Live Wallpapers are one of the most popular ways to personalize an iPhone lock screen. But for your live wallpaper to look sharp, smooth, and exactly how you want it, you need to use the correct wallpaper resolution for your iPhone model.
Each iPhone has a specific screen size and aspect ratio. Using the wrong dimensions can result in your live wallpaper being stretched, cropped, or slightly pixelated. This is especially important for modern iPhones with notches or Dynamic Island, where key parts of your image could get hidden or cut off if not centered properly.
By matching your live wallpaper dimensions to the exact resolution of your iPhone screen, you ensure a perfect fit without distortion. Whether you’re creating animated lock screen content or converting videos into live wallpapers, starting with the right size gives you a cleaner, more professional result.
This guide breaks down everything you need to know — from recommended iPhone wallpaper sizes to how to set a live photo as wallpaper — updated for all iPhone models including iPhone 16, 15, 14, and earlier.
What Is a Live Wallpaper on iPhone?
A Live Wallpaper on iPhone isn’t just a video background — it’s an interactive animation based on Apple’s Live Photo format. When set correctly, it animates with a soft press on the Lock Screen using Haptic Touch, giving you a dynamic moment that responds to your input. This feature blends personalization with motion in a uniquely iOS way.
Fish-Themed Live Wallpaper Healing Times
Technically, a Live Photo is a combination of a high-resolution still image (JPEG or HEIC) and a short video (MOV format), usually 3 to 6 seconds long. When you take a Live Photo using the iPhone camera, both elements are captured and saved as a single file — and this is exactly what the system uses for Live Wallpapers.
However, Live Wallpapers only animate on the Lock Screen. On the Home Screen, they remain static. And for the animation to play, you must press and hold the screen — it doesn’t loop or autoplay.
It’s also worth noting that Live Wallpapers require a compatible iPhone. Devices that support 3D Touch or Haptic Touch (starting with iPhone 6s) can animate Live Photos as wallpapers. Some newer iOS versions may limit or disable this feature when Low Power Mode is on, or if the device is unsupported.
In short, Live Wallpapers combine subtle interaction, motion, and your own content — but only work properly when formatted and applied the right way. The next section covers which iPhones support this feature, and how to get it working without issues.
Which iPhone Models Support Live Wallpapers?
Not every iPhone can run Live Wallpapers. The feature depends on hardware support for 3D Touch or Haptic Touch, and certain software behaviors introduced in iOS 9 and later. If you’re planning to use or design Live Wallpapers, it’s essential to know which models support animation on the Lock Screen.
Here’s a list of iPhone models that officially support Live Wallpapers:
- iPhone 6s / 6s Plus
- iPhone 7 / 7 Plus
- iPhone 8 / 8 Plus
- iPhone X, XR, XS, XS Max
- iPhone 11, 11 Pro, 11 Pro Max
- iPhone SE (2nd and 3rd gen)
- iPhone 12, 12 mini, 12 Pro, 12 Pro Max
- iPhone 13, 13 mini, 13 Pro, 13 Pro Max
- iPhone 14, 14 Plus, 14 Pro, 14 Pro Max
- iPhone 15, 15 Plus, 15 Pro, 15 Pro Max
- iPhone 16, 16 Plus, 16 Pro, 16 Pro Max
Important: The original iPhone SE (1st generation, 2016) does not support Live Wallpapers. It lacks the necessary touch interface to trigger Live Photo playback on the Lock Screen. Also, if Low Power Mode is enabled, the animation will be temporarily disabled — even on supported devices.
As long as you’re using one of the supported models above, you’ll be able to enjoy animated lock screens — either from Live Photos taken with your camera, or from custom content you convert manually.
Live Wallpaper Resolutions by iPhone Model
To get the best result when setting a live wallpaper on iPhone, you need to use the exact resolution that matches your device’s screen size. This ensures the wallpaper looks crisp, fills the entire screen, and avoids being stretched or cropped.
Below is the complete list of recommended live wallpaper sizes for each iPhone model that supports animated lock screens. These dimensions also work perfectly when exporting a Live Photo from a custom video:
| iPhone Model | Wallpaper Resolution (px) | Aspect Ratio |
|---|---|---|
| iPhone 16 Pro Max / 16 Plus | 1290 × 2796 | ~2.17:1 |
| iPhone 16 Pro / 16 | 1179 × 2556 | ~2.17:1 |
| iPhone 15 Pro Max / 15 Plus / 14 Pro Max | 1290 × 2796 | ~2.17:1 |
| iPhone 15 / 15 Pro / 14 Pro | 1179 × 2556 | ~2.17:1 |
| iPhone 14 Plus / 13 Pro Max / 12 Pro Max | 1284 × 2778 | ~2.16:1 |
| iPhone 14 / 13 / 13 Pro / 12 / 12 Pro | 1170 × 2532 | ~2.16:1 |
| iPhone 13 mini / 12 mini | 1080 × 2340 | ~2.17:1 |
| iPhone 11 / XR | 828 × 1792 | ~2.16:1 |
| iPhone 11 Pro / XS / X | 1125 × 2436 | ~2.17:1 |
| iPhone 11 Pro Max / XS Max | 1242 × 2688 | ~2.16:1 |
| iPhone 8 Plus / 7 Plus / 6s Plus | 1080 × 1920 | 16:9 |
| iPhone 8 / 7 / 6s / SE (2020, 2022, 2024) | 750 × 1334 | 16:9 |
These sizes reflect the actual pixel resolution of each iPhone screen. Using them ensures your Live Wallpapers display perfectly without unintended cropping or scaling — especially important on OLED devices with rounded corners, camera cutouts, and dynamic interface elements.
Live Wallpaper Format and How to Create One Properly
To use an animated lock screen on iPhone, the file must be in the correct format: a Live Photo. This is Apple’s proprietary format that combines a high-resolution image with a short video, wrapped into a single interactive file. If the format isn’t right, the wallpaper won’t animate — even if the video looks perfect.
What Is a Live Photo?
A Live Photo contains two parts:
- Still image: HEIC or JPEG, acts as the wallpaper preview
- Video: MOV format, 3 to 6 seconds long, captured at 30 or 60 FPS
Both components are bundled into a single file in the Photos app. When you press the Lock Screen with Haptic Touch, the system plays the embedded video in sync with subtle motion and audio (muted by default).
Supported Codecs and Frame Rate
iOS supports H.264 and HEVC (H.265) video codecs for Live Photos. HEVC offers better compression and is recommended if you want to keep file sizes small without sacrificing quality.
Frame rates of 30 FPS are standard, but 60 FPS results in smoother playback — especially noticeable on ProMotion displays like the iPhone 13 Pro and above.
File Size and Duration Recommendations
- Duration: Ideal range is 3 to 5 seconds (maximum: 6s)
- Resolution: Match your iPhone’s screen resolution exactly
- File size: Keep under 5 MB for optimal performance
Can You Use a Video File as a Live Wallpaper?
Yes, but you can’t apply a raw .mp4 or .mov directly as wallpaper. It must be converted into a Live Photo first. iOS only recognizes the Live Photo format for animated lock screens.
How to Convert a Video into a Live Wallpaper
To turn a video into a Live Wallpaper, follow these steps:
- Use an app like intoLive (available on the App Store)
- Import your video and trim it to 3–5 seconds
- Choose the resolution that matches your iPhone model
- Export it as a Live Photo and save to your camera roll
Once saved, you can set it via: Settings → Wallpaper → Add New Wallpaper → Live Photo.
Important Notes on Playback Behavior
- Audio: Included in the Live Photo but not played on the lock screen
- Low Power Mode: Disables live wallpaper animation temporarily
- Perspective Zoom: May crop slightly, so keep safe margins
By using the correct format and following these steps, your Live Wallpaper will animate cleanly on supported iPhones — without distortion, lag, or scaling issues.
Designing Live Wallpapers: Safe Zones, Cropping, and Focus Areas
Creating a beautiful Live Wallpaper isn’t just about motion — it’s also about composition. On modern iPhones, screen layout is no longer a perfect rectangle. You have to account for rounded corners, camera cutouts, and the Dynamic Island. This makes safe zone design essential for Live Wallpapers to look clean and immersive.
Understand the Safe Zones
On iPhones with notches or Dynamic Island (iPhone X and newer), important elements near the top of the screen may get hidden or clipped. Always keep critical content — text, logos, faces — at least 200 pixels below the top edge for devices with a Dynamic Island, and 150px for older notched models.
Likewise, the bottom corners are rounded, so avoid placing key visuals in the extreme bottom left or right. These edges may be trimmed depending on wallpaper mode and screen scaling.
Center Your Composition
Live Wallpapers are meant to engage on the Lock Screen — where the time, date, widgets, and swipe indicators all sit on top. Placing your visual focus in the center of the screen ensures it’s always visible and not blocked by UI elements. For portrait shots, mid-body framing works best. For abstract motion, use symmetry or radial motion centered on the screen.
Static vs Perspective Mode
When setting a wallpaper, iOS gives you two layout options:
- Still (Static): Keeps your image fixed. Safe zones are predictable.
- Perspective: Adds subtle parallax effect by shifting the image based on device motion. This may cause minor zoom-in and edge cropping.
For Live Wallpapers, Perspective is enabled by default in most iOS versions — meaning the system slightly enlarges your Live Photo to allow motion. As a rule of thumb, leave a 40–50px margin on all sides to avoid unintentional trimming.
Color, Contrast, and Visibility
Remember, the lock screen will always overlay text (clock, date, widgets) on top of your wallpaper. So choose backgrounds that offer good contrast and separation. Avoid putting bright subjects behind the clock area, or using white-on-white compositions that make the UI hard to read.
Quick Design Checklist
- Use correct wallpaper resolution (see previous section)
- Leave safe margins on top and bottom edges
- Center your visual subject
- Design with dark/light mode overlays in mind
- Test both Still and Perspective previews
Designing for iPhone Live Wallpapers is not just about aesthetics — it’s about working with how iOS handles layout, interaction, and motion. Build your visual around these zones, and you’ll get a final result that looks and feels native on any modern iPhone.
Can One Live Wallpaper Fit All iPhones? Yes — If You Design It Right
Designing separate live wallpapers for every iPhone model can be time-consuming, especially for creators or developers who publish downloadable content. But the good news: you can create a single high-resolution live wallpaper that scales effectively across multiple iPhone generations — if you follow a few key principles.
The Best Universal Size: 1290 × 2796
Based on Apple’s recent screen specifications, the optimal one-size-fits-most resolution for live wallpapers is 1290 × 2796 pixels — the native resolution of the iPhone 15 Pro Max and 16 Pro Max. This dimension has enough pixel density to downscale cleanly on smaller screens without noticeable quality loss, while still rendering pixel-perfect on high-end OLED displays.
Why This Resolution Works Across Models
- High pixel count: Ensures clarity on all screen sizes, from 6.1″ to 6.7″
- 2.17:1 aspect ratio: Matches most modern iPhones (12 series and newer)
- Vertical orientation: Works naturally with iOS lock screen layout
Even on iPhones with lower native resolutions, such as the 11 or XR, the system downscales the image with no visual distortion. The key is keeping the subject of the image centered and allowing safe margins on all sides to accommodate cropping or motion effects.
Safe Design Principles for Universal Fit
To make sure your universal wallpaper renders correctly across models:
- Keep focal elements within the middle 70% of the frame
- Avoid putting important content near the top 200px or bottom corners
- Leave padding around edges to support Perspective Zoom
When to Avoid the Universal Approach
If your wallpaper has device-specific UI interaction (like aligning with clock, widgets, or Dynamic Island), you may still need tailored versions. Also, on legacy models like iPhone 8 Plus or SE, the 1290px-wide wallpaper may be too large to scale proportionally without compression artifacts.
But for most users — especially those on iPhone 12, 13, 14, 15, or 16 series — a single 1290 × 2796 Live Photo offers the perfect balance of resolution, compatibility, and visual integrity.
How to Set a Live Wallpaper on iPhone (iOS 17/18 Guide)
Once you’ve created or saved a compatible Live Photo, setting it as your iPhone’s lock screen animation is a straightforward process — but there are a few toggles and behaviors worth understanding. Here’s the expert-approved step-by-step method to apply a live wallpaper on iOS 17 and newer.
Step-by-Step: Setting a Live Wallpaper
- Open the Settings app.
- Go to Wallpaper → tap Add New Wallpaper.
- Scroll to the Live Photo category (or tap Photos → select your Live Photo).
- Select your Live Photo. Make sure the Live Photo icon at the bottom is active (yellow).
- Tap Set as Wallpaper Pair or choose Customize Lock Screen only.
Confirm Live Photo Mode Is Enabled
When selecting a Live Photo, you’ll see a “Live” toggle icon on the preview screen. This must be turned on (highlighted in yellow) for the animation to play on the Lock Screen. If disabled, the wallpaper behaves like a static image.
Where Does the Animation Play?
- Lock Screen: Live Wallpapers animate when you press and hold the screen using Haptic Touch.
- Home Screen: Live Wallpapers display as still images — no animation.
There is currently no native support for looped or auto-play Live Wallpapers in iOS, due to battery and system design constraints. Playback only triggers on user interaction.
When Live Wallpaper Doesn’t Work
If your animation isn’t working, check the following:
- Low Power Mode: This disables Live Wallpaper playback to conserve battery.
- Device Compatibility: Older models (like iPhone SE 1st gen) do not support Haptic Touch.
- Wrong Format: Regular videos or motion GIFs will not animate unless converted to Live Photo.
Optional: Set from the Photos App
You can also apply a Live Wallpaper directly from the Photos app:
- Open the Live Photo
- Tap the Share button → Use as Wallpaper
- Confirm Live mode is active → Set
Once applied correctly, your lock screen will respond instantly to touch with smooth, dynamic motion — completing the full Live Wallpaper experience on iPhone.
Ready to Create Your Own Live Wallpapers?
Now that you understand how Live Wallpapers work on iPhone — from resolution, format, design rules, to setup — you’re in a perfect position to start creating your own animated lock screens.
If you’re looking to go beyond simple video clips or camera captures, check out our next guide on how to generate stunning Live Wallpapers using AI tools. From motion art to AI-animated portraits, we’ll walk you through the best apps and workflows — including intoLive Pro, Runway ML, and image-to-motion tools that make your iPhone truly stand out.
→ Read next: Create Live Wallpapers with AI (Step-by-Step)