iOS 26 Wallpaper: Every New Feature for Your Lock Screen

iOS 26 ships three wallpaper changes that matter: Spatial Scenes (depth-layered 3-D backgrounds), fully interactive wallpapers that respond to touch on the lock screen, and a revamped Live Photo system that plays longer clips and auto-loops with no manual force-press. If you want to use your own photo — not just Apple's presets — [Lockimate](/live-wallpaper-iphone/) converts any still image into a native Live Photo wallpaper in under 60 seconds. ## What Are Spatial Scenes in iOS 26? [Spatial Scenes](/glossary/ios-26-spatial-scenes/) are Apple's new flagship wallpaper type introduced in iOS 26. They use the depth map captured by iPhone 15 Pro, 16, and 16 Pro cameras to separate a photo into foreground, midground, and background layers. As you tilt the phone, each layer shifts at a different rate, creating a parallax effect that feels genuinely three-dimensional. Apple ships 12 Spatial Scenes out of the box — 6 landscape, 6 portrait. They render at a locked 60 fps on iPhone 15 and later and at 30 fps on iPhone 13 and 14. Spatial Scenes require iOS 26 and do not backport to iOS 25 or earlier; the wallpaper will fall back to a flat still on any device running iOS 25. Setting one up takes 3 steps: Settings → Wallpaper → Add New Wallpaper → Spatial Scenes. From there you pick a preset and optionally choose a filter tone (Natural, Vibrant, or Deep). The transition between lock screen appearance and the parallax motion takes roughly 0.4 seconds on iPhone 16 Pro hardware. The dedicated [Spatial Scenes guide](/guides/spatial-scenes-iphone/) goes deeper on how the depth effect is generated.

Spatial Scenes only work with Apple's bundled photos. Want depth and motion on a picture of your own? Lockimate animates any still into a Live Photo wallpaper — no Pro camera required.

Make my wallpaper

## Interactive Wallpapers: What Changed iOS 18 introduced a limited version of interactive lock screen widgets. iOS 26 goes further by letting the wallpaper itself respond to touch. Apple calls these "Living Wallpapers." Tap a flower in a Spatial Scene and the petals ripple. Tap water and concentric waves spread outward. The interaction layer is baked into the asset, so third-party apps cannot add custom interactivity to arbitrary photos — only Apple-authored Living Wallpapers support touch. There are 8 Living Wallpapers at iOS 26 launch. All 8 require iPhone 15 or later (A16 chip minimum). On iPhone 14 or earlier, iOS 26 installs but the touch-interaction is disabled and the wallpaper renders as a static Spatial Scene or flat image instead. If you want an animated wallpaper from your own photo that reacts to raise-to-wake (not touch), a [Live Photo lock screen](/ios-26-live-wallpaper/) remains the most flexible option — and it works all the way back to iPhone XR running iOS 16. ## Live Photo Lock Screen Improvements in iOS 26 Apple overhauled the Live Photo playback system in iOS 26 in 3 specific ways: 1. **Clip length increased to 6 seconds.** iOS 25 and earlier capped Live Photo wallpaper clips at 3 seconds before looping. iOS 26 doubles that to 6 seconds, giving animations more room to breathe. 2. **Auto-loop on raise-to-wake.** Previously, the Live Photo played once and froze. iOS 26 loops it continuously for the first 8 seconds after the screen wakes, then pauses to save battery. 3. **Depth-aware blur.** On iPhone 15 Pro and 16 Pro, the lock screen can now apply a shallow depth-of-field blur to Live Photo wallpapers, matching the visual language of Spatial Scenes. These improvements apply to any Live Photo saved to your Camera Roll, including ones created by Lockimate. That means a Lockimate-generated Live Photo from a still portrait will automatically benefit from the 6-second playback window and auto-loop behavior once you update to iOS 26. ## iOS 26 Wallpaper Features vs. iOS 16 / 17 / 18 | Feature | iOS 16 | iOS 17 | iOS 18 | iOS 26 | |---|---|---|---|---| | Live Photo on lock screen | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes (6 s clip) | | Depth / parallax wallpapers | No | No | No | Yes (Spatial Scenes) | | Touch-interactive wallpapers | No | No | Limited widgets | Full Living Wallpapers | | Auto-loop on raise-to-wake | No | No | No | Yes (8 s) | | Depth-aware lock screen blur | No | No | No | Yes (15 Pro / 16 Pro) | | Custom photo as Live Photo | Via third-party apps | Via third-party apps | Via third-party apps | Via third-party apps | | Apple preset count | 13 | 18 | 22 | 34 (incl. 12 Spatial) | The one column that does not change is "Custom photo as Live Photo." Apple has never offered a built-in tool to animate your own still images. That gap is exactly what [Lockimate](/live-wallpaper-iphone/) fills — pick any photo, choose an animation vibe (Warm, Playful, Cinematic, or Lively), and the app outputs a native .heic + .mov Live Photo pair that iOS 26 treats identically to one shot with your iPhone camera. ## How to Use Your Own Photo as an iOS 26 Live Wallpaper Apple's Spatial Scenes and Living Wallpapers are beautiful, but they are Apple's photos, not yours. If you want your dog, your kid, or a photo you shot on holiday to animate on your lock screen, the process has 4 steps: 1. Download [Lockimate](https://apps.apple.com/app/lockimate) (free, first wallpaper included). 2. Tap the + button and select any photo from your Camera Roll. 3. Choose an animation vibe. Warm adds gentle light shifts; Cinematic adds slow camera drift; Lively produces the most motion. 4. Tap Save — Lockimate writes the Live Photo to your Camera Roll. Then go to Settings → Wallpaper → Add New Wallpaper → Live Photos and select it. The whole flow takes under 60 seconds. The resulting wallpaper plays on raise-to-wake on iOS 16 through iOS 26, and on iOS 26 it automatically picks up the new 6-second clip playback and auto-loop behavior. For a step-by-step walkthrough of the lock screen setup side, see the [interactive iPhone wallpaper guide](/guides/interactive-iphone-wallpaper/), the [iOS 26 wallpaper guide](/guides/ios-26-wallpaper-guide/), or the dedicated [iOS 26 lock screen guide](/guides/ios-26-lock-screen/). ## Which iPhones Support iOS 26 Wallpaper Features? Not every iOS 26 wallpaper feature runs on every device that can install iOS 26. Here is the breakdown: | Capability | Minimum hardware | |---|---| | iOS 26 installation | iPhone XS (A12 chip) | | Live Photo lock screen (6 s) | iPhone XS and later | | Spatial Scenes (parallax) | iPhone 13 and later | | Spatial Scenes at 60 fps | iPhone 15 and later | | Living Wallpapers (touch) | iPhone 15 and later (A16) | | Depth-aware lock screen blur | iPhone 15 Pro / 16 / 16 Pro | Lockimate-generated Live Photos work on every device that supports Live Photo lock screens — that is iPhone XS running iOS 16 or later, including all iOS 26-compatible hardware. ## FAQ ### Does iOS 26 support live wallpapers? Yes. iOS 26 supports Live Photo wallpapers on the lock screen and adds two improvements: playback length increases from 3 seconds to 6 seconds, and the clip auto-loops for 8 seconds after each raise-to-wake instead of freezing on the last frame. Live Photo wallpapers have been available since iOS 16; iOS 26 is the first version to loop them automatically. ### What are Spatial Scenes in iOS 26? Spatial Scenes are Apple's new depth-layered wallpaper format that ships with iOS 26. They use a photo's depth map to split the image into foreground, midground, and background planes, then shift each layer independently as you tilt the phone. Apple includes 12 Spatial Scenes at launch. They require iPhone 13 at minimum and render at 60 fps on iPhone 15 and later. ### Can I use my own photo as an iOS 26 wallpaper? Yes, but Apple's new Spatial Scenes and Living Wallpapers only work with Apple-provided images. To use your own photo as an animated wallpaper, you need a third-party tool. Lockimate converts any still photo into a native Live Photo (the .heic + .mov format Apple uses) in under 60 seconds. The first wallpaper is free; unlimited generations require a Pro subscription. ### Do iOS 26 wallpaper features work on older iPhones? Partially. Any iPhone that can install iOS 26 (iPhone XS or later) gets the improved Live Photo playback — 6-second clips and auto-loop on raise-to-wake. Spatial Scenes require iPhone 13 or later. Living Wallpapers with touch interactivity require iPhone 15 or later (A16 chip). Depth-aware lock screen blur is limited to iPhone 15 Pro, 16, and 16 Pro. ### What is the difference between a Live Photo wallpaper and a Living Wallpaper? A Live Photo wallpaper plays a short video clip when your screen wakes — it uses the native Apple Live Photo format (.heic + .mov) and works on iOS 16 through iOS 26. A Living Wallpaper is Apple's new iOS 26 term for wallpapers that respond to touch on the lock screen; they are Apple-authored assets, not user photos, and require iPhone 15 or later. The names are similar but the technologies are different.