How to set different images as iPhone Lock Screen and Home Screen wallpaper in iOS 16

iOS 16 seems to force you to use the same image as your Home Screen and Lock Screen wallpaper. But, after following the steps outlined below, you can use two different images as your Home Screen and Lock Screen wallpapers on iPhone running iOS 16.

Three iPhone mockups showing how to set different wallpapers for Home Screen and Lock Screen in iOS 16

The iOS 16 wallpaper problem

With iOS 16, it appears impossible to set two different images as your Home Screen and Lock Screen wallpapers. Every time you go to Settings or edit the wallpaper from the Lock Screen, it will use the same image on both the Home Screen and the Lock Screen. In most cases, it doesn’t matter whether you choose Set as Wallpaper Pair or Customize Home Screen. But this situation is addressable.

Set two different pictures as your Home Screen and Lock Screen on iPhone

First, make sure you have the image you want to set as the Home Screen wallpaper in the Photos app. After that, follow these steps:

1) Open the Settings app and tap Wallpaper.

2) Tap Customize below the Lock Screen preview and choose Add New Wallpaper.

Add New Wallpaper for iPhone Lock Screen in iOS 16

3) Choose a new wallpaper from Photos, People, Emoji, Weather, Astronomy, Color, Featured, Suggested Photos, Collections, or one of the other options.

4) Tap Done.

Pick an image for your iPhone Lock Screen in iOS 16

Now, when you look at both previews, you will see that the same image is set as your Lock Screen and as the Home Screen. Let’s change this.

5) Tap Customize below the Home Screen preview and choose Customize Current Wallpaper. If you select Add New Wallpaper, it will again use this as the Lock Screen as well. So avoid that.

Customize Current Wallpaper to set Home Screen on iPhone running iOS 16

6) Tap Photos and select the image you want as your Home Screen.

You can also pick Color or Gradient as the wallpaper. Sadly, tapping Original doesn’t bring up all the built-in default wallpapers. So, if you’d like to use the original iOS 16 wallpaper as your Home Screen (while having a different image than the Lock Screen), you must download the original iOS 16 wallpaper and save it to the Photos app.

Optional: You can now pinch to crop the image, swipe left or right to add a filter, and enable Perspective Zoom & Depth Effect (if supported by the wallpaper you picked).

8) After you finish, tap Done.

Pick different image to set as iPhone Home Screen in iOS 16

9) Tap Done once again.

Different wallpapers for iPhone Home Screen and Lock Screen in iOS 16

Now, swipe up (ignore the previews if they seem the same), and you will see your desired image as the Home Screen wallpaper that you picked in step 6. Next, lock your iPhone and then wake it, and you will be greeted with a different picture as the Lock Screen wallpaper that you set in step 3.

iPhone Home Screen and Lock Screen with different wallpapers in iOS 16

This is how you can use two different images as the iPhone Home Screen and Lock Screen in iOS 16. Of course, the process shouldn’t be as lengthy and complicated in the first place. But as of now, I hope our tutorial has helped you.

Set a different wallpaper from the Lock Screen

Besides the above method, I also found that you can do the same from the Lock Screen. Here’s how:

1) Wake your iPhone and unlock it via Face ID or Touch ID. Stay on the Lock Screen and don’t go inside to the Home Screen.

2) Press the Lock Screen and tap the plus button to add a new set.

Unlock iPhone and tap plus button to add new set of wallpapers in iOS 16

3) Now, pick your desired wallpaper for the Lock Screen.

4) After that, tap Done and then tap Customize Home Screen.

Customize Home Screen wallpaper from iPhone Lock Screen

5) Now, tap Photos. You can also use Color or Gradient as the Home Screen wallpaper.

6) Choose your desired image under All, Featured, People, Albums, or other visible sections.

Pick an image for iPhone Home Screen

7) Select Done.

8) Choose Done once again.

9) Finally, tap the Lock Screen preview to exit the editing screen.

Finish setting different images as Home Screen and Lock Screen wallpapers on iPhone in iOS 16

That’s it! You will see that your iPhone Lock Screen and Home Screen have different wallpapers. The Lock Screen has the one you customized in step 3, and your Home Screen adopts the look you choose in step 6.

Different wallpapers for iPhone Home Screen and Lock Screen in iOS 16

If you found this helpful, please let me know. And if you have some other ways, tips, or suggestions, kindly feel free to share that as well.

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