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User profile for user: Full of Eyes
Full of Eyes Author
User level: Level 1
15 points

Saving my Home Screen Wallpaper?

Hi there,


So, I've had the same wallpaper on every iteration of iPad for the last 9 years...it is pretty sentimental to me. However, I'd like to experiment with some new looks.


The problem is, I don't think I have the actual wallpaper image saved on my iPad anywhere and I'm concerned that if I try out a different BG, then I'll lose access to this well-loved wallpaper, which would be really disappointing.


It's just a random nature picture I found online so I wouldn't know where to find it again once I lost it....Is there a way to download my wallpaper to my images? Or to see where it is saved on my device, if it is in fact saved somewhere?


Thanks for any help!

iPad Pro, 12.9-inch, 6th Gen, Wi-Fi

Posted on Feb 4, 2023 7:46 AM

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User profile for user: LotusPilot
LotusPilot
Community+ 2024
User level: Level 10
289,262 points

Posted on Feb 4, 2023 8:20 AM

If setting an iOS/iPadOS wallpaper, should you wish to use it again elsewhere, or reload it at a later date, it is imperative that you keep a copy of the original image. Base wallpaper images cannot be saved back to your Photo Library or as a file.


As such, given that you don’t have the original image with which to reload the image, your options are limited. Perhaps the best that you can achieve is to take a screenshot of a blank home screen - and then crop the image to remove the unwanted status bar and Dock that will appear at top and bottom of the image.


To do so, touch and hold an App icon until the icons “jiggle”. Drag the icon off the right of the screen to an otherwise empty Home Screen - which will now just have a single App icon. Drag the icon back to the previous Home Screen and release. While the Apps continue to jiggle, with your finger swipe back to the now empty Home Screen…


Trigger a screenshot and then crop using the markup tools to remove the [presumed unwanted] status bar and Dock from the image - then save the image.





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User profile for user: LotusPilot
LotusPilot
Community+ 2024
User level: Level 10
289,262 points

Feb 4, 2023 8:20 AM in response to Full of Eyes

If setting an iOS/iPadOS wallpaper, should you wish to use it again elsewhere, or reload it at a later date, it is imperative that you keep a copy of the original image. Base wallpaper images cannot be saved back to your Photo Library or as a file.


As such, given that you don’t have the original image with which to reload the image, your options are limited. Perhaps the best that you can achieve is to take a screenshot of a blank home screen - and then crop the image to remove the unwanted status bar and Dock that will appear at top and bottom of the image.


To do so, touch and hold an App icon until the icons “jiggle”. Drag the icon off the right of the screen to an otherwise empty Home Screen - which will now just have a single App icon. Drag the icon back to the previous Home Screen and release. While the Apps continue to jiggle, with your finger swipe back to the now empty Home Screen…


Trigger a screenshot and then crop using the markup tools to remove the [presumed unwanted] status bar and Dock from the image - then save the image.





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Saving my Home Screen Wallpaper?

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