How to change your lock screen wallpaper on your device
The lock screen wallpaper is the image you see before you enter your password or use biometric login. On Windows and Mac, you reach this setting through your system preferences. On iPhone and Android, the process lives in your lock screen customization menu. The steps differ by device, but all of them let you pick from built-in images, upload your own photos, or use a solid color.
Changing your lock screen wallpaper is separate from changing your desktop or home screen background — you can have different images on each one. This matters if you want a professional look on your lock screen but a personal photo on your desktop, or vice versa.
Key Takeaways
- Windows 11 lock screen settings are in Settings > Personalization > Lock screen, where you can choose a photo, slideshow, or Windows Spotlight images.
- Mac users go to System Settings > Lock Screen and select an image from the built-in gallery or upload a custom photo.
- iPhone lock screen customization is in Settings > Lock Screen, and you can create multiple lock screens with different wallpapers and widgets.
- Android lock screen wallpaper is usually in Settings > Display > Lock screen or through your device's theme app, depending on your phone brand.
- Custom photos work on all devices, but file size and aspect ratio matter — very large files may not upload, and images may crop differently on different screens.
Windows 11: Setting a lock screen image
Open Settings by pressing the Windows key and typing "Settings", then select it. Go to Personalization on the left sidebar, then click Lock screen. Under "Personalize your lock screen", you will see three options: Picture, Slideshow, or Windows Spotlight.
If you choose Picture, click the dropdown and select from Microsoft's built-in images, or click Browse to upload your own photo from your computer. Windows accepts JPG, PNG, and BMP files. If you choose Slideshow, Windows will rotate through a folder of images each time you lock your device — click Browse to pick which folder. Windows Spotlight shows rotating images from Microsoft's collection and is the default on most new installations.
After you select an image, lock your device by pressing Windows key + L to see the result. You can go back to Settings anytime to swap it out.
Mac: Setting a lock screen image
Click the Apple menu in the top left corner and select System Settings. Click Lock Screen in the sidebar. You will see a gallery of built-in images at the top — click any one to preview it, then click Set to explore it as your lock screen wallpaper.
To use your own photo, click the plus sign at the bottom of the image gallery, then select a photo from your Mac. You can also drag a photo directly from Finder into the gallery. Mac will crop the image to fit the lock screen dimensions, so test it first if the photo has important details at the edges.
Your changes take effect when ready. The next time you lock your Mac (Control + Command + Q), you will see the new image.
iPhone: Creating and customizing lock screens
iPhone lets you create multiple lock screens, each with its own wallpaper and widgets. Open Settings and tap Lock Screen. Tap the plus sign at the bottom to create a new lock screen, or tap an existing one to edit it.
To change the wallpaper, tap the preview image at the top. You can choose from Apple's built-in collections (Weather, Nature, Astronomy, Emoji), upload a photo from your library, or use a photo you took recently. Tap the image to preview how it will look, then tap Add to confirm.
After you set the wallpaper, you can add widgets below it — these show live information like weather, calendar events, or battery percentage. Tap the plus sign under the wallpaper to add widgets. When you are done, tap Set as Lock Screen to make it active, or tap Done to save it without activating it yet.
Android: Setting a lock screen wallpaper
The exact path depends on your phone brand. On Samsung phones, go to Settings > Display > Lock screen > Wallpaper, then choose from the gallery or tap My photos to upload your own. On Google Pixel phones, go to Settings > Display > Lock screen > Wallpaper and select an image the same way.
On other Android brands, look in Settings > Display or Settings > Themes. Some phones also let you set the lock screen wallpaper by long-pressing the lock screen itself — hold your finger on the lock screen, tap Wallpaper, and choose an image.
Android will show you a preview of how the image will look on your lock screen before you confirm. After you tap Set or explore, the change takes effect when ready.
Using custom photos as your lock screen wallpaper
All four operating systems accept photos from your device's storage. The best results come from images that are at least 1080 pixels wide — smaller images may look blurry or stretched. Avoid photos with important details at the very edges, because the lock screen may crop them differently depending on your device's screen size and orientation.
If you are uploading a photo from the internet, save it to your device first. Right-click the image in your browser, select Save image as, and choose a folder you can find later. Then follow the steps above to upload it from your device's file storage.
Portrait photos (taller than they are wide) work better on phones, while landscape photos (wider than they are tall) work better on computers. If your photo does not look right after you set it, go back and try a different image or crop it before uploading.
Troubleshooting lock screen wallpaper problems
If your custom photo will not upload, the file may be too large. Try compressing it first — on Windows, right-click the image and select Compress pictures; on Mac, open the image in Preview, go to Tools > Adjust Size, and reduce the width to 2000 pixels or less. Then try uploading again.
If the image looks cropped or zoomed in too much, the aspect ratio may not match your screen. Try a different photo, or use an online image cropper to adjust the dimensions before uploading. If you are on iPhone and the wallpaper looks different after you set it, tap the preview again to see if you need to adjust the zoom slider.
If your lock screen reverts to the default image after a restart, your device may not have saved the change. Go back to lock screen settings and set the wallpaper again, making sure to tap Set or explore before closing the settings menu.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I use the same wallpaper for my lock screen and home screen?
Yes. On Windows and Mac, set the image as your lock screen, then go to your desktop background settings and upload the same file. On iPhone, set the lock screen wallpaper, then go to Settings > Wallpaper > Add New Wallpaper and choose the same photo. On Android, set it as your lock screen, then go to your home screen settings and select the same image.
What happens if I delete a photo after I set it as my lock screen wallpaper?
On Windows, Mac, and Android, the wallpaper stays in place — the system saves a copy. On iPhone, if you delete the original photo from your library, the lock screen wallpaper may disappear. Keep important photos in your library or back them up to iCloud to avoid this.
Can I set a different lock screen wallpaper for different times of day?
Windows and Mac do not have built-in scheduling for lock screen wallpapers. iPhone does not either, but you can manually switch between multiple lock screens by swiping on the lock screen itself. Android does not have this feature in most versions, though some Samsung phones may offer it through their theme app.
Why does my lock screen wallpaper look different on my phone than it did on my computer?
Lock screens crop images differently depending on screen size and aspect ratio. A photo that looks good on a wide desktop monitor may crop too much on a tall phone screen. Test the image on your actual device before finalizing it, and choose photos with important details in the center rather than the edges.
Can I use a video or animated GIF as my lock screen wallpaper?
Windows, Mac, and Android do not support video or animated GIFs as lock screen wallpapers — only still images. iPhone does not either. All four systems accept JPG and PNG files only.