A great wallpaper can bring your iPhone screen to life. And if it’s a live wallpaper, it could literally breathe life into your lock screen . While the pun wasn’t that great, trust me, these iPhone live wallpaper apps are nothing short of amazing.
But isn’t live wallpapers a thing of the past? Hasn’t Apple stopped 3D Touch support from the latest devices? Will it still work on my device? So, let’s find the answers to these queries before we move on.
Evolution of live wallpapers for iPhone
Live wallpapers were introduced in 2015, alongside the iPhone 6s and 6s Plus. It initially employed 3D Touch technology (also used by live images) to animate an image. So, when you touch and hold the image/wallpaper, it moves.
However, Apple ditched 3D touch in favor of Haptic Touch or long-press in 2018 with the iPhone XR launch. And many believed that it will be the end of live wallpapers reign.
But thankfully, the feature supports the long-press function, so even the new models have unhindered access.
iPhone models compatible with live wallpapers
- iPhone 6s, 6s Plus
- iPhone 7, 7 Plus
- iPhone 8, 8 Plus
- iPhone X, iPhone Xs, and Xs Max
- iPhone XR
- iPhone 11, 11 Pro, 11 Pro Max
- iPhone SE (2nd Generation)
- iPhone 12, 12 mini, 12 Pro, and 12 Pro Max
- iPhone 13, 13 mini, 13 Pro, and 13 Pro Max
*Devices with Haptic Touch support
What are the best live wallpaper apps for iPhone?
- Live Wallpapers Now
- Live Wallpapers for Me
- Everpix Cool Live Wallpaper 4K
- Live Wallpaper Maker
- intoLive
- Wallcraft
- Live Wallpaper Launcher
- Patternator
- Live Wallpaper 4k
1. Live Wallpapers Now: Color match the wallpaper with your images!
One of the most popular app, and rightly so. Along with a mesmerizing collection of live wallpapers, this app by Zephyrmobile packs a ton of special features:
- Converts your videos/live photos into live wallpapers
- A search by color mode to match the wallpaper with your cover, photo, accessory, or dress
- Exclusive Home Screen widget with new images daily
If you can overlook the disturbance from ads, the app is pretty seamless. Plus, the free version has a pretty decent collection under various categories, from abstract to underwater. Although, every now and then comes to locked wallpapers that push me to pull out my card!
Price: Freemium (In-app purchases start from $2.99)
2. Live Wallpapers for Me: Realistic & textured 4K wallpapers
The strong suit of the app is its impressive, well-categorized library of live wallpapers. And some of the categories are pretty exclusive, like the spectacular ASMRs, quotes, time-lapse, calendars, pixels, etc.
- An amazing collection that gets updated regularly
- Convert your videos into live wallpapers
- Unlocks secret wallpaper after a 30-sec ad
I have just one beef with the app; a 5-sec ad after almost every second swipe is quite outputting. It discourages you from exploring the whole collection. The great thing is that the yearly subscription can save you some bugs.
Price: Freemium (In-app purchases start from $0.99)
3. Everpix Cool Live Wallpaper 4K: Amazingly cool wallpaper collections
Thanks to a ‘cool’ selection of images, Everpix has been a top favorite wallpaper app. And as you might expect, the live wallpaper iteration offers equally stunning animations.
- Thousands of absolutely free 4k wallpapers
- Show preview of how will it look on the lock screen and home screen
- New wallpapers every day
Somewhere between exploring the gallery of cities, pixel art, and sport, I fell head over heels in love with the app. Trust me, you should download and check the collection at least once.
Price: Freemium (In-app purchases start from $0.99)
4. Live Wallpaper Maker: A complete app with widgets, custom icon, and keyboard options
If you like to go all out with customization, this app is specially crafted to fulfill your demands. In addition, to live wallpapers, the app also offers beautiful static wallpapers, a variety of icon packs, and doubles as a widget app and keyboard app.
- 5-in-1 app
- Extensive wallpaper catalog
- Thematic Live packs (matching lock/home screen wallpapers and keyboard skin)
Amazingly, the app does not bombard you with ads every few seconds; they are placed at some breathable intervals.
Price: Freemium (In-app purchases start from $2.99)
5. intoLive: The best live wallpaper making app
While there are a few live wallpaper makers in our listing, this one truly takes the cake. Not just live photos or videos, but intoLive can also create animated wallpapers from GIFs, repeating still photos and burst-mode shots.
- A variety of 30 filters
- Import media files from Wi-Fi, iTunes, Dropbox, Google, etc.
- Makes 30-sec live photos by adding multiple videos
You can do a lot in this app, from size conversions, playback speed adjustment, adjust video size, and location to repeating the clip. And thankfully, the ad doesn’t usually hinder the editing process and props up during conversions.
Price: Freemium (In-app purchases start from $2.99)
6. Wallcraft – Wallpapers HD, 4K
This app requires you to subscribe to get access to the live wallpapers, but I think it’s pretty worth it, given the stunning high-quality imagery. Featuring visuals from space to the ocean and everything in between, these unique live wallpapers are sure to mesmerize you.
Besides, it’s also got an impressive library of free still wallpapers that. New art and photos are added every day, and you won’t find them anywhere else, so it gives that exclusive look. Further, the interface is clean and easy to use, but the pop-up ads are a downer. However, you can pay to get rid of them to experience this app in the best way possible.
Price: Free (Pro subscription is $0.99 per month)
7. Live Wallpaper Launcher: Best abstract wallpapers for iPhone
This app prioritizes quality over quantity! While the app boasts just 5 categories, almost every one of them is quite breathtaking. I particularly enjoy the wallpapers in the abstract section.
- High-definition wallpapers
- Can add stickers to the live photos
- Weekly collection updates
Though the sticker idea is great, I did not enjoy the variety they offer. They look amateurish in comparison to the high-quality images otherwise offered.
Price: Freemium (In-app purchases start from $4.99)
8. Patternator Video Wallpapers: Cutest and smartest live wallpaper maker
While this one is not a specific wallpaper app, it works flawlessly to create hilarious, custom, and out-of-the-box live wallpapers for your iPhone.
- Creates coolest animated patterns
- Can adjust the pattern’s scale, spacing, and layout
- Variety of filter to control the motion of the pattern/object
This one is definitely one of a kind app, but not without a slight hiccup! You need the premium version to save the pattern as a live photo. However, you can save it as a GIF and make the GIF your wallpaper (this roundabout totally works)!
Price: Freemium (In-app purchases start from $2.99)
9. Live Wallpaper 4k: Stunning Outerspace HD wallpapers
When I opened the app for the first time, it showed me a beautifully animated big-bang explosion, and to this moment, my device sports that same live wallpaper.
- Exquisite natural and Outerspace themed animations.
- Categories such as Galaxy HD, Snow and Water HD, Night Out, Bokeh Effect HD, etc.
- Turn videos in live photos, wallpapers
While I adore the app for its’ variety, there is one major issue; the animation takes some time to load, and it can be irritating.
Price: Freemium (In-app purchases start from $1.99)
How to use native live wallpapers on iPhone
While only limited options, Apple does offer some built-in live wallpapers. To be honest, they are some of the best-looking and highly optimized wallpapers for your device.
And all you have to do to get them is follow the below steps:
- Open the Settings app and select Wallpaper.
- Tap Choose a New Wallpaper and then select Live from the options.
- Select the live wallpaper you want, then tap Set and choose Set Lock Screen from the dialogue box.
And just like that, you have Apple’s native live wallpaper on your lock screen.
FAQs about iPhone live wallpapers
Q. Do these apps work on iPads?
No, while the iPad can capture live photos and you can view them animate in the Photos app, the live wallpaper feature is not supported on Apple’s tablet.
Q. Can you change/edit the static photo you see in a live wallpaper
Yes, open the live photo in the Photos app → Edit → live photo icon from the bottom → Select the freeze frame and tap Make Key Photo → tap Done and now make it your wallpaper.
Q. How long can live wallpapers be?
A love photo, GIF can be longer, but the maximum length of live wallpaper is five seconds. So, if you want a particular loop, edit it from the Photos app and then set it as wallpaper.
Q. Are live wallpapers bad for iPhone’s battery?
To some extent, yes! While live wallpaper stays alive in the background and puts some pressure on the CPU, nothing is too drastic. Plus, if you animate the image frequently, it will bound to hurt the battery.
Customize your iPhone lock screen with these live wallpaper apps,
On the risk of sounding a live wallpaper fanatic, I switch between 3-4 apps regularly. Live Wallpapers Now for its widget; Patternator app to tease my friends and family and intoLive to convert my videos or current favorite GIF into live photos!
Additionally, the astrophotography lover in me can’t get over the Live Wallpaper 4k app, and I often go back to it for some refreshing imagery.
If you love dressing up your iPhone, you will also love these articles:
- Best winter wallpapers for iPhone
- Best sunset wallpapers for iPhone
- Batman wallpapers for iPhone
- Car wallpapers for iPhone
A self-professed Geek who loves to explore all things Apple. I thoroughly enjoy discovering new hacks, troubleshooting issues, and finding and reviewing the best products and apps currently available. My expertise also includes curating opinionated and honest editorials. If not this, you might find me surfing the web or listening to audiobooks.
Thank you Arshmeet!