The quickest way to change your iPhone background

Open Settings, tap Wallpaper, then tap Customize. Choose either Lock Screen or Home Screen, select a category (like Dynamic, Stills, or Collections), pick an image, and tap Set. You can set different backgrounds for each screen, or use the same one for both.

The whole process takes about 30 seconds. You do not need to download anything or use a computer — everything is built into iOS and works on any iPhone model running iOS 16 or newer.

Key Takeaways

  • You can set different backgrounds for your Lock Screen and Home Screen separately, or use the same image for both.
  • iPhone comes with built-in wallpaper collections (Dynamic, Stills, Collections) that you can browse and apply without downloading anything.
  • You can also use your own photos from the Photos app as a background by selecting them during the customization process.
  • After you set a background, you can adjust its appearance with filters and color effects before confirming the change.

Setting a background from iPhone's built-in wallpapers

Open the Settings app and scroll down to find Wallpaper. Tap it, then tap Customize. You will see two options: Lock Screen and Home Screen. Tap whichever one you want to change first.

A menu will appear showing wallpaper categories. Dynamic wallpapers move slightly and use more battery; Stills are static images. Collections groups themes together — Weather, Nature, Astronomy, and others. Browse through any category by swiping left and right, then tap the image you want.

After you select an image, you can adjust it using the tools at the bottom of the screen. You can add color filters, change the style, or adjust brightness. When you are happy with it, tap Set and choose whether to apply it to Lock Screen only, Home Screen only, or both.

Using your own photos as a background

To use a photo from your camera roll, open Settings, tap Wallpaper, then tap Customize. Choose Lock Screen or Home Screen. Instead of picking a category, tap Photos at the bottom of the screen.

Your photo library will open. Select any photo you want, then adjust its position and zoom by pinching and dragging. You can also add color overlays or filters before tapping Set. If the photo is too small or the wrong shape, iOS will stretch or crop it to fit your screen.

One limitation: photos used as Lock Screen backgrounds will be dimmed slightly so the time and notifications remain readable. Home Screen backgrounds stay at full brightness.

Changing your Lock Screen and Home Screen separately

iOS lets you have completely different backgrounds on your Lock Screen and Home Screen. Go through the process twice — once selecting Customize and choosing Lock Screen, then again choosing Home Screen.

This is useful if you want a detailed photo on your Home Screen but a simpler, cleaner look on your Lock Screen where the time and date need to stand out. You can also use a Dynamic wallpaper on one screen and a still photo on the other.

What to do if your background looks wrong

If your background appears cropped, zoomed, or positioned oddly, open Settings, tap Wallpaper, tap Customize, and select the background again. Use the pinch and drag controls to reposition the image before tapping Set.

If your Home Screen icons are hard to read over your background, try adding a color filter or choosing a darker wallpaper. Lock Screen backgrounds are automatically dimmed, but Home Screen backgrounds are not — so a very bright or detailed photo might make your app names difficult to see.

If you want to go back to the default Apple wallpaper, follow the same steps and choose one of the built-in options instead of a custom photo.

Wallpaper options that use more or less battery

Dynamic wallpapers animate slightly and refresh throughout the day. They use more battery than static images, but the difference is usually small — a few percent per day on most iPhones. If battery life is a concern, choose a Still wallpaper instead.

Live wallpapers (which animate when you press and hold your Lock Screen) also use slightly more battery than static images. Collections like Weather update periodically, which requires a small amount of background activity. For the lowest battery impact, use a Still wallpaper with no animations or live effects.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I use a video as my iPhone background?

No, iPhone backgrounds must be still images or animated wallpapers from Apple's built-in collections. You cannot use video files as a wallpaper, but you can use Live Photos (short video clips taken with your iPhone camera) on your Lock Screen if you have iOS 17 or newer.

Why does my background look different on my Lock Screen than in the preview?

Lock Screen backgrounds are automatically dimmed so the time, date, and notifications remain readable. This dimming does not happen on your Home Screen. If you want the background to look brighter, choose a lighter image or add a lighter color filter before setting it.

Can I schedule my background to change at different times of day?

No, iOS does not have a built-in scheduling feature for wallpapers. You can set different backgrounds for Lock Screen and Home Screen, but they will not change automatically based on time. Some Dynamic wallpapers do change appearance throughout the day, but you cannot create a custom schedule.

What happens to my background if I update iOS?

Your custom backgrounds will stay in place after an iOS update. If you are using a built-in Apple wallpaper, it will remain set. Apple sometimes adds new wallpaper options in updates, but your existing choices are not affected.