How to Set Live Wallpaper on iPhone (iOS 17 and Later)

Quick Tips

• Long-press the Lock Screen and tap + to add new wallpaper. Select Live Photo → choose a photo → Add.
• You can also go to Settings → Wallpapers → Photos → Live Photo → choose a photo → edit as you like → Add.
• If Live Wallpapers aren’t working on your iPhone, try disabling low power mode and the reduce motion setting.

Set Live Wallpaper on iPhone (iOS 17 and Lat)

Apple removed the ability to set Live Photos as a wallpaper in iOS 16. Following the popular demand from iPhone users, the company has added the option back in iOS 17 and continues in iOS 18. There are two ways to do so.

Method 1. Via Lock Screen

Step 1: Press the side button to check the lock screen. Long-press it and select + from the bottom-right corner.

Step 2: Here, tap Live Photo from the top row. If you can’t see that, tap Photos and select Live Photo from here.

Step 3: Pick a photo. Adjust it, add widgets if you want, and tap Add.

Step 4: Select between ‘Set as Wallpaper Pair‘ or ‘Customize Home Screen‘ as per your preference.

Use the power button to lock the phone. Press the side button and check your live wallpaper on the lock screen. It definitely looks cool and adds a nice effect to your rather boring lock screen.

Method 2. Via Settings

Step 1: Open Settings on your iPhone.

Step 2: Scroll to Wallpaper. Swipe and tap + to create a new wallpaper pair for the lock screen and home screen.

Step 3: Tap Photos. Filters your images by Live Photos.

Step 4: Select a live Photo. Make changes if you want, tap Add from the top.

Step 5: Choose between ‘Set as Wallpaper Pair’ or ‘Customize Home Screen.’

You can also create several lock screens and change them frequently to glance over beautiful memories. You can check our dedicated post to change the lock screen wallpaper automatically on iPhone.

Why Isn’t Live Wallpaper Working on iPhone

First of all, live wallpapers work on the lock screen only. You won’t see the same dynamic effect on the home screen. Here are some of the common troubleshooting tricks to fix live wallpapers on iPhone.

Fix 1. Restart iPhone

If there is some setting or bug-related issue, restarting your iPhone could resolve it without much trouble. So restart your iPhone and try applying the live wallpaper again.

Fix 2. Disable Low Power Mode

iOS may disable the live wallpaper effect during an active low-power mode.

Step 1: Open Settings and scroll to Battery.

Step 2: Disable the Low Power Mode toggle.  

Fix 3. Disable Reduce Motion Settings

The accessibility option reduces the motion of the user interface, and it may impact your applied live wallpaper.

Step 1: Open Settings and scroll to Accessibility.

Step 2: Select Motion and disable the Reduce Motion toggle.

Fix 4. Issues with the Wallpaper

If your live photo is corrupt, you may face issues with applying it as wallpaper. You’ll need to try again with another photo or explore Apple’s wallpaper options.

A live wallpaper is an excellent way to show off your new iPhone. You can also create a stack of wallpapers for your Lock Screen and change them frequently to glance over beautiful memories.