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General iOS wallpapers are horrible

iOS wallpapers are:

  • The most beautiful out there

  • I don't care, I use my own

  • Ugly and could be better

  • I just don't care

Results are only viewable after voting.
C

cmatuk

macrumors 6502
Original poster
Jul 10, 2013
259
169
OK, someone has to just say it:

iOS default wallpapers are horrible and Apple need to get its **** together.

So yeah, every new major OS usually brings new wallpapers and while they are maybe the most unimportant part for everyone, they are, at least for me, one of the coolest part about the new software.

But, Apple just doesn't care anymore. Not only did they kept the same not so great ones for two whole years, they usually get in the way of the icon grid and they are just ugly.

macOS has terrific, if dated, wallpapers but iOS has always had some pretty ugly ones save some few cool ones and most of them are gone. We kinda got a gleam of hope with iOS 9 and those dessert sand shots and now only one of them prevails.

Heck, the few cool ones they use on marketing shots are not on the final product (I'm looking at you iPad)

I think that Apple just kinda puts random cheap images in there and they think people will mostly use their own custom images which is a shame.

Also, those horrible data consuming wallpaper apps need to make a business I guess.

They could make them customisable (kinda like watchOS) instead of just putting that rainbow thing against various backs and calling it a day you could choose that design and then customise the back color. Same with the flowers and the gradients....

They made a great deal about those fishy animated ones and they are gone and now the legacy Earth one is back and those aurora color ones for the iPhone 8 are exclusive for some reason; that moon that they took from watchOS and the night Earth would look AMAZING if it were animated to reflect real life but nooooo we still have the ones that have been there since iOS Cupcake, I mean 7.

I get that the new ones are meant for the OLED screen but that particular iPhone won't be even out when iOS 11 gets here and, still, it will be the least popular iPhone for a while.

Despite technical OS differences or preferences, Google has really beautiful wallpapers on Android and even on Chrome OS and Apple needs to just throw a little more effort in there. They should use those "Shot on iPhone" photos wallpapers or maybe even give us the stuff they use on promo shots; like that paint thing on the iPhone X ad, that would be a killer 3D touch wallpaper I think..


So, thanks for reading and I ask your opinion:
 
Last edited by a moderator:
Mine is solid black. Glad they introduced their own solid black this time.

3f5cd32eaf5cff1beb22227a032de096.png
 
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Yun0 said:
Dont care, i have only about 100+ in a wallpapers album anyway. The space ones are the best though, as usual.
Click to expand...

I guess that will be the main answer hahaha; people use their own images.

Also, I guess Apple would have to pay a lot of money for photo royalties so they throw in a couple of nice ones and some fillers.

BUT since they make a whole deal about photography and all....
[doublepost=1505424002][/doublepost]
IndianBird said:
Mine is solid black. Glad they introduced their own solid black this time.

3f5cd32eaf5cff1beb22227a032de096.png
Click to expand...
It's the ultimate Legacy Wallpaper from iPhone 1
Now, also a battery saver on the iPhone X
 
  • Like
Reactions: Feenician and IndianBird
I use solid blue across my devices (macOS and iOS). I think more recent wallpapers have gotten pretty lame, yes. I would like to see the option to select a solid colour from RGB sliders as well as a gradient (two colours with RGB sliders).

In the grand scheme of things though one can select any image from anywhere to use. It would be nice if Apple updated their dynamic wallpapers since those cannot be changed at all.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Feyl, BeeGood, cmatuk and 1 other person
IndianBird said:
I wish you could hide it.
Click to expand...
I wish you could hide all icons.

I really like that about Android (at least, default one), you can have your whole home screen with just one icon so the wallpaper shines or packed to the core with icons or widgets if you prefer.
 
All wallpapers look bad on iOS, period. The frosted dock and childish oversized icons does not flatter any wallpaper.
 
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IndianBird said:
Mine is solid black. Glad they introduced their own solid black this time.

3f5cd32eaf5cff1beb22227a032de096.png
Click to expand...

Reminds me of the only possible wallpaper on my iPhone 3G way back when

Currently using the iPad Pro ‘gold’ wallpaper that someone extracted from the iPP iOS image.
 
Brenster said:
Reminds me of the only possible wallpaper on my iPhone 3G way back when

Currently using the iPad Pro ‘gold’ wallpaper that someone extracted from the iPP iOS image.
Click to expand...
OH!, could you share it, please!?
 
My impression of their choice of wallpapers is that they treat each release as an art exhibit. They go through certain themes. Unlike you, I usually appreciate them. However, I don't know if I agree with the thematic approach they implement.

The biggest issue with the theme approach is that it lacks variety, more so this year than ever. They've had some great wallpapers over the years that they should try to keep. This years selection is definitely to obnoxious of a style to appeal to many people. At least by not following a theme there could be something for someone.

I wonder how much a factor the royalty costs are. I have a strong suspicion that there are fewer liscenxed images this year than ever. The space ones are free, the flowers are likely done in house (trace back their interest in singular flowers back to the animated watch faces, they've been doing it for years and it's something that can easily be done in house), and the rainbow is obviously in house. The few areal photos are likely liscenced. Not sure about the bright goo ones for the X.

My issue is that the default images work best with rotation so it sucks when the remove good ones. They should try to get a larger variety of images instead of follow a theme.
 
Never see so many complaints over wallpapers. Just download Zedge or a million or her wallpaper apps and There ya go
 
I wish they could keep the signature wallpapers from the past too. I love the iOS mountain wallpaper and for some reason the online versions never look as good as when you set it up from the settings app.

1: iOS 8 Mountain
2: iOS 8 Underwater
3: iOS 6 Water Ripple
 
I personally think that the stock wallpapers are hideous. The exception is iOS 8 which was gorgeous, it really complimented the design of the phone without being overly distractive.
 
cmatuk said:
OH!, could you share it, please!?
Click to expand...

https://9to5mac.com/2017/06/14/new-ipad-pro-wallpaper/

Alll four are there; Silver, space grey, gold and rose gold. Obviously they’re meant to match the case of each color of iPad Pro (got the gold wallpaper on my own gold iPP) but they work and look great on my 6s with perspective zoom as well.

I do wish Apple would bring back the seasons wallpapers from way back. Used to love the Fall/Autumnal phone wallpaper at this time of year.
 
Brenster said:
https://9to5mac.com/2017/06/14/new-ipad-pro-wallpaper/

Alll four are there; Silver, space grey, gold and rose gold. Obviously they’re meant to match the case of each color of iPad Pro (got the gold wallpaper on my own gold iPP) but they work and look great on my 6s with perspective zoom as well.

I do wish Apple would bring back the seasons wallpapers from way back. Used to love the Fall/Autumnal phone wallpaper at this time of year.
Click to expand...

Just fire up Safari on the device and go to a designer fabric vendor site and look at swatches of stuff in the batik category -- or hey whatever strikes your fancy, Alexander Henry has some nifty old cars and Route 66 prints lol. Find a swatch of fabric looks right to you, press down to save the image to your photos, go in Control Panel / Wallpaper and fish it back out of photo roll into your homescreen or lockscreen. I usually go to some place nice like Equilter.com and look in the batiks first. Here's my homescreen this time around, for now. I got it in the hand dyes and batiks section. This probably the closest I'm gonna get to the actual fabric after springing for the iPad Pro... :D

sampleBatikSwatch.jpg



​
 
  • Like
Reactions: Brenster
cmatuk said:
OK, someone has to just say it:

iOS default wallpapers are horrible and Apple need to get its sh*t together.

So yeah, every new major OS usually brings new wallpapers and while they are maybe the most unimportant part for everyone, they are, at least for me, one of the coolest part about the new software.

But, Apple just doesn't care anymore. Not only did they kept the same not so great ones for two whole years, they usually get in the way of the icon grid and they are just ugly.

macOS has terrific, if dated, wallpapers but iOS has always had some pretty ugly ones save some few cool ones and most of them are gone. We kinda got a gleam of hope with iOS 9 and those dessert sand shots and now only one of them prevails.

Heck, the few cool ones they use on marketing shots are not on the final product (I'm looking at you iPad)

I think that Apple just kinda puts random cheap images in there and they think people will mostly use their own custom images which is a shame.

Also, those horrible data consuming wallpaper apps need to make a business I guess.

They could make them customisable (kinda like watchOS) instead of just putting that rainbow thing against various backs and calling it a day you could choose that design and then customise the back color. Same with the flowers and the gradients....

They made a great deal about those fishy animated ones and they are gone and now the legacy Earth one is back and those aurora color ones for the iPhone 8 are exclusive for some reason; that moon that they took from watchOS and the night Earth would look AMAZING if it were animated to reflect real life but nooooo we still have the ones that have been there since iOS Cupcake, I mean 7.

I get that the new ones are meant for the OLED screen but that particular iPhone won't be even out when iOS 11 gets here and, still, it will be the least popular iPhone for a while.

Despite technical OS differences or preferences, Google has really beautiful wallpapers on Android and even on Chrome OS and Apple needs to just throw a little more effort in there. They should use those "Shot on iPhone" photos wallpapers or maybe even give us the stuff they use on promo shots; like that paint thing on the iPhone X ad, that would be a killer 3D touch wallpaper I think..


So, thanks for reading and I ask your opinion:
Click to expand...
People still use stock wallpapers?
 
Can someone tell me why my wallpapers always zoom in. I can't set a picture I like because they all zoom in
 
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