LockimateGuide ·
How to Change Your Wallpaper on iOS 26: Step-by-Step Guide
To change your wallpaper on iOS 26, open Settings → Wallpaper → Add New Wallpaper, pick a source (Photos, People, Photo Shuffle, Emoji, Weather, Astronomy or Color), adjust the crop and clock, then tap Add and choose Set as Wallpaper Pair or Customize Home Screen. Or long-press the lock screen and tap +.
iOS 26 was announced at WWDC25 in June 2025 and released in September 2025. The way you set a wallpaper is the same lock screen system Apple introduced in iOS 16; what changed is the look. Liquid Glass, iOS 26's new design language, restyles the clock and widgets that sit on top of your wallpaper, and Spatial Scenes add a new depth effect built from your own photos. This guide covers every way to change, set and customize a wallpaper on iOS 26.
Two Ways to Change Your Wallpaper in iOS 26
From Settings:
- Open Settings → Wallpaper.
- Tap Add New Wallpaper.
- Choose a source from the gallery (see the table below).
- Pinch and drag to position the image, and adjust the clock and widgets if you want.
- Tap Add.
- Tap Set as Wallpaper Pair to use it on both screens, or Customize Home Screen to set the home screen separately.
From the lock screen:
- Wake the iPhone and unlock it with Face ID or Touch ID, but stay on the lock screen.
- Long-press an empty part of the lock screen until the lock screen gallery opens.
- Tap the + button to add a new wallpaper, or tap Customize to edit the current one.
- Pick a source, set it up, and tap Add.
To switch to a wallpaper you already made, long-press the lock screen and swipe through your saved lock screens. Each one keeps its own wallpaper, clock style and widgets, so tapping one restores the whole setup. To remove one, swipe up on it in the gallery and tap the trash icon; the original photo stays in your library.
Every Wallpaper Source in the iOS 26 Gallery
The Add New Wallpaper screen offers several sources along the top, plus suggested wallpapers and Apple's own collections further down. These are the ones you will use most:
| Source | What it gives you | Does it move? |
|---|---|---|
| Photos | Any photo from your library, with optional Depth Effect | No, unless it is a Live Photo or Spatial Scene |
| Live Photo (via Photos) | A Live Photo from your library | Yes, a short burst of motion on the lock screen when it wakes |
| Spatial Scene (via Photos) | 3D depth generated from an eligible photo, iPhone 12 or later | Shifts in perspective as you tilt the phone |
| People | Photos of a person or pet recognised in your library | No |
| Photo Shuffle | A rotating set of photos, changing on tap, on lock, hourly or daily | Changes between photos |
| Emoji | A pattern built from emoji you choose | No |
| Weather | A backdrop that reflects the current weather where you are | Follows the conditions |
| Astronomy | Views of the Earth, Moon or solar system | No |
| Color | A solid color or gradient | No |
| Collections | Apple-designed wallpapers | Depends on the wallpaper |
Depth Effect is available for photos where iOS can separate a subject from the background: the subject sits in front of the clock rather than behind it. It is not motion; it is a layering effect on a still.
How to Set a Photo, Spatial Scene or Live Photo
A regular photo: Add New Wallpaper → Photos, pick the photo, pinch to crop, then tap Add.
A Spatial Scene: Spatial Scenes are generated on your iPhone from your own photos. Apple does not ship a gallery of them, and there is no LiDAR, Pro-model or Apple Intelligence requirement, only an iPhone 12 or later.
- Open Settings → Wallpaper → Add New Wallpaper → Photos.
- Choose the Spatial Scene option and pick one of the eligible photos iOS offers.
- Wait while iOS shows Generating Spatial Scene. It builds the depth map on device.
- Tap Add, then set the wallpaper pair or customize the home screen.
Only some photos qualify, usually well-lit shots with clear separation between subject and background, or landscapes with several layers of depth. If a photo is missing from the list, it did not qualify. The result appears on the lock screen and reacts to tilt and phone movement; the picture itself does not animate.
A Live Photo: pick a Live Photo from Photos and make sure the Live Photo button in the editor is switched on, or it will be set as a still. Live Photo lock screens need iOS 17 or later and do not work on iPhone SE. How they play, why some stop animating and how to control which moment you see are covered in the iOS 26 live wallpaper guide.
A Spatial Scene adds depth, but the picture stays still, and only some photos qualify. If you want your own photo to actually move on the lock screen, it needs to be a Live Photo. Lockimate makes one from any still in about 2–3 minutes.
Use my own photoCustomizing the Liquid Glass Clock and Widgets
Once a wallpaper is set, long-press the lock screen and tap Customize, then choose the lock screen. From there:
- Clock: tap the time to change its font and color. With Liquid Glass, the clock takes on a glass-like look that picks up color from the wallpaper behind it. The clock can also be resized and adapts around the subject of your photo, so a face or pet does not have to be hidden behind the digits.
- Widgets: tap the widget area below the clock to add, remove or rearrange widgets. They take on the same Liquid Glass styling. See iPhone lock screen widgets for what is worth adding.
- Filters and crop: swipe left or right on the wallpaper in the editor to try the available photo styles, and pinch to reframe.
The editing flow itself has barely changed since iOS 16, so the steps in how to edit your iPhone lock screen still apply. For everything else that changed on the lock screen in iOS 26, including notifications, see the iOS 26 lock screen guide.
Setting a Different Home Screen Wallpaper
Every lock screen in iOS 26 has a paired home screen. After you tap Add, choose Customize Home Screen instead of Set as Wallpaper Pair, and pick one of:
- The same image as the lock screen (the default pair)
- A color or gradient
- A different photo from your library
You can also turn on a blur for the home screen version so app icons stay readable over a busy photo. To change the home screen later, long-press the lock screen, tap Customize, and choose the home screen. The home screen always shows a still image: Live Photos and Spatial Scenes only have their effect on the lock screen.
Which iPhones Get Each iOS 26 Wallpaper Feature
| Feature | Minimum requirement |
|---|---|
| iOS 26 itself | iPhone 11 or later, plus iPhone SE (2nd generation) and later |
| Photos, People, Photo Shuffle, Emoji, Weather, Astronomy, Color | Any iPhone that runs iOS 26 |
| Depth Effect on a still photo | Any iPhone on iOS 16 or later, with a suitable photo |
| Spatial Scenes | iPhone 12 or later on iOS 26 |
| Live Photo lock screen | iOS 17 or later, any iPhone except iPhone SE |
So iPhone 11 and the SE models run iOS 26 and get the Liquid Glass look, but not Spatial Scenes. Apple lists the Spatial Scene requirement in its wallpaper support article.
FAQ
How do I change my wallpaper on iOS 26?
Open Settings, tap Wallpaper, then Add New Wallpaper. Pick a source such as Photos, People, Photo Shuffle, Emoji, Weather, Astronomy or Color, adjust the crop and clock, then tap Add. Choose Set as Wallpaper Pair to use it on both screens, or Customize Home Screen to give the home screen a different background. You can also long-press the lock screen and tap the plus button.
How do I switch back to a wallpaper I used before?
Long-press the lock screen to open the lock screen gallery, then swipe left or right through the lock screens you have saved and tap the one you want. Every lock screen keeps its own wallpaper, clock style and widgets, so switching restores the whole setup at once.
Can I have a different wallpaper on the home screen in iOS 26?
Yes. After you tap Add, choose Customize Home Screen instead of Set as Wallpaper Pair. You can then keep the same image, pick a solid color or gradient, or choose a different photo, and toggle a blur on the home screen version to make app icons easier to read.
Why doesn't my photo show up under Spatial Scene?
iOS only offers Spatial Scenes for photos it judges eligible, usually well-lit shots with clear separation between subject and background, or landscapes with obvious depth. If a photo does not appear there, it did not qualify and there is no setting to force it. Spatial Scenes also need an iPhone 12 or later.
Which iPhones can change wallpaper on iOS 26?
Every iPhone that runs iOS 26 can set and change wallpapers: iPhone 11 and later, plus iPhone SE (2nd generation) and later. Spatial Scenes need iPhone 12 or later. Live Photo lock screen wallpapers work on every iPhone on iOS 17 or later except the iPhone SE models.
How do I delete a lock screen wallpaper in iOS 26?
Long-press the lock screen to open the gallery, swipe to the lock screen you want to remove, swipe up on it, and tap the trash icon. This removes that lock screen and its paired home screen; the photo itself stays in your library.