iOS 17 Wallpaper Tutorial — Every New Feature
Every new iOS 17 wallpaper feature explained: multi-layer Depth Effect, dynamic time-of-day wallpapers, redesigned widgets, and smart photo crops.
iOS 17 carried forward the customizable Lock Screen introduced the year before and added a handful of meaningful wallpaper-related changes. The headline is StandBy, a charging-time display mode, but there are also new system wallpapers, refined clock options, and the connection between wallpapers and Contact Posters. Here is a practical tour of what changed and how to use each piece.
StandBy: a wallpaper for your charger
The biggest visual addition in iOS 17 is StandBy. When you charge your iPhone on its side — locked, plugged in, and resting in landscape on a stand — the screen turns into a glanceable display. You swipe between three views: a clock, a pair of widgets, and a rotating photo display.
To set it up, charge the phone in landscape and let StandBy appear, then touch and hold any view to customize it. On the photo view you can pin specific albums; on the clock view you can pick a face and tint it; on the widgets view you can add, remove, and reorder widgets. iPhone 14 Pro and later keep StandBy always on, while other models wake it with a tap. We cover this in depth in How to Use StandBy Mode With a Custom Wallpaper.
Refreshed system wallpapers and clock
iOS 17 shipped new built-in wallpapers, including the Kaleidoscope set and updated weather and astronomy options that animate with real conditions. To browse them, touch and hold the Lock Screen, tap +, and scroll the collections at the top of the wallpaper gallery.
The Lock Screen clock keeps its iOS 16-style font and color picker. Tap the time while customizing to change the typeface and color. iOS 17 widened the range of color presets and made the live preview snappier, but the workflow is the same: the goal is a clock that contrasts cleanly with whatever wallpaper sits behind it.
Depth Effect, still here and still selective
Depth Effect — the trick that layers your subject in front of the clock — continues unchanged from iOS 16. While editing a Photos wallpaper, tap the three-dot menu and confirm Depth Effect is enabled. It still switches off when the subject would cover too much of the time or when you add Lock Screen widgets that compete for the same space.
If you want art that engages the effect reliably, Wallpaper Hub’s Depth-Effect-ready collection is composed for exactly this, and the editor lets you reposition a subject so it clips the clock the way you want.
Contact Posters and your wallpaper aesthetic
iOS 17 introduced Contact Posters, the full-screen card people see when you call them. While not a wallpaper in the Lock Screen sense, it uses the same design language — the same fonts, photo treatments, and Depth-style layering. If you have built a consistent look for your Lock Screen, you can carry the same palette and typeface into your Contact Poster under Contacts > your card > Contact Photo & Poster, so your incoming calls match the rest of your setup.
Building a multi-screen setup with Focus
A feature worth revisiting in iOS 17 is tying each Lock Screen to a Focus mode. Create several Lock Screens by touching and holding and tapping + for each, then link one to Work, one to Personal, one to Sleep. When a Focus turns on, its paired wallpaper appears automatically. This pairs naturally with StandBy: a calm screen for Sleep, a denser widget screen for Work.
Photo crops and Live wallpapers
When you choose a photo, iOS 17 suggests a crop that places your subject relative to the clock. Accept the suggestion or pinch and drag to fine-tune. For motion, Live Photos can be set as a Lock Screen wallpaper that plays a short animation on wake. If your library is short on good motion clips, Wallpaper Hub’s live wallpaper collection is built for the Lock Screen, and you can browse the full library at /wallpapers.
Compatibility
Every iPhone capable of running iOS 17 supports these wallpaper features, which includes iPhone XS, XR, and later, plus the second- and third-generation iPhone SE. StandBy works on all of them; only iPhone 14 Pro and newer keep the StandBy display always on rather than waking it with a tap.
Quick reference
- StandBy — charge in landscape, locked, to get a clock/widget/photo display.
- Clock styling — tap the time while editing to change font and color.
- Depth Effect — three-dot menu while editing a photo; disabled by some widget layouts.
- Contact Posters — match your Lock Screen look in your contact card.
- Focus Lock Screens — pair a wallpaper with each Focus for automatic switching.
iOS 17’s wallpaper story is less about a single new toggle and more about new surfaces — the charger, the contact card — where your chosen look now appears. Set up a clean Lock Screen first, then carry that style into StandBy and your Contact Poster for a consistent result everywhere.