How to Set a Video Wallpaper on Android

A moving background makes an Android phone feel more personal, but how you get one depends on who made your phone. Samsung Galaxy phones can set a video from your Gallery directly. Other phones, including Pixel, offer preset and photo wallpapers in their Wallpaper & style menu, and you add video through a live wallpaper app. Here's how both work.

Samsung Galaxy: set a video on the Lock screen

You'll need a Lock screen (PIN, pattern, or password) set up first. Save the video on your phone; if it's in a cloud service, download it.

1. Touch and hold the Lock screen and enter your PIN, pattern, or password.
2. Tap Wallpapers, then tap Gallery.
3. Find and select your video, then tap Done.
4. To shorten it, tap Trim and use the sliders. Tap Play to preview, then Done.
5. Tap Done in the top right to set it as your Lock screen wallpaper.

Samsung Galaxy: set a video on the Home screen

On supported models and One UI versions:

1. Touch and hold an empty spot on the Home screen and tap Wallpaper and style.
2. Tap Change wallpapers, then Gallery.
3. Select your video and tap Done.
4. Trim it if you like, then tap Done in the top right.

If your model only allows video on the Lock screen, the Home screen will use a still image instead.

Pixel and other Android phones

Pixel's built-in Wallpaper & style menu uses preset images, your own photos, and effects. To check what's on your phone:

1. On the Home screen, touch and hold an empty space.
2. Tap Wallpaper & style, then Change wallpaper.
3. Choose Lock screen or Home screen to set them separately, pick a wallpaper, then tap Preview and Apply.

For a video, install a live wallpaper app from Google Play. Live wallpaper apps register with Android's wallpaper system, so after you pick a video inside the app, you'll get a standard Android prompt to preview and apply it. Depending on your phone and Android version, you may be able to choose Home screen, Lock screen, or both.

Tips for smooth video wallpapers

• Short loops look best. A clean 5 to 15 second loop avoids an obvious jump.
• Match your screen. Vertical, high-resolution video fills the display without awkward cropping.
• Keep it calm. Slow motion like clouds, water, or light reads well behind icons.
• Mind your battery. A moving background naturally does more work than a still one. If battery matters on a given day, switch back to a still wallpaper.

Samsung: set a video straight from Gallery

On many Galaxy models you can also open the video in Gallery, tap the More options (three dots) menu, and choose Set as wallpaper. Then pick the screen and trim the clip if prompted. Trimming to the best few seconds usually gives the cleanest loop.

Troubleshooting

• No video option in Gallery picker: your model may only support video on the Lock screen; try setting it there first.
• Video gets cut off: use Trim, or pick a shorter clip.
• Wallpaper resets after restart: update the live wallpaper app and check that battery optimization isn't restricting it.

Going further with ScreenLux

If you want ready-made motion artwork rather than your own clips, ScreenLux is the app I built for Android 8.0 and up. It applies through the standard Android live wallpaper prompt described above. ScreenLux: live wallpapers for iPhone and 4K video wallpapers for Android. All artwork is created with generative AI tools.

ScreenLux is free to download and preview; subscription unlocks the full catalog and removes ads.

My team specializes in advanced generative AI art and video, and WatchLux and ScreenLux are where we apply it to the watch and the phone.

• Android: ScreenLux on Google Play

Sean McCue, Founder, WatchLux and ScreenLux