Since iOS 26 and iPadOS 26 you have the option to give regular 2D photos a 3D effect. Spatial Scenes gives the image depth and lets you tilt your iPhone or iPad to view different dimensions. You can activate this in the Photos app, but also on the lock screen.
Thanks to a parallax effect, the photo on the lock screen comes to life with subtle movements. This works for all photos in your library, even if they weren’t taken with an iPhone.
Spatial scenes for lock screen
Apple’s spatial scenes change the look of the Lock screen. Instead of static backgrounds or simple Live Photos, you now get dynamic, 3D backgrounds that respond to your movements. It feels like you’re looking through a 3D window.
Activate 3D effect for backgrounds
- Go to the Lock screen of your iPhone or iPad
- Place your finger on the lock screen and wait a few moments
- Tap the plus button to create a new one or edit an existing one
- Choose a photo as background
- Tap the hexagon with mountain landscape (crossed out = disabled)
- Adjust the background if necessary
You can set an individual photo as the wallpaper for this effect, or you can select an album or multiple photos and enable the effect for the entire content.
Operation Spatial Scenes
The technology behind spatial scenes is very elegant. Apple uses smart machine learning to automatically analyze your 2D photo and divide it into layers: foreground, middle and background. Your iPhone or iPad’s gyroscope and accelerometer record how your device moves, and the software shifts these layers at different speeds. This parallax effect causes the foreground to remain still while the background moves, creating depth.
It works very subtly; you don’t have to tilt your device far; small movements are enough to show the 3D effect. This feels much more natural than the old interactions from previous iOS versions.
Activate spatial scenes in photos
- Open an image in the Photos app
- If necessary, tap the photo again to show the buttons
- Tap the Spatial Scenes symbol (hexagon with mountain landscape) at the top right
- The spatial scene is activated
The photo is immediately converted into a 3D display that you can experience by tilting your device. Swipe left or right on the screen to view multiple photos with this 3D effect.
Difference between Spatial Scenes and Spatial Photos
Spatial scenes use AI to analyze photos and add depth information, working on almost any photo. Spatial Photos uses your iPhone’s dual cameras to capture real depth information as you take the photo. This makes Spatial Photos more detailed on the Apple Vision Pro because they contain real depth information instead of an estimate. On your iPhone, Spatial Photos look normal; the 3D effect is only visible on the Vision Pro.