Dynamic wallpapers have been available on the Mac since macOS Mojave. A dynamic background automatically adjusts the shades/colors of the background based on the time of day. Bright colors are shown from sunrise, darker and calmer colors as sunset approaches. The adjustment is done automatically and you hardly notice it because the colors have a natural transition.
Since iOS 18 and iPadOS 18, a dynamic wallpaper is also available on the iPhone and iPad. You can set the default iOS 18 wallpaper as a dynamic wallpaper.
Activate dynamic background
There is currently only one dynamic wallpaper available, this is the standard wallpaper that was introduced together with iOS/iPadOS 18.
To activate this, follow the steps below:
- Open the Settings app and select Background
- Tap the button +Add new background
- Swipe down until you see the cup iOS 18 sees.
- The first wallpaper (left) in the list under iOS 18 is the dynamic wallpaper, select it.
- A preview of the background will now appear. Make sure the style is ‘Dynamic’ selected. If Yellow, Pink, Azure or Purple is selected, the background is not dynamic and becomes a fixed color. Tap Add at the top right of the screen to continue.
- Select Set as background pair if you want the wallpaper to be visible on both the Lock screen and the Home screen. If you only want to show the background on the home screen, select Customize home screen.
The dynamic background is now active and will change color throughout the day. Unfortunately, there is only one dynamic wallpaper available in iOS.
Is the dynamic background not working?
If you have set the default iOS 18 wallpaper as your background, but it is not dynamic, you have probably selected a fixed color style. You can easily adjust this.
Hold your finger on the Home screen for a few moments until you can edit the wallpaper. Tap the button Adjust and select the lock screen, under styles make sure ‘Dynamic’ is selected. Then tap at the top right of the screen Ready.