How to Use Spatial Scenes in iOS 26

Spatial Scenes are the iOS 26 feature that gives your Lock Screen photo a sense of real depth — the foreground shifts against the background as you tilt your iPhone. Setting one up is quick once you know where the controls live. This guide covers the full workflow: enabling the effect, framing your photo, and getting the most convincing result.

Before you start

Spatial Scenes need two things: iOS 26, and a photo with depth that the system can separate into foreground and background. The feature runs on iPhone 12 and newer, and all the processing happens on-device. If you are not sure whether your model qualifies, check Which iPhones Support Spatial Scenes?

It also helps to understand what the effect is. A Spatial Scene is a still photo that iOS re-projects in real time as you move the phone — not a video and not a looping animation. For the full background, see What Are Spatial Scenes on iPhone?

Step 1: Open the Lock Screen editor

1. Long-press an empty area of your Lock Screen.
2. Tap Customize.
3. Create a new Lock Screen with the plus button, or edit one you already have.
4. Pick Photos and select the image you want to use.

Step 2: Choose a photo that has depth

This is where most of your success is decided. Spatial Scenes rely on a clear separation between a foreground subject and the background:

• Portraits of people or pets work especially well.
• Close-up objects with space behind them parallax nicely.
• Scenes with an obvious near element and a far element read as three-dimensional.

Flat patterns, solid colors, and abstract gradients usually stay flat because there is nothing for the system to push forward. If your own shots do not separate well, the Wallpaper Hub library includes images with foreground and background already cleanly divided.

Step 3: Turn on the spatial effect

With the photo loaded, find the spatial or 3D effect control in the editor and switch it on. Gently move your iPhone and you should see the depth come alive — the subject leans and floats slightly against the background. That responsiveness to motion is the whole point of the feature.

If the control is greyed out, the image lacks enough depth separation. Swap in a photo with a clearer subject.

Step 4: Frame the photo and clock

iOS 26 uses a dynamic clock that resizes around your subject, so how you position the image matters.

• Drag the photo to move the subject relative to the clock.
• Pinch to zoom in or out and change the crop.
• Aim to keep the subject reading clearly while leaving the time legible.

You can let the subject overlap the clock for a layered look, or keep them separate for a cleaner one. For detailed clock placement tips, see How to Frame the Clock on Your Wallpaper.

Adjust style and color

While editing, you can also tweak the photo’s color treatment and the clock font. These do not affect the spatial depth, but they help the whole Lock Screen feel cohesive. The depth effect sits on top of whatever style you choose.

Step 5: Save and live with it

Tap Done to save your Lock Screen. Now lock the phone and pick it up — tilt it to see the parallax. Remember the effect is motion-driven, so a phone sitting flat on a table will simply show a still image.

If you assign different Lock Screens to different Focus modes, you can keep a holographic photo for personal time and a calmer abstract or dark wallpaper for work, switching automatically.

Getting better results

A few habits make Spatial Scenes look their best:

1. Favor subjects with breathing room. A little negative space around the subject lets the layers separate more obviously.
2. Avoid edge-to-edge subjects. When the subject fills the frame, there is little background to parallax against.
3. Test a few photos. The effect varies image to image, so it is worth comparing.

FAQ

Where do I turn on Spatial Scenes? In the Lock Screen editor, after selecting a photo. Long-press the Lock Screen, tap Customize, choose Photos, and enable the spatial or 3D effect.

Why does my Lock Screen look flat? Either the spatial effect is off, the photo lacks depth separation, or the phone is sitting still. Move the phone and confirm the effect is enabled.

Can I use Spatial Scenes with a Live wallpaper? They are separate features. A Spatial Scene keeps a still photo with tilt-driven depth, while a Live wallpaper plays motion. You choose one approach per Lock Screen.

Once you have the workflow down, adding depth to a Lock Screen takes under a minute. Start with a photo that has clear layers, enable the effect, and frame it well. For a library of depth-ready images, Get Wallpaper Hub on the App Store.