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How to Change the Galaxy S8 Lockscreen & Wallpaper

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This guide will detail how to change the Galaxy S8 or Galaxy S8+ lock screen and wallpaper. Including adding your own images instead of relying on the Samsung theme store.

The Galaxy S8 and S8+ both have big 2960 x 1440 Quad-HD displays. Coming in at an impressive 5.8 and 6.2-inches. Getting good wallpapers in a high-resolution will also deliver the best experience.

Read: 15 Common Galaxy S8 Problems & How to Fix Them

One of the benefits of changing the lock screen and wallpaper is customization. Making your new phone more personal. The other is Samsung allows users to select a different image for both the lock screen and background wallpaper.

It’s easy to get overwhelmed with the Galaxy S8, as both phones have a bunch of features or options. Start with changing these 10 settings first, and then move on to the wallpaper and lock screen.

How to Change the Galaxy S8 Lock Screen & Wallpaper

There are a few different ways to change the lock screen image or background wallpaper. My favorite part is we can use two different images. One for the lock screen, and something like a live or moving wallpaper for the home screen.

Part of the confusion is when owners head into Settings and select Wallpapers and themes it goes to the Samsung theme engine, not somewhere to change the wallpaper. This isn’t very user-friendly and is hard to understand. The store has beautiful photos, themes, and custom icon options. If you just want to apply your own image to the background, it isn’t very straight-forward. Below are the different ways to complete this task.

Instructions

    • Push and hold your finger on a blank area on the screen
    • It will zoom out to a customization menu, select Wallpaper
    • Scroll through Samsung’s options, or hit My Photos
    • Now select the image you want, crop to fit, and hit Apply Wallpaper
    • Choose home screen, lock screen or both

This is the easiest and quickest way to add a wallpaper to the Galaxy S8. It doesn’t require using the theme store or anything difficult. Just browse their pre-installed images or select one of your own. Find what you want and hit apply. This is how you use photos right off of your smartphone.

To find some beautiful wallpapers like mine above look through Samsung’s theme store or download the app called Zedge and browse their collection. Make sure you get at least a 1080p HD image for the best results.

Lock screen Wallpaper

In case you didn’t notice during our instructions above, adding a wallpaper to the lock screen is just as easy. Follow the exact same steps as above for the lock screen. When you find the image you’d like to use and hit apply the phone will ask. Do you want to apply this to the home screen, the lock screen, or both?

Select both if you only want one image, or add a different image for each area on the device. I have a Packers logo on my lock screen and a pretty wallpaper everywhere else. Do what you want.

Samsung Theme Store

Those that head into Settings > Wallpaper & Themes may find a huge collection of themes, wallpapers, live wallpapers, custom icons and more. However, the steps aren’t as clear. Basically, you just select anything you want in here, download it and hit apply.

When you first open the theme store it defaults to wallpapers. There are tons of recommendations and popular options to choose from. At the top of the page, the first square is “Your Gallery” which you can select to use your own photos, instead of the ones listed.

We recommend browsing the gallery as there are tons of excellent images and options to choose from. Once you find a good one simply download it and hit apply. The app will let owners choose if it goes to the lock screen or the home screen background, as expected. There are dozens of neat themes that will change the entire look and feel too, for those interested.

While you’re at it customize the on-screen navigation keys, change the always-on display and more. There are tons of options and controls for owners. Drop us a comment below with any other questions or concerns.

12 Comments

12 Comments

  1. Vaidas

    04/27/2017 at 9:58 pm

    Hi,i am wondering where is the screen lock the automatic one for the galaxy s8 plus.??I now how to lock by my self, but the old models you can set it an automatic one.Thank’s

  2. Harrison Clover

    05/13/2017 at 2:01 pm

    I have tried to change the wallpaper with the first method however it comes up as wallpapers and themes and takes me straight to the Samsung themes app is there something I need to do to change this ?

    • Penny Lane

      07/06/2017 at 12:13 pm

      I have this same issue!! Has anyone found the solution for this yet? After I upgraded a few weeks back, the option for selecting only “wallpaper” disappeared, and now only “Wallpapers & Themes” is showing up, and it tries to connect me to the Samsung theme app when I select that (which I can’t open/access, due to the level of permissions they want to access on my phone).

      Has anyone found out how to change the lock screen or wallpaper image without using or opening Samsung Themes, after downloading that latest system update?? Thanks for your help!!! :)

      • Penny Lane

        07/06/2017 at 12:17 pm

        I just found a work-around!! Thought I’d share in case anyone else is still looking for this answer too! ;)

        Start in your gallery. Pick a photo you want to use, open it. Tap it again to get the three dots on top right corner of the screen. Tap them to get the drop down menu. Select use as wallpaper. Here you will get the option to use it on lock screen, home screen or both. Voilá! :D

        • Esther

          09/07/2017 at 12:55 pm

          This was very helpful! Thanks so much!

        • Daniel M

          09/18/2017 at 10:51 am

          Hi Penny, do you know how to remove the photo you used as a wallpaper to go back to the default setting? The photo I picked as wallpaper does not working and I cant figure out how to remove it! It should be simple….

        • Michael

          05/30/2018 at 4:52 am

          Thanks Penny. The instructions above are obviously out of date.

  3. Rocky

    05/20/2017 at 5:30 pm

    This does say how to alter the changing wall paper displayed during charging. Annoying.

  4. Camilla

    05/26/2017 at 11:49 am

    I tripped on an option to set up your screen saver as a revolving album of pictures instead of just one picture. The problem? I can’t remember how I found it, I can’t find an online site to walk me through it and the links on the 8 are so non-intuitive that I can’t do it myself. Has anyone else found it[and remember how to get back to it] ?

  5. Annie

    08/09/2017 at 10:23 am

    Hello, I would like to add the same weather, clock, temperature widget on my phone, the same as shown above. Can someone tell me where to download this? The default clock/widget my samsung s8 comes with is not the same as that one.

  6. magazine com vc

    09/05/2017 at 12:03 pm

    Thanks for finally writing about >How to Change
    the Galaxy S8 Lockscreen & Wallpaper <Liked it!

  7. Jackie

    09/24/2021 at 10:42 am

    HOW TO SAVE THE CHOICES? I have done this a hundred times but they keep on changing!
    how to make it so they DON’T CHANGE once the choices for home screen and lock screen have been made?

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