Perhaps the largest and most obvious thing you may customize about youriPhoneis the wallpaper. It’s the first thing you’ll see upon waking up yourphone, and it will always be waiting to be seen as the backdrop of your home screen. While Apple offers several fantastic default options for your wallpaper, it’s not unheard of to want just a little bit more than what Apple has to offer.
But, going online to find wallpapers can be frankly overwhelming. A quick search will return you more results than you could ever possibly comb through, and a lot of what you find might not even appeal to you. With well over a decade of smartphone usage behind me, I’ve found quite a number of fantastic wallpapers, but more importantly, quite a few great places to find more.
GameBoy Advance SP - Wallpaper Collection by Isa Pinheiro
Put some retro gaming appeal back in your pocket
There are many iconic handheld gaming consoles, but one of the most iconic is the Game Boy Advance SP. With theGameBoy Advance SP - Wallpaper Collection by Isa Pinheiro, you’re able to bring some of that iconic look to your iPhone. Each wallpaper in the collection is an unfolded Game Boy Advance SP of varying colors, including the NES-styled one. While the idea is simple enough on its face, what makes these wallpapers truly incredible is the framing. On your lock screen, the screen of the Game Boy can perfectly frame the time and whatever widgets you choose to place around it.
If there’s any major con to point out with this wallpaper set, it’s that it won’t really work as well on your home screen. The framing that makes these wallpapers fantastic for your lock screen disappears the minute you try to put icons within the frame of the Game Boy’s screen. Even withiOS 18’sallowance for freely arranged app icons, you’ll still only be able to comfortably fit two app icons on the Game Boy’s screen without them spilling over any other portion of the wallpaper. While this can be an issue, if you plan to use these wallpapers just for your lock screen then it is a genuinely fantastic set.
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iPod Socks Wallpaper by Basic Apple Guy
For scratching the oddest of nostalgia itches
Remember iPod Socks? I sure didn’t for quite a while, but it is a real product that Apple sold for some time in the late 2000s. The product was simply a cotton sleeve made for carrying an iPod, and they came in packs like actual socks. If you remember them, and have any semblance of nostalgia for the look of them, then theiPod Socks Wallpaper by Basic Apple Guyis the perfect way to succumb to that nostalgia. The wallpaper comes in the original six colors that the iPod Socks came in, and is an intricately made recreation of the look of iPod Socks.
It’s also worth noting that beyond the iPod Socks wallpapers, Basic Apple Guy makes a ton of amazing wallpapers for the iPhone, iPad, and Mac that are all incredibly designed and are all centered around Apple and its products. If you have nostalgia or reverence towards all of Apple’s history and want to peruse around for an outstanding Apple-themed wallpaper,Basic Apple Guy’s websiteis a veritable treasure trove. You’ll also probably learn something interesting about Apple along the way.
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iPod Wallpapers Pack by Oliur
Apple’s retro tech appeal
It feels somewhat strange to be able to consider the iPod a piece of retro tech, but it’s been over 15 years since the iPhone was introduced and began slowly burying the iPod. The device that actually went inside of the sock has long remained one of the most beautiful products Apple has ever made. While there were some less-than-stellar iPod designs throughout the product’s life span, the standard design of the rectangular iPod with a screen nestled above the click wheel is nearly unbeatable. TheiPod Wallpapers Pack by Oliuris the perfect way to bring that timeless design to your iPhone. This $14 wallpaper pack comes with 12 HD wallpapers that are all fantastic. Each wallpaper is a different color of iPod, and some even look like they have a number of stickers attached.
The iPod wallpapers, much like the Game Boy Advance SP wallpapers, are incredible for framing the time and widgets on your lock screen. While they aren’t as good when used for your home screen, it’s hard to beat unlocking your iPhone and being greeted by the face of an iPod.
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Where to find even more iPhone wallpapers
Dig into your own niche wants
While I have a ton of wallpapers I’ve downloaded over the years, they’re all things that appeal to me. Not everyone wants a few dozen different Dune-themed wallpapers for their iPhone. Going beyond just recommending a few widely-appealing wallpapers, you should know where to find more wallpapers. One of the greatest resources for finding iPhone wallpapers is Reddit. Specifically, Subreddits such as/r/iPhoneWallpapers,/r/MobileWallpapers, and/r/PhoneWallpapers. There are also plenty of niche Subreddits centered around wallpapers for various specific interests.
You can also use apps such as Vellum to find more wallpapers for your iPhone if your looking for a slightly more curated feed of wallpapers. Websites such asPexelsandPixabaycan also be great resources to find new wallpapers for your iPhone. But perhaps the best way to find new and interesting wallpapers for your iPhone is to browse sites like X and Threads, and to search for artists that create iPhone wallpapers. There’s no shortage of fantastic creators that put out incredible wallpapers very frequently, and these will often times be the highest quality wallpapers around. Searches on these sites will also quickly help you find threads of many people sharing their favorite iPhone wallpapers, and you’ll no doubt be able to find one (or ten) for you.
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