When Apple released iOS 17.1, it included a new Lock Screen personalization option for iPhones. Here's how to make your Lock Screen wallpaper shuffle through photos from a specific album in your photo library.

shuffle photos lock screen
In recent versions of iOS, Apple has made it possible for users to customize the Lock Screen in ways that were simply not possible in earlier versions of its mobile software, and one feature in particular that has proven popular is the ability to shuffle photos on your Lock Screen wallpaper at specific intervals or whenever you wake or tap the screen.

In iOS 17.1 and later, Apple has extended this feature so that you can now shuffle pictures from a specific album from your photo library, rather than having to manually select individual photos or rely on Apple's preset options of People, Pets, Nature, and Cities. The following steps show you how it's done.

  1. Wake your iPhone and use Face ID to unlock it, but don't swipe up on the Lock Screen.
  2. Press and hold on the Lock Screen until the wallpaper gallery appears, then tap the blue + button in the bottom-right corner of the screen.
  3. Select Photo Shuffle from the wallpaper menu.
    Lock Screen

  4. Tap the new Album option, then choose the album of photos from your library that you'd like to shuffle between.
  5. Next, choose a Shuffle Frequency: Daily, Hourly, On Lock, or On Tap.

  6. Tap Use Album to move on.
    shuffle

  7. Tap the screen to preview the photos in your chosen album as they will appear on your Lock Screen, and tap the clock to adjust the font style and color so that the time, date, and any widgets remain legible against all of your pictures.
  8. Tap Done in the top-right corner to finish, then choose either Set as Wallpaper Pair to finish or Customize Home Screen to tweak its look separately, then tap Done.
    photo shuffle

Tap your new album-specific photo shuffle wallpaper in the gallery to make it live. Then you can tap or wake your iPhone's screen to change the photo, or wait for it to change automatically, depending on your chosen option.

Top Rated Comments

ned1 Avatar
25 months ago
I foretell …….17.1 users experience battery drain…..Apple’s response - turn off photo shuffle to optimise battery life between charges!?
Score: 13 Votes (Like | Disagree)
darngooddesign Avatar
25 months ago

I left my bride at the altar for nothing.
You got out of marriage so not for nothing. ?
Score: 5 Votes (Like | Disagree)
antiprotest Avatar
25 months ago

Daaaang.... I took a day off, ordered pizza, opened a bottle of Veuve Clicquot, lit some candles and yet the iOS 17.1 didn't show up ?‍?
I left my bride at the altar for nothing.
Score: 4 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Martin Schlender Avatar
25 months ago
The problem is that our only cycles through 16 pictures of the album. I tried it with a 70 picture album and it only shows the same 16 and starts over. So no use in my opinion. The same on iPad by the way
Score: 4 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Tomas1988 Avatar
25 months ago
Hello battery drain ???
Score: 4 Votes (Like | Disagree)
freezah Avatar
25 months ago
Daaaang.... I took a day off, ordered pizza, opened a bottle of Veuve Clicquot, lit some candles and yet the iOS 17.1 didn't show up ?‍?
Score: 4 Votes (Like | Disagree)

Popular Stories

iOS 26 on Three iPhones

iOS 26's Liquid Glass Design Draws Criticism From Users

Wednesday September 17, 2025 2:56 pm PDT by
It's been two days since iOS 26 was released, and Apple's new Liquid Glass design is even more divisive than expected. Any major design change can create controversy as people get used to the new look, but the MacRumors forums, Reddit, Apple Support Communities, and social media sites seem to feature more criticism than praise as people discuss the update. Complaints There are a long...
iPhone 17 Pro and Air Feature

Two iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone Air Colors Appear to Scratch More Easily

Friday September 19, 2025 10:02 am PDT by
As reported by Bloomberg today, some of the new iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone Air models on display at Apple Stores today are already scratched and scuffed. French blog Consomac also reported on this topic. The scratches appear to be most prominent on models with darker finishes, including the iPhone 17 Pro and Pro Max in Deep Blue, and the iPhone Air in Space Black. Images Credit: Consoma ...
iOS 26

iOS 26.0.1 Coming Soon, Likely With iPhone Air and iPhone 17 Pro Fix

Thursday September 18, 2025 9:17 am PDT by
Apple is preparing to release iOS 26.0.1, according to a private account on X with a proven track record of sharing information about future iOS versions. The update will have a build number of 23A350, or similar, the account said. It is likely that iOS 26.0.1 will fix a camera-related bug on the new iPhone Air and iPhone 17 Pro models. In his iPhone Air review, CNN Underscored's Henry T. ...
M6 MacBook Pro Feature 1

Apple's Rumored MacBook Pro Redesign: 6 New Features Anticipated

Wednesday September 17, 2025 4:26 am PDT by
Apple in October 2024 overhauled its 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pro models, adding M4, M4 Pro, and M4 Max chips, Thunderbolt 5 ports on higher-end models, display changes, and more. That's quite a lot of updates in one go, but if you think this means a further major refresh for the ‌MacBook Pro‌ is now several years away, think again. Bloomberg's Mark Gurman has said he expects only a small ...
iOS 26

iOS 26.1 to iOS 26.4: Here Are 5 New Features to Expect on Your iPhone

Tuesday September 16, 2025 11:17 am PDT by
iOS 26 was finally released on Monday, but the software train never stops, and the first developer beta of iOS 26.1 will likely be released soon. iOS 18.1 was an anomaly, as the first developer beta of that version was released in late July last year, to allow for early testing of Apple Intelligence features. The first betas of iOS 15.1, iOS 16.1, and iOS 17.1 were all released in the second ...
Tim Cook Rainbow

Apple Reportedly Plans to Launch These 10 Products in 'Coming Months'

Sunday September 14, 2025 8:45 am PDT by
Apple's annual September event is now in the rearview mirror, with the iPhone 17, iPhone 17 Pro, iPhone 17 Pro Max, iPhone Air, Apple Watch Series 11, Apple Watch Ultra 3, Apple Watch SE 3, and AirPods Pro 3 set to launch this Friday, September 19. As always, there is more to come. In his Power On newsletter today, Bloomberg's Mark Gurman said Apple plans to release many products in the...