In this video, we show you where to find some of the very best iPhone wallpapers and other backdrops for your Apple devices for free.
Raise hands who likes iPhone wallpapers?
Everyone loves to personalize their iPhone with unique wallpapers. Now, people usually set photos of their pets and kids as their iPhone wallpapers to get reminded of their loved ones every time they use their phones. On top of that, you have people who are more fond of sophisticated wallpapers such as various high-quality color gradients, photos of nature, space images and the like.
For many years now, our own Jim Gresham (@jim_gresham) has been curating head-turning wallpapers, sourced from a variety of designers and enthusiasts. You can browse our wallpaper collections which cover a wide variety of categories in our Wallpapers section. That said, we want to help you find even more quality backgrounds for your mobile and desktop devices like the iPhone, iPad and Mac.
Where to find the best iPhone wallpapers
That’s why we’ve asked our videographer Michael Billig (@michael_billig) to create a quick video to tell you boys and girls where to find the best sources of wallpapers for your iPhone and other Apple devices. Aside from our own collections, Michael’s video also spotlights two apps that provide thousands of images for free.
One called Backdrops [App Store link] is available across the iPhone, iPad and Mac and highlights newly created backdrops while letting you browse exclusive collections which are continually updated with new designs.
The other, dubbed Vellum [App Store link], is a repository for hand-picked wallpapers that you won’t find anywhere else. What’s great about this app is its tools tools designed to enable anyone to create their own, unique backdrop styles. For example, you can easily create a blurred background or blur one of the existing wallpapers with Vellum without having to use any other apps.
iOS 16 is all about personalization
iPhone wallpapers will become even more popular among users when the iOS 16 software update launches this fall. With iOS 16, Apple has turned the otherwise dull lock screen into a playground for personalization.
You can create multiple lock screens each with its own wallpaper, or quickly create come up with some pretty radical looks using Apple’s built-in tools. For instance, one of the features lets you create a wallpaper filled with your favorite emoji. Read: How to create a blank iPhone home screen with no apps
Apple also provides curated collections of wallpapers and Siri intelligence surfaces suggestions from your Photos library. iOS 16 also creates a depth effect by putting the current time behind the subject of your wallpaper photo.
For instance, if you put a photo of your junior on your lock screen, the current date and time will appear behind the kid’s head and hair but in front of the background. Read: How to quickly access Apple Wallet and Apple Pay on the lock screen