Alex Ruben
How To Fix Live Wallpaper Not Working on Your iPhone
Are you dealing with live wallpaper not working on your iPhone with iOS 18? Yeah, it’s kinda weird, but these things can just stop functioning without warning. Sometimes, it’s a simple toggle issue or a setting conflict. Here’s a rundown of what to check—some steps are straightforward, others might need a bit of poking around. Hope this helps someone get their animated backgrounds back without pulling their hair out.
Step 1: Disable Low Power Mode
Low Power Mode can be a real pain. Turns out, it restricts a bunch of features, including live wallpapers. If your wallpaper suddenly stopped moving, it’s worth checking this first. Because of course, iOS has to make it harder than necessary.
- Open the Settings app.
- Tap on Battery.
- Toggle off the Low Power Mode switch. (Settings > Battery > Low Power Mode)
This might seem obvious, but weirdly enough, on some setups, it’s like flipping the switch resets something.
Step 2: Turn Off Reduced Motion
Reduced Motion can interfere with the animations, including live wallpapers. This setting is meant to be accessibility stuff—turning it off can bring back the bounce and movement. Not sure why it works, but on some devices, leaving this on totally kills live wallpaper animation.
- Go back to the Settings.
- Select Accessibility.
- Tap on Motion.
- Toggle off Reduce Motion
(Settings > Accessibility > Motion)
Step 3: Check Wallpaper Settings and Customization
Sometimes, your customizations get wonky—maybe the live setting isn’t toggled properly. Long press on the home screen until the apps shake or wiggle. Then:
- Enter your passcode or authenticate with Face ID if prompted.
- Tap on Edit or the wallpaper thumbnail, depending on your interface.
- Go into Customize (if available).
- Make sure the ‘Live Photo’ toggle is active. If not, select a different live photo.
This is kind of annoying, but it’s worth double-checking. On some setups, the wallpaper just gets stuck unless you really nudge it.
Step 4: Adjust the Photo Scale
If the live photo seems too zoomed in, the animation might not display right. When editing your wallpaper:
- Check if the image is cropped or scaled oddly.
- Zoom out manually to fit the live photo properly.
This can be weird, but sometimes the original photo’s framing messes with the animation trigger.
Step 5: Switch to Another Live Photo
If nothing else works, maybe your current live photo is corrupted or just doesn’t play nice. Try selecting a different one:
- Open Settings.
- Go to Wallpaper.
- Tap Choose a New Wallpaper.
- Pick a different Live Photo. You can browse your Photos app for other videos or move to Live Photo tips.
- Set it as your wallpaper and test.
Step 6: Force Restart Your iPhone
Sometimes, a restart clears up glitches in iOS—especially after updates or if settings got wonky. Here’s how to do a quick force restart:
- Quickly press and release Volume Up.
- Quickly press and release Volume Down.
- Press and hold the Side button until the Apple logo appears.
On some models, it’s a bit different, but this combo works for most recent iPhones. Not sure why it helps, but it can kickstart stuff back into action.
Extra Tips & Common Issues
If the above doesn’t fix it, double-check these:
- Make sure your iPhone is running the latest iOS 18 update. Sometimes bug fixes are rolled out in minor patches.
- Verify that your photo is a true live photo—no static images. It’s easy to pick a regular photo by mistake and wonder why it’s not animated.
Conclusion
If these steps don’t immediately fix live wallpaper, it might be a tiny bug, or maybe you need to wait for the next iOS patch. But usually, toggling low power mode, adjusting motion settings, and reinstalling the wallpaper does the trick. Good luck and don’t forget to check your live photos are actually live!
Frequently Asked Questions
Why isn’t my live wallpaper working even after following all steps?
If it still doesn’t work, it’s probably a software glitch or something bug-related. Keep your iPhone updated to the latest version of iOS 18, because Apple tends to fix little quirks like this in updates.
Can I use any photo as a live wallpaper?
Nope, only photos taken with the Live Photo feature will work as live wallpapers. Static images won’t animate, obviously.
What if the wallpaper plays but doesn’t animate?
This is often caused by the same settings—check if Low Power Mode or Reduce Motion is turned on. Those will kill animation for sure. Double-check and toggle those off if needed.
Summary
- Turn off Low Power Mode in Settings > Battery.
- Disable Reduce Motion in Settings > Accessibility > Motion.
- Make sure the live photo is properly selected and customized.
- Adjust the photo scaling if needed.
- Try a different live photo if it’s still dead.
- Force restart your device if weird glitches happen.
Fingers crossed this helps. Worked for me — hope it works for you.