iOS 26 adds fun way to customize your iPhone wallpaper, here’s how to use it
Source: 9to5Mac
How to apply 3D spatial effect to your iPhone’s wallpaper in iOS 26
Your iPhone’s wallpaper is one of the best ways to personalize the device for you. In iOS 26, Apple introduced a fun new 3D effect for wallpapers.
Per Apple’s official iOS 26 release notes:
“Spatial scenes let you add a new 3D effect to your photo wallpapers, bringing them to life when you move your iPhone.”
Here’s an example of what this looks like in practice:
The same effect is also baked into the Photos app in iOS 26, and into Photos’ popular Home Screen widget.
When creating a new wallpaper in iOS 26, you’ll see a row of suggested wallpapers under the heading Spatial Scenes. Tap one to select it and the spatial effect will be applied automatically.
You can also manually select almost any picture in your Apple Photos library to gain a 3D effect when used as your wallpaper.
Steps to enable the 3D spatial effect
- Open Settings → Wallpaper and tap Add New Wallpaper.
- Tap Photos in the top‑left corner.
- Choose the photo you want to use.
- Tap the geometric photo icon near the lower‑right part of the screen (pictured above).
- After the spatial scene generates, test the effect by moving your iPhone from side to side.
- Tap Add to save the wallpaper.
It’s a small touch, but a fun one for bringing your wallpaper to life every time you pick up your iPhone.
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