How to Shuffle Your iPhone's Lock Screen Wallpaper - MacRumors
Skip to Content

How to Shuffle Your iPhone's Lock Screen Wallpaper

by

In iOS 16 and later, Apple includes several Lock Screen personalization features for iPhone. Keep reading to learn how to make your Lock Screen wallpaper shuffle through photos at custom intervals.

shuffle photos lock screen
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. In iOS 16 and later, there are options to apply unique fonts, colors, and filters, and even add widgets to your Lock Screen.

One feature in particular that is sure to prove popular is the ability to shuffle your Lock Screen wallpaper. You can either select multiple pictures from your photo library or a specific album, and using the Shuffle option, you can opt to have the wallpaper shuffle between them on a set hourly or daily schedule, or every time you wake or tap your iPhone screen.

The following steps show you how it's done.

  1. Wake your iPhone and use Face ID or Touch ID to unlock it.
  2. Press and hold on the Lock Screen until the wallpaper gallery appears.
  3. Tap the blue + button in the bottom-right corner of the screen.
  4. Select Photo Shuffle from the wallpaper menu.
    Lock Screen

  5. Using the options (People, Nature, Cities) choose the kind of photos from your library that you'd like to include in the shuffle. Alternatively, choose an album of photos that you want to use.
  6. Tap Add.
    photo shuffle

  7. Tap the ellipsis button (the three encircled dots) in the bottom-right corner of the screen.
  8. Tap Shuffle Frequency, then choose from Daily, Hourly, On Lock, and On Tap.
    Lock Screen

  9. Tap Done in the top-right corner to finish, then tap your new Photo Shuffle wallpaper to select it from the gallery.

Your new shuffle wallpaper will now be live. Tap or wake your iPhone's screen to change the photo, or wait for it to change automatically, depending on your chosen option.

Related Forum: iOS 16

Popular Stories

Apple Watch Ultra 2 Black Titanium

watchOS 27 Will Add These New Features to Your Apple Watch

Sunday May 24, 2026 11:53 am PDT by
Apple will unveil watchOS 27 during its WWDC 2026 keynote on Monday, June 8, and a handful of new features have been rumored already. The first developer beta of watchOS 27 should be available immediately following the keynote, and a public beta typically follows in July. The update should be released to all users with a compatible Apple Watch model in September. Below, we recap watchOS...
iPhone 15 General Feature Green

Apple Preparing 'Most Significant Overhaul in the iPhone's History'

Friday May 22, 2026 1:36 pm PDT by
Apple reportedly plans to unveil its first foldable iPhone in September this year — it may be named "iPhone Ultra" — and expectations are high. In his Power On newsletter, Bloomberg's Mark Gurman said the foldable iPhone will be "the most significant overhaul in the iPhone's history." "iPhone 4, iPhone 6 and iPhone X were clearly a big deal, but this is a whole new design," he said....
imac video apple feature

Apple Released Two New Accessories This Month

Friday May 22, 2026 12:24 pm PDT by
May has been a quiet stretch in terms of new Apple products, but the company did release two accessories on its online store this month. First up was a new Pride Edition Sport Loop for the Apple Watch. The band features a rainbow design with 11 colors of woven nylon yarns. U.S. pricing is set at $49. The band is part of Apple's 2026 Pride Collection, which also includes a new Pride...