Why is my wallpaper dark iPhone

New updates are being added at the bottom of this story…….

Original story (published on September 13, 2022) follows:

Apple released its new iOS 16 software on September 12, which can be installed on iPhone 8 or newer devices.

Just like any other iOS update, iOS 16 comes with exciting new features and bug fixes. Some of the features include the ability to unsend and edit iMessages, schedule emails, customize iPhone’s lock screen, and many more.

However, the exclusion or removal of certain features has displeased some users in the Apple community.

An example of this is where wallpapers are missing light/dark versions following the update to iOS 16 (1,2,3,4).

Earlier, most of the stock wallpapers had a light/dark version so that the wallpaper would change based on the theme of the device.

This was quite helpful as iPhone users didn’t have to stare at a bright wallpaper while the device’s theme was set to dark mode.

However, with the iOS 16 update, Apple has removed the light/dark wallpaper sets, and only includes either light or dark wallpapers that don’t change with the theme.

The only exception to this change is the new Earth live wallpaper that changes its theme from light to dark based on the time.

Can’t use my old favorite lights/dark mode Apple wallpapers with iOS16 new wallpapers. They don’t show up as an option in photos. Any way I could get this to work? Redownloaded the image still won’t have the light/dark Functionality
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‘Dark appearance dims wallpaper’ setting removed

Making matters worse, the update also does away with the “Dark appearance dims wallpaper” feature that would dim the wallpaper based on the ambient light.

Wheres the “dark appearance dims wallpaper” option in ios 16? I can’t seem to find it anywhere. I really liked the feature since it really helped when i opened the phone at night and it made the wallpaper look better in general. But i cant seem to find it anywhere after updating. Was it removed?

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Potential workarounds

Fortunately, the workaround below can potentially help you mitigate this issue, albeit not quite perfectly. It involves downloading the stills from this iOS wallpaper archive and use the trick below to apply “dark mode”:

The only workaround I’ve found is to make a focus mode that turns automatically (via Shortcuts) on at the same time as a dark mode with the dark mode wallpaper you want. Clunky as hell but seems like it will work.
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Even though there is a workaround available to you, it can’t truly make up for how easy it was earlier for iOS users.

Update 1 (September 14, 2022)

05:11 pm (IST): Below is a YouTube video that shows how you can set dynamic wallpapers on your iPhone running iOS 16.

Note: We have more such stories in our dedicated Apple section, so make sure to follow them as well.

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Leanne Hays is a Feature Writer at iPhone Life, and has written hundreds of in-depth how-to and troubleshooting articles. She's a former Associate Editor for iPhone Life magazine, and has written for the Iowa Source, as well as web content for education marketing. Leanne has an associate's degree in education, with a focus on curriculum development, as well as a bachelor's degree in science. She has over nine years of experience with SEO, social media management, and web development and writing. Despite years of web work, Leanne is by no means an early adapter; she's only owned a smartphone for five years, which makes her highly sympathetic to the learning curve of new iPhone owners. She enjoys making reader's lives easier and putting her education experience to work by walking them through the most practical ways to use Apple devices, step-by-step.

In off-work hours, Leanne is a mother of two, homesteader, audiobook fanatic, musician, and learning enthusiast.  

Want to change the wallpaper on your iPhone? You can choose a suggested wallpaper or one of your own photos.

1. In the Settings app, tap Wallpaper.
2. Tap Add New Wallpaper.
3. Tap Photos, People or Photo Shuffle to choose your own photo. You can also select a wallpaper from a category such as Weather & Astronomy, Emoji, Collections or Colour.
   
   
4. If you want, you can customise your wallpaper further. Then tap Done.

1. Make sure you've previously set up Face ID on your iPhone. To change your wallpaper from the Lock Screen, Face ID must be able to clearly see your eyes and the areas around them.
2. On the Lock Screen, touch and hold your Lock Screen to open your wallpaper gallery.
3. To select a wallpaper you've already created, swipe left and right. To add a new wallpaper, tap the Add button
   
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From the Lock Screen wallpaper options, you can also tap the Focus button to link a Focus to a specific wallpaper, customise existing wallpapers or swipe up on a wallpaper and tap to delete it.

If you can't use Face ID to change your Lock Screen, touch and hold your Lock Screen until the Customise button appears. If the Customise button doesn't appear, touch and hold the Lock Screen again, then enter your passcode. 

1. In the Settings app, tap Wallpaper.
2. Under the preview of your Lock Screen, tap Customise.
3. Tap Customise Current Wallpaper or Add New Wallpaper and select a wallpaper.
4. Before you tap Done on the wallpaper, make your customisations.
   
   

• To choose a font and text colour, tap on the time.
• To add or remove widgets — such as Calendar, Clock, Weather, Fitness or Reminders — tap on the boxes above or below the time.
• To apply photo styles — such as Black & White, Duotone or Colour Wash — swipe left or right.
• To crop and move your photo, pinch and drag your photo.
• To select wallpaper options, tap the More button. Perspective Zoom moves the wallpaper as you tilt your screen. Depth Effect enables layering with the subject of your photo.

Lock Screen wallpaper customisation is available in iOS 16 and later.

1. In the Settings app, tap Wallpaper.
2. Tap Add New Wallpaper.
3. Select Photo Shuffle from the top row of options.
4. On the Photo Shuffle screen, set a frequency (On Tap, On Wake, Hourly or Daily). Then choose a set of photos that will shuffle as you use your iPhone throughout the day.
   
   
5. Tap Done.

Thanks for your feedback.