How to Set a Live Wallpaper on iPhone 13
Add a live wallpaper to your iPhone 13 step by step: save it to Photos, then set it as a Wallpaper Pair via Settings. Covers iOS 16 to 26.
A live wallpaper is one of the fastest ways to make an iPhone 13 feel like yours. The 13’s 6.1-inch OLED screen is brighter than the 12’s and pushes deeper contrast, so motion reads cleanly against the bezel. Here’s how to put one on, plus the iPhone 13–specific details people usually miss.
Know your 13 first
The standard iPhone 13 (and the 13 mini) use a 60Hz OLED panel — smooth, but not the 120Hz ProMotion that’s exclusive to the 13 Pro and 13 Pro Max. For live wallpapers this makes no practical difference, because the animation is a short clip triggered by touch rather than a continuously scrolling surface. What the 13’s OLED does give you is true blacks, so a wallpaper with a dark background appears to bleed into the frame.
Software-wise, the 13 launched on iOS 15 in 2021 and remains a fully current device: it runs iOS 16, 17, 18, and is supported through iOS 26. The redesigned lock screen that lets you pick a Live Photo as a wallpaper arrived in iOS 16, so make sure your 13 is on 16 or newer before you begin.
The setup, step by step
You’ll need a Live Photo or a short video saved to your library. The free Wallpaper Hub app has a ready-made live wallpaper collection, or you can use a Live Photo from your own camera roll.
- In Wallpaper Hub, open a live wallpaper and tap Save to Photos. It lands in your Camera Roll as a Live Photo or short clip.
- Go to Settings → Wallpaper → Add New Wallpaper.
- Tap Photos along the top, then select your saved file. A Live Photo shows a small badge so you can tell it apart from stills.
- Drag to reposition, then tap Add.
- Pick Set as Wallpaper Pair to use it on both screens, or customize the home screen separately if you only want the lock screen animated.
Animation is on demand: from the lock screen, touch and hold and the wallpaper plays its loop. It won’t run on its own — that’s by design, and it’s why the battery hit is minimal.
Capturing your own on the iPhone 13
The 13’s camera records Live Photos whenever the circular Live icon at the top of the Camera app is enabled. Sensor-shift stabilization on the 13 helps here: handheld clips come out steadier, which matters because a live wallpaper loop is only a few seconds and any wobble is obvious. Aim for slow, looping motion — steam, a candle flame, slow surf.
Prefer to build something from scratch? Wallpaper Hub’s AI generator turns a prompt into an original image, and the editor crops it to the 13’s native 1170 × 2532 so nothing important gets clipped during placement.
If it isn’t working
The lock screen won’t animate. First check Low Power Mode — when it’s on, live wallpapers freeze to save power, and the battery indicator turns yellow. If that’s off and it still won’t move, you probably set a still version; re-add it and confirm the Live badge appears in the picker.
It’s zoomed in too far. During placement iOS scales the image. Re-add the wallpaper and pinch out so the whole frame fits, then tap Add.
My saved file is missing from Photos in the picker. Give the library a moment to index, especially right after saving. Leave Settings, wait around 30 seconds, and reopen Add New Wallpaper.
Quick answers
Will it shorten my battery life? Barely. The clip only plays when you press the screen, so the draw is far lower than a video that runs nonstop. There’s a fuller look at the battery question if you want specifics.
Can the home and lock screens be different? Yes — after setting the live wallpaper, tap Customize Home Screen and choose a still or a color so only the lock screen moves. The home vs. lock guide goes deeper.
Anything change on iOS 26? No. iOS 26 adds new lock-screen treatments, but the path through Settings > Wallpaper > Add New Wallpaper > Photos is unchanged from iOS 16.
Keep going
- What is the Depth Effect on iPhone Wallpapers?
- Browse by style or open the full wallpaper library
Beyond live wallpapers, Wallpaper Hub also packs an AI generator, an editor, charging animations, and ringtones into one free download for your iPhone 13.