Since update to 26.3, wallpaper is black, both on lock & home screens. If I play with settings inside Settings, not lock screen, I have gotten wallpaper on home screen but never on lock screen. Any minor adjustment and all wallpaper goes black, which is where things stand now. 13 Pro Max iPhone. Please help.
iPhone 13 Pro Max, iOS 26
UPDATE... I solved the issue on my phone.
Apple will never convince me that the update had nothing to do with this problem.
I checked and rechecked my settings...all looked okay.
Here's what I did...
On the lock screen....at the bottom it says "focus". I tapped it...I changed it to "work". The home screen background immediately changed to the original one I had set up. All the other wallpapers I use also changed back to their original colors!
Every time there is an update... something changes on its own!!
Focus Modes are in your Settings app. Make sure they are all off.
When I turned reduce transparency back on, it reverted to the black screen.
This didn’t work on my iPhone 17 plus but turning off reduced transparency did.
Do you have a Focus mode set and if so, which one?
The real issue is colored backgrounds aren’t working while reduce transparency is on. This doesn’t fix the issue but is a work around.
This works if you want to turn off reduce transparency but the issue remains if you turn the setting back on.
Just try turning off reduce transparency and changing wallpaper temporarily.
Black wallpaper issues are not always the fault of the iOS update! Many things can cause phone problems. If you tell people you think it's an iOS update, it might make it harder to fix or find a solution for the real issue.
Remember, the right question often leads to the solution!
Was/Is your device Jailbroken? If that's the situation, please be informed that attributing the issues to iOS updates may not be accurate.
iOS updates aim to enhance user experience, boost security, and fix bugs rather than disrupt core features. The majority of the issues after updates might stem from underlying, unmentioned factors. Updates won't typically alter personal data but may refine settings or features. Backup before major updates for safety. Review Apple's update details and backup advice for a smooth process.
Kindly consider checking your settings and addressing any device issues before attributing the issue to external factors. This could be a pure coincidence that the iOS update affected the iPhone functions.
Before initiating a standard iOS update, it's advisable to create a backup. Have you completed this step? If yes, proceed with the restoration from the backup.
See what each update does: OS — iOS 26, About iOS 18 Updates, About iOS 17 Updates, About iOS 16 Updates, About iOS 15 Updates, About iOS 14 Updates, About iOS 13 Updates, About iOS 12 Updates, and so on...
This surely is not caused by iOS 26.3
I conducted a thorough search of this forum using the term 'Black Wallpaper after update' and uncovered numerous posts detailing similar issues across various iOS updates. This suggests that iOS updates may not consistently be the root cause. Below are a handful of examples extracted from the search results:
The above issues span many models, and iOS updates suggest the issues reported by many are device-specific and erroneously attributed to iOS updates.
After the iOS 26.3.1 on iPhone 16 this morning, wallpaper and lock screen backgrounds were intact. However the Messages background was black
I used the fix recommended in this thread by turning off Reduce Transparency in Accessibility, then opened Messages and the white background was restored.
I did not have to restart the phone
Once the Messages background
was reset, I toggled ReduceTransparency in Accessibility without any further issues
There’s a setting (new?) in display that allows you to “tint” the glass visual. This is I think the same as what reduce transparency did. My guess is so many people used that setting they switched it to an actual option instead of it being nested in an accessibility setting. Fair, but also super annoying. (I admit I did not read the change log for 26.3, so maybe it’s noted)
At the top of the Lock Screen you’re currently using what does it say?
Do you have your display zoomed larger than the default setting?
I updated the iOS version to the latest 26.3 and yes the wallpaper on the Home Screen was black. I tried updating from the Home Screen itself but it does not affect anything. If I try to change it from the Settings, it’s the same behaviour. But when I open the Edit wallpaper option from the Home Screen itself does show the correct colour/ style that I am choosing. I am using iPhone 16 pro.
Edit: I observed that this issue is with colour and gradient.
I have the same issue i tried removing and re using the same photo, I constantly get a black back ground on the home screen icons. I also try setting the background to a light color in customzie (it will show im choosing the light color) then once set reverts back to black or dark , or some photos it appears to force the pair with photo but always dark and hard to read. This only occured for me after 26.3 the other day
Black wallpaper on lock & home screens after update 26.3
