. Some built-in wallpapers have animation or depth effects — you'll see a small icon in the corner if yours does. Tap Add to confirm, then choose whether it goes on your Home Screen, Lock Screen, or Both.

Built-in wallpapers are stored on your phone, so they don't use any of your photo storage space. You can change them as often as you want without any limit.

Setting different backgrounds for home and lock screens

Your home screen background and lock screen background are completely separate. You can have a photo on your home screen and a solid color on your lock screen, or vice versa. To set them differently, change one screen first, then go back to Settings > Wallpaper > Add New Wallpaper and change the other.

When you tap Add New Wallpaper the second time, you'll see the menu asking which screen gets the new background. Make sure you tap the screen you haven't changed yet. If you accidentally tap Both, it will replace both backgrounds with the new image.

You can also create a custom lock screen with widgets and a different time display — that's a separate feature from just changing the background image. If you want to customize your lock screen beyond just the background, long-press on your lock screen itself (not in Settings) and tap Customize.

What to do if your photo looks cropped or zoomed wrong

When you select a photo, the preview shows you exactly what will be visible on your screen. If the framing looks wrong, use your fingers to adjust it before you tap Add. Pinch inward to zoom out and see more of the photo, or pinch outward to zoom in. Drag the image around to move it left, right, up, or down.

The home screen and lock screen have different shapes and sizes, so a photo that looks good on one might look cropped on the other. If you're setting the same photo on both screens, the app will show you a preview for each one. You can adjust the framing separately for each screen before you confirm.

If you've already set a background and it doesn't look right, just go back to Settings > Wallpaper and tap the current wallpaper to edit it. You can reposition the image without changing which photo you're using.

Older iPhones running iOS 15 or earlier

If your iPhone is running iOS 15 or an earlier version, the path is slightly different. Open Settings, tap Wallpaper, then tap Choose a New Wallpaper (instead of Add New Wallpaper). The rest of the process is the same — pick your photo or built-in wallpaper, adjust the framing, and confirm which screen gets the new background.

You can check which iOS version you're running by opening Settings, tapping General, then tapping About. Look for the line that says Software Version. If it says 16.0 or higher, use the Add New Wallpaper path. If it says 15.7 or lower, use Choose a New Wallpaper.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I use a live photo as my home screen background?

Live Photos don't work as home screen backgrounds — the animation won't play. You can use a Live Photo as your lock screen background on newer iPhones, and the animation will play when you press and hold the lock screen. For your home screen, stick to regular photos or built-in wallpapers.

What if I want to go back to the default Apple wallpaper?

Open Settings, tap Wallpaper, tap Add New Wallpaper, then tap Collections or another category. Choose any of the built-in Apple wallpapers. You can also tap the current wallpaper in Settings > Wallpaper to see what it is and change it from there.

Does changing my background use up storage space?

No. Your iPhone stores only one copy of each photo, whether or not you're using it as a background. Changing your background doesn't create a copy or use extra space. Built-in Apple wallpapers are already on your phone and take up no additional space.

Can I set a different background for each home screen page?

No. Your home screen background is the same across all pages. You can only have one background image for your entire home screen. The lock screen background is separate and can be different from the home screen.

Why does my photo look different on the home screen than in the preview?

App icons and widgets sit on top of your home screen background, so parts of the image get covered. The preview shows you what will be visible, but once you add apps or widgets, more of the background may be hidden. If you want to see more of your photo, try moving the icons and widgets around, or choose a simpler image with less detail in the corners.