(Credit: Apple)
Looking for the right wallpaper for your iPhone? Apple offers a variety of options to help spruce up the background of your Home screen and Lock screen. You can outfit the phone with built-in wallpaper, your own photos, different colors and styles, emoji, and widgets. You’re even able to create and switch among different wallpaper designs, outfitting each one with a unique look. Plus, iOS 26 has added a few new ways to tweak the look of your phone. Ready to get started? First, go to Settings > General > Software Update and make sure iOS is up to date.
Customize Your Lock Screen
To tweak the wallpaper on your iPhone’s Lock screen, go to Settings > Wallpaper. Swipe left and right to find the wallpaper you want to modify. You’ll see the Lock screen and Home screen displayed side by side for the current wallpaper style. Tap Customize on the Lock screen (the screen on the left) to change that one first.
(Credit: PCMag / Apple)Alternatively, you can lock the phone, then long-press on the screen, and swipe left or right. When you see the Lock screen wallpaper you wish to change, tap Customize.
(Credit: PCMag / Apple)Your Lock screen likely displays widgets for the date and time, as well as a space for a third widget. Tap the widget for the date to change it to a different piece of information, such as the weather, calendar, fitness activity, or a reminder. Tap the clock widget to change the font and color for the text.
(Credit: PCMag / Apple)With iOS 26, and some wallpaper images, you can increase the size of the clock. If it can be resized, you'll see a drag handle in the lower right corner. Drag and drop the handle until you've resized the clock the way you'd like. When finished, tap Done.
(Credit: PCMag / Apple)iOS 26 also allows you to give the clock the Liquid Glass effect. To do this, make sure the clock is selected. At the bottom panel, change the look from Solid to Glass. You can also adjust the font and thickness. When finished, tap the X to close the panel and then tap Done.
(Credit: PCMag / Apple)Next, tap Add Widgets to insert a new widget on the screen. Swipe down the widget window and tap any piece of info you want to add. Depending on the data chosen, you might be able to squeeze two or even three items into the widget space.
(Credit: PCMag / Apple)You should also be able to move the top widget panel to the bottom of the screen. To do this, just drag the widget dock down the screen and release it. The dock will nestle in at the bottom. When finished, tap Done. When you’re satisfied with your changes, close the widget window and tap Done to save your new additions.
(Credit: PCMag / Apple)Customize Your Home Screen
Next, you might want to tweak your Home screen. Again, go to Settings > Wallpaper. Swipe left or right to find the wallpaper you want, then choose Customize on the Home screen. You can also directly edit your current Home screen by pressing down on any empty area of the screen, tapping Edit > Edit Wallpaper.
(Credit: PCMag / Apple)Several icons appear at the bottom, representing different options. Tap Pair to give the Lock screen the same look as the Home screen. Otherwise, tap Color, then choose an option from the palette and move the slider to alter the intensity. Tap Gradient to apply a gradient color to the wallpaper and move the slider to vary its intensity.
(Credit: PCMag / Apple)Tap Photo to select an image from your iPhone’s library. If you pick a photo, you can play with different filters by swiping to the right or left. You’re also able to crop, expand, and move the photo by pinching or stretching two fingers. When finished, tap Done. Tap Blur if you want to blur the wallpaper.
(Credit: PCMag / Apple)Add New Wallpaper
To add a new wallpaper design, go to Settings > Wallpaper and tap Add New Wallpaper. You can also lock the phone, long-press on the screen, and then tap the plus (+) icon. You’ll see several options for outfitting your wallpaper.
(Credit: PCMag / Apple)The icons at the top of the screen point you to different types of content you can add. Tap the Photos icon to open your photo library, then select a photo and tap Add. You’ll be asked if you want to use the same photo as a wallpaper pair, meaning the same for your Lock screen and Home screen. If you do, tap Set as Wallpaper Pair. If not, tap Customize Home screen to set a different design for your Home screen.
(Credit: PCMag / Apple)To add multiple photos, tap Photo Shuffle. You can now add a smart photo collection, such as ones for People, Places, or a specific album. Otherwise, manually choose the photos you want to include by tapping Select Photos Manually. Select each photo you want to use and then the checkmark to add them.
(Credit: PCMag / Apple)At the preview screen, tap the ellipsis icon and choose the interval at which each photo will segue to the next one—Daily, Hourly, On Lock, or On Tap. Tap Add again and then choose whether you want to pair the wallpaper or customize the Home screen separately.
(Credit: PCMag / Apple)From the other icons at the top, tap Emoji and choose up to six emoji that will serve as your wallpaper. Tap Add when done and set the image as a pair or opt to customize the Home screen independently. Choose Weather to display the current weather, Astronomy to show different views of the Earth and Moon, or Color to display a specific color.
(Credit: PCMag / Apple)No matter which wallpaper you choose, you’re able to add and customize the main widgets on the screen. Tap the date or time to edit the widget or select Add Widgets to include new info.
(Credit: PCMag / Apple)If you decide not to pair the Home screen with your chosen style, you’ll be taken to the Home screen customization section where you can choose a color, gradient, or photo, and opt to blur the image. You can also choose ready-made wallpaper from the Add New Wallpaper screen. Categories include Astronomy, Collections, Color, Emoji, Photos, Pride, Unity, and Weather.
(Credit: PCMag / Apple)Tap the thumbnail for the wallpaper you want to use. You can then modify the widgets for the Lock screen background, tap Add, and then set the wallpaper as a pair or set up the Home screen background separately with its own color, gradient, and photo. When finished, tap Done.
(Credit: PCMag / Apple)Set a Photo as Your Wallpaper
Here's a quick way to set a photo as your wallpaper. Open the Photos app and select an image. Tap the Share icon and select the Use as Wallpaper option. You can then pinch to crop the image and swipe to try different filters. When finished, tap Add.
(Credit: PCMag / Apple)You can choose Set as Wallpaper to Pair to use the image on both the Lock screen and Home screen. Otherwise select Customize Home Screen to customize the Home screen separately.
(Credit: PCMag / Apple)With iOS 26 and certain photos, you can also apply a spatial effect to transform a 2D image into a 3D one. Moving your phone around then makes it appear as if the foreground is shifting against the background, providing depth to the image. To do this, make sure you’re in edit mode for the wallpaper. Move to the Home screen or Lock screen with the photo and tap Customize. You may need to try a few photos until you find the right one. If you've chosen the right image, a hexagonal icon appears on the screen—tap it to add the 3D effect. Tap Done, then return to the lock screen and move your phone around to see the effect.
(Credit: PCMag / Apple)Manage Your Wallpaper Designs
After you’ve set up multiple wallpaper designs, you can view them all, change the default one, and delete ones you no longer want. Press down on the Lock screen and swipe left and right to move from one wallpaper design to another. If you no longer want to keep a certain wallpaper, swipe up on a design and tap the trash can icon to delete it from your phone. Tap a design to set it as your current default.
(Credit: PCMag / Apple)Hide the Notch
How do you feel about the notch on your iPhone? Some people don't mind it, while others dislike it. You may be able to find built-in wallpaper or images of your own that can conceal it. Another option is to download the 99-cent Notch Remover app to modify any image you choose so you don't see the notch. Open the app and tap Select Image at the bottom to access your Photos library. Select the image you want to use, then save it to your photo library. Exit the app and open Settings > Wallpaper or the Photos app to select the cropped image as your new wallpaper.
(Credit: PCMag / Apple)Download New Wallpaper
You can also download wallpaper images through such iOS apps as X Wallpaper, Everpix, and Dynamic wallpapers & themes, as well as from such websites as Wallpapershome.com. iFixit even offers free wallpaper that reveal the inside of your iPhone and make you fee like Superman with X-ray vision. To grab the images at iFixit and other sites from your iPhone, tap the image, select the Share icon, and select Save Image. Open the image in your Photos app, tap the Share icon, and select Use as wallpaper. Check your Lock Screen or Home Screen to see your new wallpaper on display.
(Credit: PCMag / Apple)