How to create your own wallpaper on iPhone and iPad

(Image credit: iMore)

Jump to:

Download the app
How to find the dimensions for your Apple product
How to size your design for Canva
Creating the design
Setting the wallpaper

Want to add some personality to your device? Creating a wallpaper can be a fun and creative way of showing off your style. This article will tell you how you can start from square one and create a background for your device that is uniquely you.

Whether you consider yourself artsy or not, it's always great when you can have complete creative freedom. Canva is a free app with paid upgrades that allows you to create any sized design and use its elements or upload your own. So, this process can be a fun way to showcase your personality.

Before you start — download the app

Once you download the app and open it, you will be able to see where you can create different designs by using their templates or using custom dimensions.

How to find the dimensions for your Apple product

Canva does require you to enter the pixel ratio for your Apple product. This is information you could find on the Apple website when looking at your specific product. However, here is a quick reference if you are like 99 percent of others and don't know this number off the top of your head.

iPhone:

iPhone SE : 1136 x 640-pixel resolution
iPhone X and XS: 2436 x 1125-pixel resolution
iPhone XR: 1792 x 828-pixel resolution
iPhone XS Max: 2688 x 1242-pixel resolution
iPhone 11: 1792‑x 828-pixel resolution
iPhone 11 Pro: 2436‑x‑1125-pixel resolution
iPhone 11 Pro Max: 2688‑x‑1242-pixel resolution
iPhone 12 mini: 2340‑x‑1080-pixel resolution
iPhone 12: 2532‑x‑1170-pixel resolution
iPhone 12 Pro: 2532‑x‑1170-pixel resolution
iPhone 12 Pro Max: 2778‑x‑1284-pixel resolution
iPhone 13 mini: 2340‑x‑1080-pixel resolution
iPhone 13: 2532‑x‑1170-pixel resolution
iPhone 13 Pro: 2532‑x‑1170-pixel resolution
iPhone 13 Pro Max: 2778‑x‑1284-pixel resolution

iPad:

iPad mini (all models), 5th generation and iPad air (1st gen and 2): 2048 x 1536-pixel resolution
iPad (9.7in): 2048 x 1536-pixel resolution
iPad Pro (10.5in) and iPad Air: 2224 x 1668-pixel resolution
iPad Pro (11in): 2388 x 1668-pixel resolution
iPad Pro (12.9in): 2732 x 2048-pixel resolution

This will allow you to have the perfect sized wallpaper for your Apple product. No more cropping or tweaking your pictures.

How to size your design for Canva

Once you have downloaded the app and found the size of your design, it's time to put those dimensions in and see your blank canvas. Once you have downloaded the app and found the size of your design, it's time to put those dimensions in and see your blank canvas. On your iPhone or iPad it is the same process to put this information in.

Choose custom dimensions.
Use the pixel size for your Apple product from the chart above.
Invert the two numbers so the width is the smaller number and the height is larger for a portrait wallpaper.
Click create.

At this point, you will see a beautiful blank canvas for your creative mind to do its magic.

Creating the design

Here is the fun part. You can add templates, photos, text, background, etc. Make this as simple or complex as you want. Creating a wallpaper with this app is kind of like arts and crafts project for the tech world.

iPhone:

Create your design.
Add elements by selecting the plus (+) icon in the bottom right corner.
After finishing the design, click the download icon in the upper right corner.

iPad:

Create your design.
Add elements by selecting the options on the left side.
After finishing the design, click the download icon in the upper right corner.

You are almost there! After you are happy with your design, and you have downloaded your creation, it will appear in your photos.

Setting the wallpaper

Congratulations! You have created your design and it is now time to set it as your wallpaper, lock screen or both. Here is how you can finish the process on your iPhone or iPad.

Go to your Settings.
Tap Wallpaper.
Tap Choose a New Wallpaper

Tap All Photos.
Select your custom design.
Set it as Lock Screen, Home Screen or both.

At this point you should have an amazing wallpaper that you created. There are other apps out there that will allow you to create your own design, but none of them compare to Canva. It is free, simple to use and is available on almost every platform.

Get your design on

Once you master this process, you'll no longer be limited to the stock wallpaper selections on your iPhone or iPad. There will be no limits to the wallpapers and backgrounds you can create in Canva. You can even take it further and design desktop backgrounds for your MacBook as well.

iPhone 13