How to Change the Background on an iPhone: Complete Guide

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Easily change your iPhone wallpaper background with and without Settings
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Do you want to customize your iPhone home screen? With the new iOS update, you can add widgets and styles to your lock screen and home screen. This can be done within the Settings app or from the lock screen. Here's how to change the background on an iPhone.

Quick Steps

  1. Open the Settings app and tap Wallpaper .
  2. Tap + Add New Wallpaper .
  3. Tap Photos to select a wallpaper, or choose from the presets.
  4. Tap the widget box to add widgets, swipe left to add a filter, or pick a font style.
  5. Tap Add when finished.
Method 1
Method 1 of 3:

Adding a New Wallpaper

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  1. This is the cog icon.
  2. You can find this underneath Accessibility .
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  3. This is the blue button.
  4. With the new iOS update, you have quite a few options to choose from. When you select an option, a preview will open.
    • Tap Photos to set a single photo as your wallpaper.
    • Tap Photo Shuffle to set a series of photos as your wallpaper.
    • You can also select a wallpaper from the categories below: Featured, Weather & Astronomy, Kaleidoscope, Emoji, Unity, Pride, Collections, and Color.
  5. You can add add widgets , set styles, and use filters.
  6. This is in the top-right corner.
  7. If you want your home screen and lock screen to have different backgrounds, tap Customize Home Screen instead and select a new photo.
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Method 2
Method 2 of 3:

Changing from the Lock Screen

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  1. Enter your passcode , Face ID, or touch ID. Your iPhone must be unlocked to edit the lock and home screen.
    • Stay on the lock screen; don't swipe up just yet.
  2. When your iPhone is unlocked, this will open the Edit menu.
    • If you have more than one wallpaper added, swipe left or right to find it.
  3. This is below the wallpaper you want to customize.
    • The Customize view will open with the current lock screen on the left and the home screen on the right.
    • If you want to set a new wallpaper, tap the blue + icon. [1]
  4. You can add add widgets , set styles, and use filters.
    • You won't be able to edit the wallpaper for some premade selections. In this case, delete the wallpaper and add a new one. Long-press on your lock screen and swipe up on the background. Tap the trash can icon, then tap Delete This Wallpaper .
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Method 3
Method 3 of 3:

Adding Widgets and Styles

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  1. You can do this by long-pressing the lock screen (unlocked) and tapping Customize . You can also go to Settings → Wallpaper → Customize .
  2. On the lock screen, this can be found below the time. Tapping it will bring up all possible widgets you can add.
    • Tap a widget to add it to the widget box. Keep in mind you can only add what fits in the box. This can be four small-sized widgets, 1 medium-sized and 2 small-sized, or another combination of widgets.
    • You can also add certain widgets to the date line. Tap the date, and then tap a widget.
    • On the home screen, long-press the wallpaper until the icons wiggle. Tap the + in the top-left corner to open the widget menu. Tap a widget to add it to your home screen.
  3. Swipe left and right to select between the filters. You can choose Natural, Black & White, Duotone, or Color Wash.
    • If you choose Duotone or Color Wash, tap the color bubble in the bottom-right corner and select a style color.
  4. Tap the time at the top of the screen. A pop-up window will open.
    • Select a font style from the preset. You can tap and drag towards the left to see more options.
    • Drag the slider to change your font size.
    • Select a color style at the bottom to change the font color.
  5. This will save your changes.
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Community Q&A

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  • Question
    How do I change my iPhone to greyscale?
    Community Answer
    Go into your Settings and tap on General followed by Accessibility. Then, scroll to the bottom and find Accessibility Shortcuts. Tap "Color Filters" so that a check mark appears beside the option. Now when you triple tap your Home button, your iPhone screen will display in black and white.
    Thanks! We're glad this was helpful.
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    Yes No
    Not Helpful 3 Helpful 3
  • Question
    How do I change my background color?
    John Hu
    Community Answer
    Settings -> Wallpaper -> Add New Wallpaper -> select what you want to do from there, such as import photo or use a preset from Apple.
    Thanks! We're glad this was helpful.
    Thank you for your feedback.
    If wikiHow has helped you, please consider a small contribution to support us in helping more readers like you. We’re committed to providing the world with free how-to resources, and even $1 helps us in our mission. Support wikiHow
    Yes No
    Not Helpful 2 Helpful 0
  • Question
    How do I delete a wallpaper setting?
    Community Answer
    Go into the settings app and click Wallpaper. Find your original Wallpaper and delete it.
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      • You can also change an iPhone's background by going into the Photos app, selecting a photo, tapping the Share button, and then selecting the Use as Wallpaper option.
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      References

      1. ↑ https://support.apple.com/en-ca/HT200285

      About This Article

      Article Summary X

      1. Open Settings .
      2. Tap Wallpaper .
      3. Tap Choose New Wallpaper .
      4. Select a photo location.
      5. Select a photo.
      6. Select a display option.
      7. Tap Set .
      8. Select a wallpaper display location.

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