New Wallpaper Options Included with iOS 15

Apple introduced a streamlined wallpaper selection with the release of iOS 15, replacing many previous designs with a unified, modern aesthetic. This guide details the specific default wallpaper options added to the operating system, how they interact with system display modes, and the broader changes Apple made to the built-in wallpaper catalog.

The Signature iOS 15 Abstract Wallpaper

Unlike prior software releases that featured a wide variety of static nature photographs and vibrant abstract patterns, iOS 15 introduced a single, signature abstract graphic.

The design features overlapping, translucent geometric shapes reminiscent of architectural glass or layered paper cutouts, presented in two distinct color states:

  • Light Mode: A soft, neutral cream and beige backdrop accented with muted pastel hues of blue, purple, pink, and yellow.
  • Dark Mode: A deep navy and charcoal background featuring richer, saturated jewel tones of indigo, violet, and deep cyan.

When the system's "Dark Appearance Dims Wallpaper" setting is enabled, the wallpaper automatically transitions between the light and dark variations depending on the scheduled or active system theme.

Reduction of Legacy Wallpapers

A significant aspect of the iOS 15 wallpaper update was the removal of older assets. Apple purged nearly all static wallpapers from iOS 13 and iOS 14, including previously popular landscape and geometric graphics. Users updating from older software versions could only keep those designs if they did not change their background after installing iOS 15.

Live and Dynamic Wallpapers

Apple did not introduce any new traditional "Live" wallpapers (which animate when pressed using Haptic Touch) in iOS 15. The built-in "Dynamic" wallpaper category—consisting of floating colored bubbles on black or white backgrounds—remained unchanged from previous versions, receiving no new colorways or design refreshes.

iPadOS 15 Variations

On iPadOS 15, Apple included a matching geometric design scaled for larger displays. The iPad version used the same aesthetic language and overlapping translucent shapes, but arranged the focal elements horizontally to accommodate both portrait and landscape screen orientations.