Background and Wallpaper constantly changing to BLACK automatically

Hi tncgra,

Thank you for posting in Apple Support Communities! This doesn't sound like expected behavior. Does this happen with any wallpaper that is set for your Lock Screen or a specific one? Does this happen at a specific time of day? Is it possible that a Focus is being enabled?

Check out how to customize your Focus settings here: Use Focus on your iPhone or iPad- Apple Support

Also, the latest iOS is currently iOS 16.1.1. We'd recommend updating and then confirming this continues to occur.

1. Back up your device to iCloud or to a computer: How to back up your iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch- Apple Support.
2. Go to Settings > General > Software Update
3. Tap download and install

Update your iPhone or iPad- Apple Support

Hope that helps!

I am having the same issue with my Lock Screen and wallpaper going black. Yesterday I shut my phone down multiple times to get the photo back on my Lock Screen; this photo has been on my 12 Pro Max since I got it (when they first came out). My phone can just be laying and when I pick it up the screen is black. Now both screens are going black. I’ve also lost transcription on my voicemail . My phone is updated. Any suggestions?

Been having the same issue on iPhone 7. It’s extremely frustrating and time wasting. Every single time there’s an iOS update I panic about what nonsense is going to break my phone now. Also, Bluetooth creating numerous problems for EarPod connectivity if the EarPod isn’t an apple brand. So using Samsung or beats wireless headset is prohibited since it’s not apple device. When I say prohibited: I mean it works. But you have to stay in the page while listening and can’t listen to audiobook while using another app as it cuts out. Then worse, most 3rd party wireless Devices no longer get picked up by Bluetooth on iphone.

I’ve actually been having the same issue - and more.

I have an automatic wallpaper photo change every day, and I have set up about 40 photos that it’s supposed to randomly decide a different one every day.

but for some reason, it randomly picks 3 photos, and change only to the same 3 photos every time.

ive been trying to fix it again and again and I’ve updated the software multiple time and it wasn’t fixed.

Any chance you’re still not having problems with only one photo for both lock and wallpaper? I’ve had the same photo on both and it will either randomly change to a solid black wallpaper OR it decides to black out roughly the top 3rd of the wallpaper photo… just wondering because it’s driving me crazy…

I have had the same issue the day I updated to 16 on iPhone 11 I figured out over several days if it went to black back ground I could power of and back on and my background pic was back but if I power off again it goes to black screen. But it does this automatically all the time but only making it the black screen it never goes back to my wall paper with out me powering on / off phone. Tried apple support several times they acted like I was crazy took to store they thought I was crazy till I showed them. The problem has only gotten worse with it switching mostly at night between the hours of 2am and 5 am for some reason. Then today I hit the side button to look at my phone and I’m in an app when all the sudden it pops up a screen asking me to customize my wallpaper and would not let me out of that screen till I plowed off and on the phone.

Apple never helpful.

whoever signed this calamity off as acceptable should be fired, and everyone in the team.

I’ve only stuck with Apple because the alternatives were so bad but you never hear complaints like this from Android users.

No more iPhones for me, this is the last straw.

I had to rest my iPhone 11 at the Apple Store and it’s really messed with everything. Including the issue you are all having. Goes to black or it goes to those awful graphics Apple decided to use on all their products which I hate. Can’t stand looking at them. I want pictures of my choosing on my iPhone. In my Mac I want either my pics at startup or those wonderful picture of California names for each iOS.

but this latest of constantly resetting my iPhone wallpaper to only have it change yo those graphics or black screen is crazy making

Same issue with an iphone XS max, since the update I will regularly lose my background images to a black screen. Please stop adding new features until the ones you have actually work properly. Backgrounds disappearing is an embarrassing display by APPLE.

This has been happening to me for a month now and I also have an iphone12. This is very annoying

In additional to that excellent advice, you can however expect the background to go to black every time you go into Do Not Disturb focus.