One of the perks of updating an Apple mobile device to iOS 16 is having a wider array of built-in dynamic wallpapers to choose from, including space-themed ones for astronomy buffs. Most iPhone users pick photos they took themselves (or downloaded and saved from the web) and set them as their lock screen or home screen backgrounds. However, the slate of preset wallpapers significantly increased with the recent operating system update, and it may be worth checking out.

The images filed under the ‘Weather & Astronomy’ category in particular are stunning to look at. Some of these dynamic wallpapers feature an accurate depiction of Earth and automatically update the globe’s position and other astronomical conditions according to a user’s location. Users can pick from a selection of five wallpapers, namely a full view of Earth, a zoomed in version of the globe showing topographical details, a full view of the moon, the moon up close, and a view of the entire solar system.

Where To Find iOS 16’s Out-Of-This-World Backgrounds


To give Apple’s new space wallpapers a test drive, launch the iPhone’s Settings app and go to ‘Wallpaper.’ Next, hit the ‘+ Add New Wallpaper’ button. In the top icon carousel, pick ‘Astronomy.’ When asked to give the wallpaper location permissions to update the display accordingly, hit ‘Allow Once’ or 'Allow While Using App.' Swipe through the various wallpaper choices, then hit ‘Add’ on the chosen one.

iPhone users can also modify their wallpaper from their device’s lock screen. Simply long-press the screen until the wallpaper selection carousel appears. Hit the ‘+’ icon to add a new wallpaper, or swipe through the pages and pick the one that says ‘Add New.’ Once in the ‘Add New Wallpaper’ page, follow the steps outlined earlier to pick an astrology-themed one. Apart from the Earth and moon wallpapers, there’s also a dynamic weather option that updates in real-time according to the climate conditions at the user’s location.

It is important to note that the dynamic aspect of the iPhone’s live wallpapers is only enjoyable through the lock screen. To keep the theme consistent though, users who’ve recently upgraded to iOS 16 may now choose one of the built-in images and hit ‘Set as Wallpaper Pair’ so it gets applied to the home screen as well. Otherwise, they can tap ‘Customize Home Screen’ and choose a different color, gradient, or photo to use. In addition, they can also apply a blurred version of the lock screen background.