Blurry wallpaper fix
Why is my wallpaper blurry?
Nearly always the file, not the phone: too small, compressed on the way, or a preview saved instead of the original. Here is how to tell which, and fix it.
First, check the size
Open the image in Photos and swipe up (or tap ⓘ). The info panel shows its pixel size. For the iPhone Duo you want a landscape image at least 2034 px tall — that is the height of the cover screen, and every screen fills its height from the image. Our masters are 2892 × 2034.
The six usual causes
1. You saved the preview, not the download
Long-pressing a picture on a web page saves the picture the page displayed, which is usually a small preview. On this site the preview is 1100 px wide; the Download button gives the 2892 × 2034 master.
2. A messaging app compressed it
Chat apps shrink images by default. If someone sent you a wallpaper, ask for it as a file or a link, or AirDrop it.
3. It came from social media
Social networks resize and recompress uploads. A wallpaper saved from a feed is rarely the original size.
4. iCloud only has a smaller copy on the phone
With Optimize iPhone Storage on, the phone may hold a smaller version until the original downloads. Open the photo, wait until it has fully loaded, then set it.
5. It is a portrait image
The inner display in landscape is 1.42 times wider than it is tall. A portrait photo has to be enlarged a lot to fill it, so it goes soft — and loses most of its top and bottom. Use a landscape image with the Duo's 1.42 : 1 shape.
6. Perspective zoom
With the perspective effect on, iOS shows the wallpaper slightly enlarged (about 3% by our measurement) so it can move as you tilt. On a sharp image you will not notice; on a borderline one it can tip it into soft. Turn it off while customising the Lock Screen.
What is not a problem
In inner portrait, iOS enlarges the central strip about 1.4×, because that screen is 2853 px tall and the cover-sized strip is 2034. Unless an image is 4056 × 2853 or larger, that view is a little softer than the others. It is the view people use least, which is why our masters are sized for the cover and inner landscape. Every design page lists this under Screen fit.
Get a sharp one
Every design here is a free 2892 × 2034 JPEG master, sharp on the cover and on the inner display in landscape. Pick one from the categories and follow how to set it.
Questions
| What resolution should an iPhone Duo wallpaper be? | At least 2034 px tall and landscape at about 1.42 : 1 — for example 2892 × 2034. That is sharp on the cover and the inner display in landscape. For a sharp inner portrait view too, use 4056 × 2853. |
|---|---|
| Why does my wallpaper look sharp in Photos but blurry on the Lock Screen? | Photos fits the whole image on screen; the Lock Screen fills the screen and crops, which enlarges a small image. Perspective zoom enlarges it a further ~3%. |
| Why is only the inner screen blurry in portrait? | In portrait the inner display shows the central strip of the wallpaper enlarged about 1.4×. A 2034 px tall image is slightly soft there by design. |
| Does iCloud make wallpapers blurry? | It can, if Optimize iPhone Storage is on and the original has not downloaded yet. Open the photo, let it load fully, then set it. |
More guides: Wallpaper size guide · How to set a wallpaper · Different wallpaper per screen · On iPad, Mac & iPhone