How to Set Different Lock Screen and Home Screen Wallpapers

Since iOS 16, every iPhone wallpaper is a pair: one image for the lock screen and a matching one for the home screen. To use two different images, you tell iOS to customize the home screen half of the pair instead of copying the lock screen.

From the Settings app:

1. Open Settings and tap Wallpaper.
2. Tap Add New Wallpaper.
3. Pick the image for your lock screen. Tap Photos to use your own picture, or pick one of Apple's sets.
4. Adjust it if you want (move it, change the clock style), then tap Add.
5. Tap Customize Home Screen. Do not tap Set as Wallpaper Pair, because that uses the same image on both screens.
6. Choose what goes behind your apps: tap a color, tap the photo option to choose a different picture from your library, or select Blur to blur the lock screen image so your apps stand out.
7. Tap Done.

From the lock screen:

1. Press the side button to wake the iPhone, then unlock it with Face ID or Touch ID but stay on the lock screen.
2. Touch and hold the lock screen.
3. Tap the + button to make a new lock screen, or swipe to an existing one and tap Customize.
4. Edit the lock screen, then tap Add or Done.
5. Choose Customize Home Screen and pick a different photo, a color or Blur.

On a Pixel, you choose which screen you are editing before you pick the image. Google's support page describes this exact flow.

1. On your home screen, touch and hold an empty space.
2. Tap Wallpaper & style.
3. Tap More wallpapers or Change wallpaper.
4. Select Lock screen or Home screen, depending on which one you want to change.
5. Tap Choose a photo to use your own image, or tap a category and pick an image.
6. If the Pixel asks which screen should show the wallpaper, pick only the screen you selected in step 4.
7. Tap Preview, then Apply.
8. Repeat the steps for the other screen with a different image.

You can also start from Settings > Wallpaper & style.

Good to know: Pixel's Daily wallpaper option does not work with your own photos or with live wallpapers, per Google's support page. If you want your own photos to rotate, see our guide to using Google Photos as your Android wallpaper.

Samsung asks which screen to use after you pick an image. The trick is to select only one.

Set a home screen or lock screen wallpaper:

1. Touch and hold an empty space on the home screen.
2. Tap Wallpaper and style.
3. Tap Change wallpapers, then Gallery.
4. Select a picture (or a video) and tap Done.
5. Select Lock screen or Home screen. Select only one to keep the two screens different.
6. Tap Next, adjust the image if you want, then tap Done.
7. Repeat for the other screen with a different picture.

The same menu is at Settings > Wallpaper and style > Change wallpapers.

Change only the lock screen, from the lock screen:

1. Wake the phone, then touch and hold the lock screen. Enter your PIN, pattern or password when asked (you need a screen lock set up for this).
2. Tap Wallpapers in the top left corner.
3. Tap Gallery, pick an image, then tap Done.

Menu names can be slightly different on older Galaxy phones. Samsung's own page notes that the options depend on your One UI version.

OnePlus asks where to apply the wallpaper after you pick it.

1. Touch and hold an empty space on the home screen and tap Wallpapers, or go to Settings > Wallpaper & style.
2. Pick an image from your photos (Album) or from the built-in static wallpapers.
3. When OnePlus asks where to use it, choose home screen only or lock screen only.
4. Repeat for the other screen with a different image.

Live wallpapers are the exception. OnePlus's own user manual says a live wallpaper can go on the home screen alone, or on the home and lock screens together, but not on the lock screen alone.

Xiaomi gives you three clear choices when you apply a wallpaper.

1. Open Settings > Wallpaper, or open the Themes app and tap Wallpapers.
2. Choose a wallpaper, or pick one of your own photos.
3. Tap Apply.
4. Tap Set as Lock screen or Set as Home screen. Avoid Set both if you want them different.
5. Repeat for the other screen with a different image.

For a live wallpaper on the lock screen, Xiaomi recommends picking it from the phone's own wallpaper settings. Third-party live wallpaper apps need the right permissions to work there.

On a Windows 11 PC, the desktop background and the lock screen are already separate settings, so you set each one on its own page.

Desktop background:

1. Open Settings > Personalization > Background. You can also right-click the desktop and choose Personalize.
2. Under Personalize your background, choose Picture, Solid color, Slideshow or Windows spotlight.
3. For your own image, choose Picture, then Browse to pick a file.

Lock screen:

1. Open Settings > Personalization > Lock screen.
2. Under Personalize your lock screen, choose Windows spotlight, Picture or Slideshow.
3. For your own image, choose Picture and browse to the file.
4. Optional: turn off Get fun facts, tips, tricks, and more on your lock screen for a clean image, and decide whether to Show the lock screen background picture on the sign-in screen.

Using two monitors? You can also give each screen its own picture. See how to set separate wallpapers on dual monitors.