Best Sites to Download Dynamic Wallpapers for Mac and iPhone

Instead of a static image, dynamic wallpapers change throughout the day, with many of them reflecting the time of day. Unfortunately, the number of default dynamic wallpapers is relatively small, so you have to sort through third-party options to find more. Let’s take a look at some of the best websites to download dynamic wallpapers for both your Mac and iPhone.

Do you know: In addition to dynamic wallpaper, you can also set animated GIF as wallpaper in Mac.

1. 24 Hour Wallpaper (by Jetson Creative)

Price: $9.99

The 24 Hour Wallpaper app offers a superb selection of nature and city backgrounds at a whopping 5K resolution on supported devices. The nature selection includes stunning scenes featuring the Sierras, Yosemite, Pyramid Lake, Joshua Tree, Sonoma, and others.

Additionally, the city scenes highlight areas around New York, San Francisco, London, Paris, Tokyo, Amsterdam, and more.

Features:

• 100+ dynamic wallpapers
• All content available at 5K resolution
• No additional fees

Tip: If your Mac keeps changing your wallpaper, this is typically caused by the dynamic wallpaper setting. We show you other reasons and how to fix it.

2. Dynwalls

Price: Free

If you’ve spent time searching for dynamic wallpapers, DynWalls may be one of the first choices you encountered for macOS. The site has six free dynamic wallpapers, ranging from space-based imagery to several cities on Earth.

While six may not be enough, the images provide explicit quality, color, and depth, fulfilling those who wish not to pay for premium choices.

Features:

• Six dynamic Wallpapers
• Outer space and city scenes
• Easy to set up

3. Dynamic Wallpaper Club

Price: Free

Dynamic Wallpaper Club is a remarkable touch on dynamic wallpapers; as the images are user uploaded, you can expect every artist’s unique twist. You’ll need to dig around the gallery, but you will have many choices, from real-world photography to artist renditions of games, cityscapes, etc.

Dynamic Wallpaper Club has exceptional choices if you want something outside the usual, so it’s definitely worth a shot.

Features:

• User-uploaded content
• Largest selection of dynamic wallpapers
• Easy to set up

4. BenVessey

Price: $4

iPhone owners looking for dynamic wallpapers that are genuinely unique should look no further than BenVessey. Not only are these wallpapers dynamic in that they change based on the time of the day, but they also indicate your device’s battery.

With Shortcuts automation, your iPhone lock screen becomes a giant battery indicator with four packs available for around four dollars.

Features:

• Highly cost-friendly
• Easy to set up
• Wallpaper and battery indicator
• Four dynamic packages

Create Your Own Dynamic Wallpaper

Making your own dynamic wallpaper is surprisingly easy. You only need the Dynaper app to create wallpapers in Apple’s HEIC format. It uses dates and times from the filenames or the EXIF data to suggest which images should map to which times of the day.

Here’s how to create personalized dynamic wallpaper on Dynaper:

1. Find and download Dynaper on the App Store.

2. Add the “Dark” and “Light” modes of your wallpaper, and click “Export.”

Note: Dynaper costs $12. Use the free version to create wallpapers until you have something you’ll be happy with, then purchase the software.

Tip: You can make use of these free drawing apps for Mac to create your own wallpaper.

Types of Dynamic Wallpaper

Here are the three primary types of dynamic wallpapers:

• Geographic-based: These wallpapers use your location to change the looks based on the time of the day. If it’s winter, your wallpaper will account for daylight savings, and images from later in the day will play earlier in the evening.
• Time-based: They operate by your system clock time and change based on how much light is available outside. Early morning and evening? Dark dynamic wallpaper. Middle of the day? Light dynamic wallpaper.
• Light and dark mode: New operating systems also adjust the overall theme of their interface according to the daytime. Accordingly, light and dark mode wallpapers change whether your macOS or iOS system uses Light or Dark Mode settings.

How to Switch to Dynamic Wallpapers

iPhone and iPad

1. Tap and hold anywhere on your lock screen to enter the “Customization Screen.”
2. Select the “+” icon from the bottom-right corner to create a “New Wallpaper.”

3. Surf through the choices and choose the one you like.

4. Adjust the “Date,” “Time,” and “Widgets” sections and hit “Add.”

5. Pick “Set as Wallpaper Pair” to assign the wallpaper.

Note: These instructions only apply to iOS 16 and newer versions that support dynamic wallpapers.

macOS

1. Click on the “Apple” logo at the top left of the menu bar and select “System Settings.”

2. Open the “Wallpaper” section, and click on a dynamic wallpaper to pick it.

Note: These instructions only apply to macOS Ventura and newer versions that support dynamic wallpapers.

watchOS

1. Find and open the “Watch” app on your iPhone.

2. Navigate to the “Face Gallery” section using the bar below, and tap on the desired wallpaper to enter the “Customization Screen.”

3. Go through the choices as you wish, then hit “Add” to set it.

If those options aren’t enough, don’t worry! Keep reading to learn about the top third-party apps and websites to download new wallpapers.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the difference between live and dynamic wallpaper on iOS and iPad?

Live wallpaper is like a live photo. Force touch your screen and it animates. Dynamic wallpaper is animated on the lock screen and also on the springboard behind your iPhone or iPad icons.

Can I download apps with dynamic wallpapers?

Yes, there are plenty of third-party apps available in the App Store for download. Some actually contain dynamic wallpapers and others are live wallpapers that are mistaken for dynamic options.

Will dynamic wallpapers affect macOS or iOS battery life?

All animations can impact battery life on both macOS and iOS and dynamic wallpapers are no exclusion, primarily if you use an older device.