Lots of different ways to give your Android home screen and lock screen a fresh look exist. The easiest way is to change the wallpaper. However, static wallpapers can get boring. A more exciting option is either a video wallpaper or, better, a cinematic wallpaper.
This article will show you how to create a cinematic wallpaper using a new built-in feature for Pixel devices and other Android 14 phones.
How to Create and Set a Cinematic Wallpaper on Your Android Phone
Cinematic wallpapers are one of the Android AI-powered features Google announced at I/O 2023. Using the power of AI, the feature can turn any picture into a 3D one with a cinematic effect that makes it feel lively. But there's a catch.
As of June 2023, you can only access the feature on select Pixel phones. Cinematic wallpapers will be widely available to all smartphone models starting with Android 14. However, the feature was added to the Pixel series as part of Google's June 2023 Feature Drop.
So if you're yet to update your Pixel, go to Settings > System > System update, check for the latest update, and install it.
After that, follow these steps to create and use a cinematic wallpaper:
- Unlock your device and once on the home screen, tap and hold anywhere to open the customization pop-up.
- Select Wallpaper & style. This will open the Settings app.
- On the next page, select Change wallpaper > My photos.
- Next, select the source of your photo and then choose your preferred image. Your device will take you to the wallpaper customization page.
- Tap the visual effects icon immediately below the Set Wallpaper button.
- After that, toggle on Create Cinematic wallpaper in the pop-up. Your device may take some time to make the image cinematic.
- Finally, tap Set Wallpaper in the top right to use your generated cinematic image as your wallpaper. From the dialog, you can choose to use the cinematic wallpaper as your home screen or both the home screen and lock screen.
The next time you open your device, you'll see a cool animation effect. But, although the feature is not widely available, it doesn't mean you can't have 3D wallpapers. You can take your 3D photos on your Android phone and use them. Alternatively, there are a variety of Android live wallpaper apps that you can leverage.
Make Your Home and Lock Screens Lively With Cinematic Wallpapers
Static wallpapers are the standard option across all Android phones. If you'd like to spice your device a bit, you can do it using a 3D wallpaper.
As long as you have the feature available, you can add a cinematic effect to any still image to make your device lively. It works best with images that have a main subject in focus, so we'd recommend experimenting with a few pictures before you settle on one.
But with the limited availability of the feature as of this writing, we advise installing a live wallpaper app instead if you want something that looks similar.