How to change the wallpaper on a Samsung Galaxy
Updated 2026-07-09
Samsung's One UI puts wallpapers under “Wallpaper and style,” with separate control over the home screen, the lock screen and its clock. Here's exactly how to change each one, how to put a background on your keyboard, and where to get free 4K AMOLED wallpapers that save battery on your Galaxy's OLED screen.
- 1
Pick a wallpaper
Download a free 4K wallpaper from the 2Live app — AMOLED true-black designs look razor-sharp on a Galaxy OLED and sip battery.
- 2
Open Wallpaper and style
Press and hold an empty area of the home screen and tap “Wallpaper and style,” or go to Settings → Wallpaper and style.
- 3
Tap Change wallpapers
Choose your source — Gallery, the 2Live app, or Samsung's built-in gallery — and select your image.
- 4
Choose Home, Lock or both
Pick where it applies. For the lock screen you can also add a clock style and widgets from the same screen.
- 5
Apply
Crop or “Expand” the image to cover the tall Galaxy display, then tap Done.
Set the lock screen separately (with clock and widgets)
In Wallpaper and style, open the Lock screen tab to give it a different image from the home screen, then tap the clock or widget area to restyle them. Samsung also lets you build multiple lock screens and swipe between them.
Put a background on your keyboard
For a custom keyboard background, use Gboard: open any text field, tap the keyboard's gear/Settings → Themes → tap “+” under My themes → choose a photo, adjust the brightness, and tap Done. With Samsung Keyboard, open Samsung Keyboard settings → Theme to switch between the built-in styles.
A clean, low-contrast wallpaper keeps the keys readable — the darker AMOLED designs in 2Live work well here.
Why AMOLED wallpapers on a Galaxy
Every modern Galaxy uses an AMOLED panel, so a pure-black (#000000) pixel is switched off entirely. A mostly-black wallpaper measurably lowers screen power — especially with Always On Display — while making a single accent color pop.
To set a moving wallpaper instead, see our guide on live wallpapers for Samsung Galaxy.
Frequently asked questions
How do I change my wallpaper on a Samsung Galaxy?
Press and hold the home screen → Wallpaper and style → Change wallpapers, pick an image, choose Home, Lock or both, then tap Done.
How do I set a wallpaper on the Samsung keyboard?
Use Gboard: keyboard Settings → Themes → “+” under My themes → pick a photo → adjust brightness → Done. Samsung Keyboard itself offers built-in themes under Samsung Keyboard settings → Theme rather than a custom photo.
Can I set a live or video wallpaper on Samsung?
Yes — Galaxy phones apply video live wallpapers to the lock screen. Set one from the 2Live app, or see our Samsung live wallpaper guide for the manual steps.
Where can I get free wallpapers for Samsung?
2Live on Google Play has 1,200+ original 4K wallpapers free, including a large AMOLED collection built for Galaxy OLED screens.
Related collections
Get thousands of free 4K live wallpapers