Where Is iPhone Wallpaper Stored?

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With Apple's high-resolution, patented Retina display technology, images on the iPhone pop with bright colors and sharp resolution. Choose from the factory-standard iPhone default wallpaper selection or create your own vivid lock or home screen displays with the iPhone's camera or screenshot capabilities. View the default wallpapers within the "Settings" app. The iPhone stores other images in various albums depending on your usage and the purpose they serve.

Find iPhone Wallpaper On the Device

The default wallpaper images that come installed with every iPhone are in the Wallpapers album. Access these images by tapping "Settings | Wallpaper | Choose a New Wallpaper," as explained by Apple. Also listed are other albums that contain assorted images: Camera Roll, My Photos, and – if activated – your Photo Stream. If you have added other albums, these appear here as well.

The Camera Roll album stores photos and videos you've taken on your iPhone, saved images from emails and texts, and screenshot images. The My Photos albums are images you've synced from iTunes and your computer. Photo Stream contains the images you've shared on iCloud and synced to other devices, such as an iPad or computer. Access these photo albums by tapping the Photos app.

Set as wallpaper by tapping an album tab, the image, the small settings icon and "Use as Wallpaper." Alternatively, you may set any image as wallpaper by tapping the "Settings" app and selecting "Brightness & Wallpaper." Tap the wallpaper graphic that shows the lock and home screens and then choose any photo from any album. Tap the photo and choose "Set" and select from "Set Lock Screen," "Set Home Screen" or "Set Both."

Find iPhone Lockscreens On the Cloud

If you have enabled My Photo Stream through Apple's iCloud service, your past 30 days' worth of images are automatically synced and stored online. Go to iCloud and sign in with your Apple ID and click "My Photo Stream." To turn on Photo Stream, tap the "Settings" app, "iCloud" and "My Photo Stream." Slide the toggle to "On" and the iPhone will upload the photos and screenshots you take to the iCloud service. Photo Stream automatically syncs all images and downloads them to all your other iCloud-connected devices. If you edit or delete an image in Photo Stream, this change affects the image on all your devices.

Access iPhone Wallpaper On Your Computer

You can also get access to your iPhone lockscreens and wallpapers through your computer, according to Apple. If you're using a Windows computer, you bring up the latest version of iTunes, and then choose the iPhone in the top left of the iTunes window. Click "File Sharing" to access the options relevant to accessing your iPhone wallpaper. To get a wallpaper from your iPhone to your computer, choose the file you want to save from the list at the right and choose "Save to," before selecting a folder on your computer. To move something from your computer to your iPhone, click "Add" and locate the file.

Use the Backup File

When you back up your iPhone from iTunes, the device saves your wallpaper and other images in the backup files. Depending on your settings, these images are stored either on your computer via iTunes or on iCloud via Wi-Fi syncing. Backed-up files are compressed and, in some cases, encrypted, so although your wallpaper images are saved, they are not accessible as individual, readable image files.

This information refers to Apple iOS 15, Mac OS X 10.9 or later and Windows 7 or later. Information and instructions may vary depending on your particular device and operating system.