You can't pick a video file as your iPhone wallpaper — the wallpaper picker only accepts photos. What it can do is play a Live Photo: on iOS 17 and later, a Live Photo wallpaper moves every time you wake your iPhone. So setting a video as your wallpaper is a two-step job:
- Turn the video into a Live Photo — with Liveify, a free iPhone app, it takes under a minute.
- Set the Live Photo as your Lock Screen: Settings → Wallpaper → Add New Wallpaper → Photos → Live Photo, keep play on, tap Add.
The rest of this guide walks through both steps, plus what to do when the wallpaper doesn't move.
Step 1: Turn your video into a Live Photo
Liveify converts the video on your iPhone and saves a real Live Photo to Photos — the kind iOS can animate on the Lock Screen. Your first 2 Live Photos are free.
Get Liveify on the App Store- Open Liveify and tap Choose a video on the Video to Live card.
- Pick your video (MP4 or MOV, up to 60 seconds) and drag the window over the moment you want. It snaps to 3 seconds — keep it around there for a wallpaper, because the Lock Screen plays the whole clip each time you wake the phone.
- Tap the clip, swipe to the frame you want and tap Set as cover. The cover is what your Lock Screen shows when it isn't moving, so pick a sharp frame with room for the clock.
- Tap Make It Live!, then Save to Photos.
For every option in this step — longer clips, TikTok videos, troubleshooting saves — see our full guide on how to turn a video into a Live Photo.
Step 2: Set the Live Photo as your Lock Screen
These are Apple's steps for iOS 17 and later (Apple Support):
- Open Settings and tap Wallpaper, then Add New Wallpaper. (Shortcut: touch and hold the Lock Screen and tap +.)
- Tap Photos, then Live Photo, and choose the Live Photo you just saved.
- Pinch to position it, and make sure the play button is on — that's what makes it move when you wake your iPhone.
- Tap Add, then Set as Wallpaper Pair to use the same picture on the Home Screen, or Customize Home Screen to pick a different one.
Wake your iPhone: the Lock Screen plays the motion, then settles on the cover. The Home Screen shows the still image.
Tips for a wallpaper that looks good
- Frame for the clock. The time sits over the top third of the Lock Screen. Pick a clip where the subject is in the lower half, or leave sky or a plain background up top.
- Vertical video works best. A horizontal clip gets cropped hard to fill the screen. If you only have a horizontal video, choose a moment where the action is in the center.
- One continuous movement. Waves, hair in the wind, a slow pan or a pet turning its head look smooth; fast cuts look jumpy over 3 seconds.
- No sound. Wallpapers are always silent, even if the Live Photo has audio.
Why isn't my video wallpaper moving?
The play button was off. Touch and hold the Lock Screen, tap Customize, choose the Lock Screen and turn the play button on.
Low Power Mode is on. It pauses wallpaper motion. Turn it off in Control Center or Settings → Battery.
The Live Photo came from another app. iOS only animates Live Photos that carry the motion data the camera writes. Some converters skip it, and the wallpaper editor won't play them. Liveify writes it, so re-make the Live Photo in Liveify from the original video.
It's a regular photo or a video. Check for the LIVE badge in the top-left corner in Photos. Only Live Photos appear under Live Photo in the wallpaper picker.
FAQ
Can I set a long video as my wallpaper? No. The Lock Screen plays a Live Photo, which is a few seconds long. Pick the best 3 seconds of your video.
Does the wallpaper loop? No. It plays once each time you wake your iPhone, then shows the cover.
Does it work on the Home Screen? The motion plays on the Lock Screen. The Home Screen shows the still image.
Which iPhones and iOS versions? Live Photo wallpapers that play when you wake the phone need iOS 17 or later.
Can I make a still photo move? Yes. Liveify can add gentle motion to a photo with AI — see photo to Live Photo.
Is there an easier way to make wallpapers? Our live wallpaper maker collects wallpaper-specific tips and tools in one place.