The quickest way to change wallpaper on Samsung devices

On most Samsung phones and tablets, you change the wallpaper through the Settings app or by long-pressing the home screen. The exact steps depend on whether you have a Samsung Galaxy phone, a tablet, or an older model, but all routes take fewer than two minutes. You can use a photo from your gallery, a built-in Samsung image, or download new wallpapers from the Galaxy Store.

The home screen method is usually fastest: long-press any empty space on your home screen, tap Wallpapers, choose your image, and tap Set as wallpaper. If that option does not appear, go to Settings > Display > Wallpaper instead.

Key Takeaways

  • Long-pressing an empty area of your home screen opens the wallpaper menu on most Samsung devices running Android 10 or newer.
  • You can set different wallpapers for your lock screen and home screen, or use the same image for both.
  • Samsung devices come with built-in wallpapers, but you can also use photos from your gallery or download new ones from the Galaxy Store.
  • If the long-press method does not work, your device may use an older Android version — use Settings > Display > Wallpaper instead.

Changing wallpaper from your home screen on Samsung Galaxy phones

This is the fastest method on recent Samsung phones. Find an empty area of your home screen (not on an app icon), press and hold your finger there for about two seconds, then release. A menu will appear at the bottom of the screen with options including Wallpapers, Widgets, and Settings.

Tap Wallpapers. You will see tabs for Home screen, Lock screen, and Home and lock screen. Choose which screen you want to change. Then browse the available wallpapers — you will see Samsung's built-in collection first, organized by category like Nature, Abstract, or Colour. Tap the image you want, and a preview will fill your screen. Tap Set as wallpaper at the bottom, and it is done.

If you want to use a photo from your phone's gallery instead, look for a Gallery or My photos tab in the wallpaper menu. Tap it, find your photo, and follow the same steps.

Using Settings to change wallpaper on older Samsung devices

If long-pressing your home screen does not open a wallpaper menu, your device is likely running Android 9 or earlier. Open the Settings app, then go to Display. Look for an option called Wallpaper, Home screen, or Lock screen — the exact name varies by model and Android version.

Tap Wallpaper. You will see options to choose from Samsung's built-in collection or from your gallery. Select your image, preview it, and tap Set or Apply. Some older models let you set the home screen and lock screen separately; others use a single wallpaper for both.

If you cannot find a Wallpaper option in Display, try looking under Settings > Themes instead. Samsung sometimes groups wallpaper controls with theme settings on older phones.

Downloading new wallpapers from the Galaxy Store

Samsung phones come with a built-in collection of wallpapers, but you can download more from the Galaxy Store, Samsung's app store. Open the Galaxy Store app (it usually comes pre-installed), tap the search icon, and search for "wallpapers". You will see collections organized by style — animated wallpapers, 3D wallpapers, seasonal themes, and others.

Tap a collection or individual wallpaper to see a preview. If you like it, tap Install or Download. Once it is installed, go back to your home screen wallpaper menu (long-press the home screen or use Settings > Display > Wallpaper), and the new wallpaper will appear in your available options. Tap it and set it as usual.

Most wallpapers in the Galaxy Store are free, though some may require a Samsung account to download. If you do not have one, you can create one in the Galaxy Store app itself.

Setting different wallpapers for lock screen and home screen

Most Samsung devices let you use one wallpaper for your lock screen and a different one for your home screen. When you open the wallpaper menu (either by long-pressing or through Settings), you will see tabs or options to choose which screen to change. Select Lock screen to change only the lock screen, Home screen to change only the home screen, or Home and lock screen to apply the same image to both.

This is useful if you want a simple, minimal image on your lock screen but a more detailed or colorful one on your home screen. You can change one without affecting the other — just select which screen you want to modify before choosing your new wallpaper.

Troubleshooting when wallpaper changes do not work

If you set a wallpaper but it does not appear, or if the wallpaper menu does not open, try these steps. First, restart your phone — hold the power button, tap Restart, and wait for it to turn back on. This fixes most temporary glitches.

If the long-press method still does not work, make sure you are pressing on an empty area of the home screen, not on an app icon or widget. Some Samsung phones also require you to be on the main home screen (the first screen you see when you unlock your phone) rather than a secondary screen.

If the wallpaper menu opens but you cannot see any images, or if images fail to load, clear the cache for the Launcher app. Go to Settings > Apps > Launcher (or Samsung Experience Home, depending on your model), tap Storage, and tap Clear cache. Do not tap Clear data, as that will reset your home screen layout. Then try opening the wallpaper menu again.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I use a live wallpaper or animated wallpaper on my Samsung phone?

Yes. Some Samsung devices come with built-in animated wallpapers, and you can download more from the Galaxy Store. When you select an animated wallpaper, it will move or change slightly when you unlock your phone or swipe your home screen. Note that animated wallpapers use more battery than static images.

What if I want to use a wallpaper from the internet?

Download the image to your phone's gallery first, then open the wallpaper menu and select the Gallery or My photos tab. Find the image you downloaded and set it as your wallpaper. Make sure the image is saved to your phone's storage, not just bookmarked in your browser.

Will changing my wallpaper delete my apps or data?

No. Changing your wallpaper affects only the background image on your home screen and lock screen. Your apps, photos, messages, and all other data remain unchanged.

Why does my wallpaper look different after I set it?

The wallpaper preview often shows the full image, but your actual home screen may crop or zoom the image to fit around your app icons and widgets. This is normal. If you want to see the full image, try using a simpler home screen layout with fewer icons, or choose a wallpaper designed to work well with icons on top of it.

Can I schedule my wallpaper to change automatically?

Some Samsung phones have a feature to rotate wallpapers on a schedule, but it is not available on all models. Check Settings > Display > Wallpaper or Settings > Themes to see if a rotation or schedule option appears. If it does not, you can download a third-party app from the Galaxy Store that rotates wallpapers automatically.