iOS 26 keeps adding many new ways to personalize your iPhone, but one of my favorites was there in the first version 26.0: 3D space wallpapers. Here’s how to use the feature.
How to apply 3D space effect to your iPhone wallpaper in iOS 26
Your iPhone wallpaper is one of the best ways to personalize your device for yourself. And in iOS 26, Apple introduced a new and fun 3D effect for wallpapers.
According to Apple’s official iOS 26 release notes:
Space scenes let you add a new 3D effect to your photo wallpapers, bringing them to life when you move your iPhone
Below is an example of what this looks like in practice:
The same effect is also incorporated the Photos app in iOS 26 and in the popular Photos Home screen widget.
However, in my experience, this 3D space effect really shines when applied to your iPhone wallpaper.
When creating a new wallpaper in iOS 26, you’ll see a row of suggested wallpapers under the heading “Space Scenes.” If one of these grabs you, you can tap to select it and the spatial effect will be applied automatically.
But if you want, you can also manually select almost any image in your Apple Photos library for a 3D effect when used as wallpaper.
Simply follow these steps:
- Under Settings ⇾ Wallpaper, tap the ‘Add new wallpaper’ button
- Tap “Photos” in the top left corner.
- Choose the photo you want to use
- Tap the geometric photo icon near the bottom right of the screen (pictured above)
- After the space scene is generated, test the effect by moving your iPhone from side to side
- Press ‘Add’ to save the wallpaper.
It’s a small but fun touch to liven up your wallpaper every time you pick up your iPhone.
Are you currently using the 3D space effect for your iPhone wallpaper? If not, why not? Let us know in the comments.
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