How to change your smartphone wallpaper

If you tapped Customize, you can customize the wallpaper on the Lock Screen or Home Screen. Tap the one you want. If you choose the Lock Screen, rectangles appear around the date and time,

letting you know you can change the font and color.  Here, you'll see a + Add Widgets rectangle. Tap that rectangle to add widgets to the Lock Screen, such as battery level indicators,

reminders and the current temperature.  You can customize the Lock Screen even further. For example, tap the circled three dots at the bottom right corner of the screen to go with a

multilayered Depth Effect wallpaper option that's available for certain images and iPhone models, in which the subjects in a photo may appear in front of or behind widgets or other

elements in the picture. You can also crop a photo or swipe right or left to change the color or photo style. Whenever you choose your own photo as wallpaper, you can drag it  around with

your finger to the part of the image you want to use as your wallpaper, or pinch the image to zoom in and out so that it fits your screen. Be aware that you might not be able to do this with

every image. Tap DONE if you're satisfied with the way you laid things out or CANCEL to start over. With any of your choices, you get to decide whether to use wallpaper on both the

Lock Screen and Home Screen; if so tap SET AS WALLPAPER PAIR. Remember that the steps on Android phones can differ with manufacturers. These instructions are for a Google Pixel 6 Pro. AARP

ON AN ANDROID: STEPS CAN DIFFER As always, remember that the steps on Android phones can differ with manufacturers. These instructions are specifically for a Google Pixel 7 Pro. For the

home screen on your smartphone, press and hold on any open spot. A menu will appear. Tap WALLPAPER & STYLE | CHANGE WALLPAPER to get an array of image themes. (That's if your phone

runs on the Android 12 or 13 operating systema; older versions may skip the "change wallpaper" step and go right to the themes.)  Choose one of the themes — options include MY

PHOTOS, LIVING UNIVERSE, LANDSCAPES, and TEXTURES — by tapping the corresponding icon. Choose the wallpaper style or photo you want and tap on it. You’ll then see a preview of what the

wallpaper will look like on your home screen. If you’re happy with the choice, tap on the check mark at the bottom right, then choose whether you want that wallpaper for your home screen,

lock screen or both. Among your other customization options, Google lets you go with a Dark Theme appearance, and also change the way apps are laid out in front of your wallpaper

selections. _This story, originally published May 2, 2022, was updated to reflect new ways of changing the wallpaper on iOS and Android._