Flyers · Glossary
Phone wallpaper size: iPhone and Android in pixels
A phone wallpaper should match the screen's native resolution. Recent iPhones range from 2556 by 1179 pixels on the iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 16 to 2796 by 1290 on the 16 Plus and 15 Pro Max and 2868 by 1320 on the 16 Pro Max. Android phones vary widely, so check the model's own spec sheet.
Phone screens are tall and narrow, about 9 to 19.5, and every model has its own resolution. A wallpaper made at the right size fills the screen without the system cropping or zooming it, and it leaves the clock and widgets readable.
Nuwan Madhusanka · Co-founder
4 min read · Published
| Phone | Resolution (portrait) | Pixel density | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| iPhone 15 Pro, iPhone 15, iPhone 16 | 1179 x 2556 | 460 ppi | Apple tech specs |
| iPhone 16 Pro | 1206 x 2622 | 460 ppi | Apple tech specs |
| iPhone 15 Plus, 15 Pro Max, 16 Plus | 1290 x 2796 | 460 ppi | Apple tech specs |
| iPhone 16 Pro Max | 1320 x 2868 | 460 ppi | Apple tech specs |
| Android phones | varies by model | varies by model | the maker's spec sheet |
| Safe choice for most phones | 1320 x 2868 or larger, centre weighted | covers the largest iPhones |
Match the native resolution
Apple's tech specs list each iPhone's resolution: the iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 16 have 2556 by 1179 pixel screens, the iPhone 16 Pro 2622 by 1206, the iPhone 15 Pro Max and 16 Plus 2796 by 1290, and the iPhone 16 Pro Max 2868 by 1320, all at 460 pixels per inch. A wallpaper at those pixels, portrait, fills the screen exactly. A smaller image is enlarged and looks soft; a larger one is scaled down, which is harmless as long as the proportion matches.
Android sizes and density
Android phones come in many resolutions, so no single wallpaper fits all. The Android developer guide explains that apps lay out in density independent pixels so a design looks the same physical size across screens; wallpapers do not get that help, and are cropped and scaled by the launcher. A tall image at least as large as the target phone's resolution, with the subject in the centre, suits most current Android phones. Some launchers scroll the wallpaper sideways across home screens, so a wider image gives that effect room.
Leave room for the clock and widgets
On the lock screen the clock and date sit in the top third, and notifications stack across the middle. On the home screen app icons cover much of the image. Busy detail in those areas makes text hard to read. Keep the subject in the lower middle, or design with quiet areas behind the clock. Newer iPhone lock screens can place a subject in front of the clock when depth is detected, which works best with a clear foreground subject and a plain background.
Common mistakes
The first is a landscape photo set as wallpaper, which is cropped to a narrow vertical slice. The second is a wallpaper made for an older 16:9 phone, 1080 by 1920, stretched onto a modern 19.5:9 screen, losing the top and bottom. The third is important text placed at the very top, under the status bar and notch or Dynamic Island. The fourth is heavy compression, which shows banding in gradients on high quality screens.
Wallpapers and the flyer editor
The flyer editor has no phone wallpaper canvas. Its tallest size is the Instagram Story at 1080 by 1920, a 9:16 frame, which is shorter in proportion than current phones, so a story design used as a wallpaper is enlarged and cropped at the sides or loses its edges. For an exact fit, the image resizer converts an export to the target phone's pixels, cropping evenly. The blank PNG above is 1290 by 2796 pixels, the iPhone 16 Plus and 15 Pro Max screen, for starting a wallpaper in another tool.
Questions people ask
What size is an iPhone wallpaper?
It depends on the model. The iPhone 16 and 15 Pro use 1179 by 2556 pixels, the 16 Pro uses 1206 by 2622, the 16 Plus and 15 Pro Max use 1290 by 2796, and the 16 Pro Max uses 1320 by 2868. Apple lists each on the model's tech specs page.
Why does my wallpaper look zoomed in?
The phone may be applying a perspective or zoom effect, or the image proportion does not match the screen, so it is enlarged to fill it. Use an image at the screen's exact resolution and turn off perspective zoom in the wallpaper settings to see the image as designed.
Can I use the same wallpaper on iPhone and Android?
Yes, if it is tall enough and the subject sits in the middle. Make it at the largest size you need, such as 1320 by 2868, and let smaller phones scale it down. The edges may crop slightly differently on each device, so keep important detail away from them.
What file format is best for a wallpaper?
JPEG suits photographs and keeps files small. PNG suits illustrations, flat colours and gradients because it avoids compression artefacts such as banding. HEIC, used by iPhone cameras, also works as wallpaper on iPhones but is less widely supported on other devices.
Do live wallpapers need a different size?
Live and video wallpapers follow the same screen proportions, but they are short video files or motion photos rather than images. Keep them brief, match the screen's resolution and aspect ratio, and avoid fast motion behind the clock, which makes the lock screen harder to read.
Make one with flyers
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Step by step in the builder: Resize one flyer for every social size.
Written and checked by the OneCraft team. Last checked .