When Apple released iOS 17.1, it included a new Lock Screen personalization option for iPhones. Here's how to make your Lock Screen wallpaper shuffle through photos from a specific album in your photo library.

shuffle photos lock screen
In recent versions of iOS, Apple has made it possible for users to customize the Lock Screen in ways that were simply not possible in earlier versions of its mobile software, and one feature in particular that has proven popular is the ability to shuffle photos on your Lock Screen wallpaper at specific intervals or whenever you wake or tap the screen.

In iOS 17.1 and later, Apple has extended this feature so that you can now shuffle pictures from a specific album from your photo library, rather than having to manually select individual photos or rely on Apple's preset options of People, Pets, Nature, and Cities. The following steps show you how it's done.

  1. Wake your iPhone and use Face ID to unlock it, but don't swipe up on the Lock Screen.
  2. Press and hold on the Lock Screen until the wallpaper gallery appears, then tap the blue + button in the bottom-right corner of the screen.
  3. Select Photo Shuffle from the wallpaper menu.
    Lock Screen

  4. Tap the new Album option, then choose the album of photos from your library that you'd like to shuffle between.
  5. Next, choose a Shuffle Frequency: Daily, Hourly, On Lock, or On Tap.

  6. Tap Use Album to move on.
    shuffle

  7. Tap the screen to preview the photos in your chosen album as they will appear on your Lock Screen, and tap the clock to adjust the font style and color so that the time, date, and any widgets remain legible against all of your pictures.
  8. Tap Done in the top-right corner to finish, then choose either Set as Wallpaper Pair to finish or Customize Home Screen to tweak its look separately, then tap Done.
    photo shuffle

Tap your new album-specific photo shuffle wallpaper in the gallery to make it live. Then you can tap or wake your iPhone's screen to change the photo, or wait for it to change automatically, depending on your chosen option.

Top Rated Comments

ned1 Avatar
18 months ago
I foretell …….17.1 users experience battery drain…..Apple’s response - turn off photo shuffle to optimise battery life between charges!?
Score: 13 Votes (Like | Disagree)
darngooddesign Avatar
18 months ago

I left my bride at the altar for nothing.
You got out of marriage so not for nothing. ?
Score: 5 Votes (Like | Disagree)
antiprotest Avatar
18 months ago

Daaaang.... I took a day off, ordered pizza, opened a bottle of Veuve Clicquot, lit some candles and yet the iOS 17.1 didn't show up ?‍?
I left my bride at the altar for nothing.
Score: 4 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Martin Schlender Avatar
18 months ago
The problem is that our only cycles through 16 pictures of the album. I tried it with a 70 picture album and it only shows the same 16 and starts over. So no use in my opinion. The same on iPad by the way
Score: 4 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Tomas1988 Avatar
18 months ago
Hello battery drain ???
Score: 4 Votes (Like | Disagree)
freezah Avatar
18 months ago
Daaaang.... I took a day off, ordered pizza, opened a bottle of Veuve Clicquot, lit some candles and yet the iOS 17.1 didn't show up ?‍?
Score: 4 Votes (Like | Disagree)

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