iOS 26 keeps adding lots of new ways to customize your iPhone, but one of my favorites was first in the 26.0 release: 3D Spatial Wallpapers. Here’s how to use this feature.
How to apply 3D spatial effects to your iPhone’s wallpaper in iOS 26
Your iPhone’s wallpaper is one of the best ways to personalize your device. And in iOS 26, Apple introduced a fun new 3D effect for wallpapers.
According to Apple’s official iOS 26 release notes: :
Spatial Scenes let you add a new 3D effect to your photo wallpapers, making them come to life when you move your iPhone
Here’s an example of what it looks like in practice:
The same effect is also added to the Photos app and the popular Photos home screen widget in iOS 26.
However, in my experience, this 3D spatial effect really shines when applied to your iPhone’s wallpaper.
When creating a new wallpaper in iOS 26, you’ll see a row of suggested wallpapers under the ‘Spatial View’ heading. If one of these catches your eye, you can tap to select it, and the spatial effect will automatically be applied.
But if you want, you can also select almost manually. any picture to your Apple Photos library to get a 3D effect when used as your wallpaper.
Just follow these steps:
- Tap the ‘Add new wallpaper’ button in Settings ⇾ Wallpapers
- Tap ‘Photos’ in the top left
- Select the photo you want to use
- Tap the geometric photo icon near the bottom-right of the screen (pictured above)
- After the spatial view is generated, test the effect by rotating your iPhone from side to side
- Press ‘Add’ to save the wallpaper
It’s a small touch, but a fun one to bring your wallpaper to life every time you pick up your iPhone.
Are you currently using the 3D spatial effect for your iPhone’s wallpaper? If not, then why not? Let us know in the comments.
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