iOS 16.1 Lock Screen Wallpaper Display

No, I didn't say that - I do, however, assume that because this is an Apple forum, someone for Apple may be monitoring it and that would make it aware that some of us are having a problem. I actually have no insight into what Apple knows and how it might respond to anything - but prefer to make the assumption that it reads its stuff and responds accordingly.

I also know that not being to reliably duplicate a problem in a testing environment makes it extremely hard (impossible?) to craft a solution and am therefore advocating detailing the problem as it has happened to you. (Yes, I do have the problem randomly occurring on my 14 Pro Max and so far have not been able to force it to manifest) .

Oct 29, 2022 8:44 AM in response to gestler

I have worked around this issue by going to Settings/Wallpaper/+Add New Wallpaper and then selecting the wallpaper image I used in the past.

In response to this person, changing the wallpaper itself DOES NOT resolve the issue. Not sure why it's marked as "solved" as stated above

I installed the new iOS update, 16.1.1, and it has solved the wallpaper problem for me. My old wallpaper now persists after the phone goes to sleep and wakes back up, and after I close and reopen various apps. The "disappearing wallpaper act" has not recurred in the few hours since I upgraded to 16.1.1.

Several days ago I did a 'forced' (hard?) restart and after completion, the problem returned. It can't hurt but doesn't seem to be a fix for every case. This would be much easier if a direct cause was found, but I haven't come across it yet.

Returning to the problem this thread is about - - I've posted on Product Feedback - Apple several times, so apple should be aware of the wallpaper changing to a black problem. Fixing it may take some time unless the community can discover a reliable way of duplicating the problem.

There have been suggestions (speculation?) that perhaps the problem happens after a OS update - like the update from 16 to 16.1 or 16.1.1 and that a complete reset would resolve the issue. Of course, a complete reset would involve a reinstall of the OS and loss of all settings and data on phone so unless you have a good, reliable backup it might be quite difficult with no guarantee of satisfactory result.

Interesting that the problem seems to affect even older iPhones - the iPhone 8 is about 5 years old now (other older phones have also been mentioned in this thread). That would seem to indicate the problem is related to the way the wallpapers are implemented and not some interaction between DND or AOD, and wallpapers. I believe the anticipated December update to iOS 16.2 is expected to make some changes to lock screens/wallpapers for the iPhone 14 Pro and Pro max that will correct the problem - and hopefully for all iPhone series that can be updated to iOS 16.2 (including iPhone 8?).

Really there seems to be nothing you can change to "fix" the problem - it just seems to happen randomly. So, I wouldn't bother messing with settings, just redo your wallpaper and hope for the best.

From what I've read, the update to 16.2 coming in December is making some changes to Wallpapers and their interactions with AOD which may also fix the black problem.

There definitely seems to be some interaction between DND AOD, Focus, and Wallpapers that causes the black wallpaper problem. Your changes may last for a while, or forever, but having done all that myself on my 14 Pro Max (does the phone series make a difference?) I had the problem return after about a week.

I have read that the next edition of iOS - 16.2 due in December - will change the way wallpapers interact with DND and AOD so maybe the re-do will fix the problem for good.

Yup - all the "fixes" we've tried seem to be temporary. In my opinion, unless we (or someone - Apple) can reliably duplicate the conditions that cause the black screen to occur in all reported situations and phone series any "fix" will remain guesswork and elusive.

I'm not associated with Apple, but according to published reports, the mid-December update to iOS 16.2 includes some changes to the interactions between DND/AOD, Focus, and Wallpapers which may also fix this problem.

Had to call support to get fixed on phone. But then found my iPads snd and focus was on! I have never used and did not have se the share function on the focus on purpose. The new iOS has major issues. Hope the focus issue is now worked around but wish lick screen would work

Yes, that's how it is supposed to work. However, at some point, the wallpaper so set is lost or turns black. As near as I can tell the upcoming December iOS 16.2 update fixes the problem and none of the proposed 16.1.1 fixes has remained permanent.

I figured out how to solve my issue.

Note: I have already selected a photo from my albums to use for my wallpaper

Now to have a different photo on my. Home Screen

1) On Lock Screen, press and hold until the 'customize' screen show

2) Press 'customize'

3) Click on the 2nd window, which is the home screen

4) Click the + sign where it says photos and you can select a different photo

Now to see if it's still there in the morning after my sleep mode

Further research does not seem to be necessary at least for those using a 14 Pro Max. Next week’s iOS update to 16.2 corrects the problem. I assume it will also correct it on all iPhones that can receive the update.

Yes I’m having this problem too. Just bought a refurbished iPhone 13 mini, which arrived yesterday. I erased everything, then used quick start to transfer everything from my old phone. I then updated to the latest iOS 17. Worked fine on my old SE for years, running iOS 16.1 I think. I don’t want the wallpaper I’ve had for years, time to update with a photo of my son, now I have a bigger 5.4” screen. It looked like everything was working nicely, I mean it won’t let me either customise or delete my old generic image wallpaper, but okay I made a new one and another for my Lock Screen.

Then as you say, sleep focus came on and now there’s just black wallpaper on my Lock Screen. And my Home Screen reverted to the one from before the one I didn’t want. In fact sleep mode hasn’t been working properly since I updated iOS on my old phone to 16.1 from memory, I know it was one starting with 16 anyway. It does not switch off in the mornings, as my sleep schedule tells it to.

I did find a possible solution I need to work through. I discovered when I went into sleep focus settings (… menu) I could select my new wallpaper for sleep mode. But then when I tried to select it from the wallpaper screen it put my phone straight into sleep focus. Possibly I need to make a different set of wallpapers for sleep mode, and keep the set I made just for normal mode. I don’t know. It just feels like iOS got broken at 16 and now they’re having trouble fixing it. They really did a good sell on iOS 17 but it still doesn’t deliver.

EDIT: black wallpaper again on my Lock Screen as it’s just gone into sleep mode. I did just go back into it and I saw my actual wallpaper flash up briefly but then it was gone again. So it’s still in there somewhere.

I have the same problem since I installed ios 16.1: no wallpaper visible anymore, not on lockscreen and not on homescreen. Only a black background. Hope this will be fixed soon! :-(