iOS 27 wallpaper: how to download Apple's new wallpapers and set them on your iPhone

A note on this page

An earlier version of this page was published in May 2026, before Apple announced iOS 27 at WWDC on 8 June 2026, and the image it offered was not an Apple file. iOS 27 is now out, so this version explains how to get Apple's own wallpapers on your iPhone and how to set any wallpaper so it looks right.

How to get the iOS 27 wallpapers on your iPhone

Apple's built-in wallpapers are installed with each release, so the way to get the iOS 27 ones is to update. iOS 27 runs on the iPhone 11 and later and on the iPhone SE (2nd and 3rd generation), which is every iPhone that ran iOS 26. You can check your model against our list of iOS 27 supported devices.

1. Back up your iPhone first; our guide to backing up before an iOS 27 update covers the options.
2. Open Settings › General › Software Update.
3. Install iOS 27. The current public version is iOS 27.0.1, build 24A446, released on 28 September 2026.
4. When the iPhone restarts, open Settings › Wallpaper and tap Add New Wallpaper.
5. Scroll through Apple's collections and tap the one you want.

If you would rather try what Apple is testing next, the iOS 27.2 beta (currently beta 4, 24B5110a) is free with any Apple Account. Our guide to installing the iOS 27 beta walks you through it.

How to set a wallpaper on the Lock Screen

You can do this from Settings or straight from the Lock Screen.

From Settings

1. Open Settings › Wallpaper.
2. Tap Add New Wallpaper.
3. Choose one of Apple's wallpapers, or tap Photos to use your own image.
4. Pinch and drag to position it, and change the clock style if you want.
5. Tap Add.
6. Choose Set as Wallpaper Pair to use it on both screens, or Customize Home Screen to set the Home Screen separately.

From the Lock Screen

1. Wake the iPhone and let Face ID or Touch ID recognise you, but stay on the Lock Screen.
2. Touch and hold an empty part of the Lock Screen.
3. Tap the + button to create a new Lock Screen, or Customize to edit the current one.
4. Pick a wallpaper and tap Add or Done.

You can keep several Lock Screens and swipe between them in this same view, which makes it easy to keep your old wallpaper while trying a new one.

How to set a different Home Screen wallpaper

The Home Screen can match the Lock Screen or use something calmer behind your apps.

1. Open Settings › Wallpaper.
2. Tap Customize under the Home Screen preview.
3. Choose a photo, a colour, a gradient or a blurred version of the Lock Screen image.
4. Tap Done.

A blurred or plain Home Screen keeps app labels easy to read, while the Lock Screen shows the full image.

Native screen resolutions for your own wallpapers

If you make or download your own wallpaper, using an image at your iPhone's native resolution stops iOS from stretching or cropping it. Here are the sizes for common models.

Not sure which iPhone you have? Open Settings › General › About and check the Model Name.

Tips for a wallpaper that looks right

• Match the shape of your screen. A tall image at native resolution fills the display without awkward cropping.
• Turn off Perspective Zoom if the image shifts or looks zoomed. On the editing screen, open the menu and switch it off if the option is shown.
• Check Depth Effect. With a photo of a person or pet, Depth Effect can place them in front of the clock. Turn it off from the same menu if the time is hard to read.
• Keep the Home Screen simple. Busy images behind app icons make labels harder to read. A blurred version solves that.
• Try the transparency setting. Wallpapers show through the glass-style controls in iOS, so our guide to adjusting Liquid Glass transparency in iOS 27 can help if icons or widgets look washed out.

If something goes wrong

• The wallpaper looks blurry: the image is smaller than your screen. Use a higher-resolution version, ideally at the native size in the table above.
• It is cropped or zoomed: pinch out while positioning it and turn off Perspective Zoom.
• You cannot save an image from Safari: touch and hold the image itself, not the link, then choose Save to Photos.
• You do not see the new wallpapers: check Settings › General › About. If you are still on iOS 26, update first.

What to do next

Wallpapers are one of the smaller visual changes in a new release. For the rest of what iOS 27 brings, see our full list of iOS 27 features.

Frequently asked questions