With iOS 26.3, Apple is introducing some subtle but notable improvements to its dynamic weather wallpapers. This feature, which accurately reflects current weather on both your home screen and lock screen, feels more alive and realistic than ever before. Thanks to smart optimizations in lighting, movement and color reproduction, your background matches the weather conditions outside even better, whether it is a bright morning or a gloomy autumn day.
In addition, the wallpaper responds faster to abrupt weather changes. Where you previously sometimes noticed a delay when switching from light clouds to rain, the screen now adapts almost immediately. With these improvements, Apple makes the weather wallpaper not only more attractive, but also more precise and user-friendly. A small update that makes the daily Apple feeling just that little bit more magical.
iOS 26.3 in beta
At the time of writing, version 26.3 of the software is in beta and the update is still being extensively tested. The update is expected to be available to all users in February.
Improved weather wallpapers
The weather wallpapers have been around for several versions of iOS, but in iOS 26.3 they feel more refined. Apple has made the animations smoother and the transitions less abrupt. Dew, sunbeams or raindrops have gained more depth and respond subtly to the time of day. During sunrise, the light changes gradually, while falling snowflakes move more realistically thanks to a refined 3D parallax. The result is a wallpaper that not only looks dynamic, but also feels calmer and more balanced.
The color palette has also been renewed. Apple now uses the same tone mapping as in the Weather app itself, which better matches sky colors and cloud patterns. This creates a more consistent whole between what you see outside and what appears on your screen.
Faster responses to the current weather
One of the biggest improvements is the response speed. Previously, the wallpaper sometimes had a delay of minutes when the weather changed. In iOS 26.3, data is refreshed faster via Apple’s weather engine, making the wallpaper more responsive to current conditions.
When it rains, you will almost immediately see drops on your screen. This real-time synchronization makes the wallpaper visually appealing and functionally more reliable.
Set weather wallpaper
- Open Settings on your iPhone or iPad
- Navigate to ‘Wallpaper’
- Tap ‘Add new wallpaper’
- Choose a new weather wallpaper
Introduces iOS and iPadOS 26.3 three new weather wallpapers in a new separate ‘Weather’ category. These wallpapers are designed with different fonts for the time display and include widgets that allow you to see weather forecasts in your current location.
Apple has now split the previously combined ‘Weather and Astrology’ section into two separate categories. From now on you can adjust the widgets of the weather wallpapers, move them and change the time display as desired.