Change Samsung Galaxy S6 Home Screen Image

Updated 6 November 2026 · Standard formula, shown below

Changing the home screen image on a Samsung Galaxy S6 lets you replace the background behind your app icons with a photo or another wallpaper. You can set it from the Home screen or through Settings; have the image you want saved on the phone first.

What You’ll Need

A Samsung Galaxy S6 that is switched on and unlocked.
A wallpaper image already saved on the phone, such as in Gallery or Downloads. You can also use one of the wallpapers supplied with the phone.
If you are downloading a picture, an internet connection and enough free storage to save it.

Step-by-Step

Open the Home screen. Press the physical Home button below the display, or use the on-screen Home control if enabled. If you are in an app, this takes you back to the screen with your icons and widgets.
Open the wallpaper controls. Touch and hold an empty area of the Home screen, away from an icon or widget. When the Home screen options appear, tap Wallpapers. On some S6 software versions, you can instead tap Settings on this screen and then choose Wallpaper.
Choose where the picture will appear. If prompted to select a screen, choose Home screen. Choose Home and lock screens only if you want the same image on both. Some software versions show the screen selection after you have chosen an image rather than before.
Select an image source. Choose a built-in wallpaper or tap an option such as From Gallery to use your own photo. The wording can vary slightly with the phone’s software. If you do not see a Gallery option, look for Gallery, Photos, or a similar picture-source choice.
Find and select the image. Browse the albums or folders, then tap the picture you want. For a downloaded image, check the Downloads album or folder. If asked which app to use to open the image, select the photo app that contains it.
Adjust the crop and position. Use the preview to move the picture and, when available, pinch to zoom in or out. The Galaxy S6 screen is taller than many photos, so the phone may crop the sides or top and bottom. Make sure important faces or details remain inside the visible preview.
Apply the wallpaper. Tap Set as wallpaper or Set wallpaper. If asked again which screen to change, choose Home screen or the combined option. Wait for the confirmation, then press Home to check the result.
Check the finished screen. Look at the image behind your icons and widgets. If it looks too zoomed, poorly positioned, or hard to see, repeat the steps and adjust the crop or choose a different image.

Common Mistakes

Choosing the lock screen by mistake: The lock screen and Home screen can have different wallpapers. Confirm that you selected Home screen before applying the image.
Trying to open a menu from an icon: Touching and holding an app icon may open options for that app. Start on an empty patch of the Home screen instead.
Expecting the whole photo to fit: A photo with a different shape from the display may be enlarged or cropped. Check the preview rather than assuming every edge will show.
Using a picture that is difficult to see behind icons: Busy, bright, or high-contrast images can make app labels and widgets harder to read. Choose a calmer part of the photo or another wallpaper.
Leaving the image in an online location: A photo visible in a cloud gallery may not be stored locally. Download it to the phone before selecting it if the wallpaper picker cannot find it.

Tips

Choose a high-quality image with the main subject near the center. This gives you more flexibility when the phone crops the picture to fit.
Preview the wallpaper with your usual icons and widgets in place. A picture that looks good by itself may make labels or calendar details difficult to read.
If the image is too bright behind icons, edit a copy to darken or simplify it, then select the edited copy. Keep the original if you want to restore it later.
Use the built-in wallpaper choices if you want a quick option without downloading a file or granting an app access to photos.
Make a note of which albums contain downloaded images. This makes it easier to find the same picture again if you change wallpapers.

Troubleshooting

Wallpaper options do not appear: Return to the Home screen, close any menus, and press and hold an empty area—not an icon, widget, or folder. If the screen is full, try a blank area on another Home screen panel. You can also open the phone’s Settings app and look for Wallpaper or Display; menu placement can differ by software version.

The photo is missing from the picker: Open Gallery and check whether the image is actually on the device. If it is stored online, download it first. If you recently copied it to the phone, give the Gallery app a moment to update, then close and reopen the wallpaper picker. Check Downloads and other albums rather than looking only in Camera.

The image is cropped or zoomed unexpectedly: Reopen the preview and adjust the image before applying it. Try a photo with a portrait shape or a larger image, and keep the important subject away from the edges. The phone may crop an image to fill the screen; selecting a smaller image does not necessarily make the entire picture fit.

The wallpaper does not change: Confirm the final apply button was tapped and that the selected destination was the Home screen. Return to Home and wait briefly. If it still shows the old image, restart the phone and apply the wallpaper again. A restart does not erase your personal files.

A downloaded wallpaper app is not working: First try applying the picture through the built-in wallpaper picker or Gallery. If the app cannot access the image, review its photo or storage permission in Settings, where available, and allow only the access needed. Avoid installing another app just to set a single picture.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I set a different picture for the Home screen and lock screen?
Yes. Choose the Home screen option when applying one image, then repeat the process and choose the lock screen for the other. The available choices can vary slightly with software.

Can I use a photo I took with the S6?
Yes. Open the wallpaper picker, select Gallery, and choose the photo from the Camera album. Adjust its position in the preview before applying it.

Why does my entire photo not fit on the screen?
The photo’s proportions may not match the display. The phone fills the screen by cropping or enlarging the image. Try a portrait-oriented picture and adjust the crop in the preview.

Will changing the wallpaper delete my photo?
No. Setting a picture as wallpaper uses it as the background; it does not normally remove the original from Gallery. Avoid deleting the photo if you want to use it again.

Can I use a downloaded image?
Yes, provided it is saved on the phone and appears in a photo app or folder the picker can browse. If it is only online, download it first.

How do I restore the original wallpaper?
Open the wallpaper picker again and choose one of the supplied wallpapers, or select the original image if it is still available in Gallery. Apply it to the Home screen.

Method: the standard formula for this calculation, rounded as each result states. See how the calculators work or report an error.