Open Settings and find the display options

To change your iPad wallpaper, start by opening the Settings app — the grey icon with gears that sits on your home screen or in your app library. Tap it to open.

Once Settings is open, look for Display & Brightness in the left-hand menu. Tap it. On older iPad models running earlier versions of iPadOS, this option may be called Wallpaper instead, but it does the same thing. You will see a section labeled Wallpaper with a preview of your current lock screen and home screen images.

Select which screen to change

You will see options for Lock Screen, Home Screen, or Both. The lock screen is what appears when your iPad is asleep or when you first wake it. The home screen is where your apps live. Most people choose Both to change the wallpaper on both screens at once, but you can pick just one if you want different images on each.

Tap your choice, then tap Choose a New Wallpaper. This will open a gallery of options.

Key Takeaways

  • Open Settings, tap Display & Brightness, then choose whether to change your lock screen, home screen, or both.
  • You can use one of Apple's built-in wallpapers or upload a photo from your own photo library.
  • If you use your own photo, you can zoom, move, and filter it before setting it as your wallpaper.
  • The change takes effect immediately and you can switch wallpapers as often as you want.
  • Photos work best at 2048 by 2732 pixels or larger to avoid blurriness on your screen.

Pick a wallpaper from Apple's collection or your photos

iPad comes with built-in wallpaper collections — Nature, Colours, Patterns, Gradients, and others. Tap any collection to see the images inside, then tap the one you want. A preview will show you how it will look on your screen, including how your app icons will appear over it.

If you want to use a photo you took yourself, tap Photos at the top of the screen instead. Navigate to the album or folder where your photo is stored, tap the photo, and you can adjust how it appears — zoom in or out, move it around, or add a filter if you want. The adjustments you make only affect the wallpaper version; they do not change your original photo file.

Confirm and apply the change

Once you have chosen your image and are happy with how it looks in the preview, tap Set in the bottom right corner. A menu will appear asking whether you want to set it as the lock screen, home screen, or both. Confirm your choice by tapping the option again.

The wallpaper will change immediately. You can go back to Settings at any time to change it again. There is no limit to how often you can switch wallpapers.

Using custom photos as wallpaper

When you choose a photo from your library, iPad lets you adjust it before applying it. You can pinch to zoom in or out, drag the image to reposition it, and add colour filters or blur effects if the built-in options include them. These adjustments only affect how the photo appears as wallpaper — they do not change the original photo file stored in your Photos app.

If your photo is very small or low resolution, it may look blurry when stretched across your screen. iPad works best with photos that are at least 2048 by 2732 pixels, though it will accept smaller images. Portrait photos work better for lock screens, and landscape photos work better for home screens, since those are the orientations your iPad normally displays them in.

Troubleshooting if the wallpaper won't change

If you tap Set and nothing happens, or if the wallpaper reverts to the old one, try closing Settings completely and opening it again. On newer iPads, swipe up from the bottom of the screen to close all apps, then reopen Settings and try the process again.

If you are using a photo and it will not set, check that the photo is actually saved in your Photos app — sometimes images from messages or email are not automatically saved to your library. You can save them manually by pressing and holding the image, then tapping Save Image. After saving, go back to Settings and try selecting it again.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I use a live photo as my iPad wallpaper?

No. iPad wallpapers must be still images. If you try to use a live photo, iPad will automatically convert it to a regular photo and use that instead.

Will changing my wallpaper delete any of my apps or data?

No. Changing your wallpaper only changes the background image on your lock screen or home screen. It does not affect any apps, files, or settings on your iPad.

Can I set different wallpapers for different times of day?

Yes, but only if you are using one of Apple's built-in wallpaper collections that include dynamic or time-based options. Some collections have versions that change throughout the day. Custom photos cannot be scheduled to change automatically.

What if I want to go back to the original Apple wallpaper?

Go back to Settings, tap Display & Brightness, choose which screen to change, and select one of the built-in collections. You can always return to any of Apple's default wallpapers at any time.

Why does my wallpaper look different on my lock screen than in the preview?

The lock screen displays the time, date, and notifications on top of your wallpaper, which can make it look different than the preview. The home screen shows your app icons on top of it as well. This is normal and expected.