How to set wallpaper on iOS devices

Hexnode UEM can set Home Screen and Lock Screen wallpapers on supervised iOS/iPadOS devices through a policy. IT administrators use the Wallpaper configuration to upload .png, .jpg, or .jpeg images, select the screen type, and apply the selected wallpaper to managed iPhones and iPads from the Hexnode UEM console. Uploaded images are added to the Hexnode content repository, and the device wallpaper is updated when the policy is applied. Hexnode UEM can also prevent users from changing the distributed wallpaper by using the iOS Advanced Restrictions payload on supported devices.

How the iOS/iPadOS Wallpaper Policy Works in Hexnode UEM

The Wallpaper configuration in Hexnode UEM defines which image should appear on the Home Screen, Lock Screen, or both screens of a supervised iOS/iPadOS device. When an administrator uploads a wallpaper image, Hexnode UEM stores it in the Hexnode content repository so that the image can be selected for the policy.

After the policy is saved and applied, the managed iPhone or iPad updates its wallpaper. If the Advanced Restrictions payload disables wallpaper modification, users cannot change the wallpaper from the device settings on supported iOS versions.

Set Wallpaper on iOS/iPadOS Devices Using Hexnode UEM

1. Log in to your Hexnode UEM portal.
2. Navigate to Policies > New Policy. Enter a suitable policy name and an optional description. You can also continue with an existing policy.
3. Go to iOS > Configurations > Wallpaper and click Configure.
   
4. Select the wallpaper type: Home Screen or Lock Screen. For iPads, select the required screen orientation: Portrait or Landscape.
5. Click Select Wallpaper and choose an image from your system.
6. Click Upload to add the image to the Hexnode content repository.
7. Select the required wallpaper from the uploaded image list. Images that already exist in the Hexnode content repository are also listed and can be selected.
8. To use the same image for both the Home Screen and Lock Screen, enable Set Image as both Home Screen and Lock Screen Wallpaper.
9. Click Save to confirm the wallpaper selection.
10. To modify the selection later, use the edit icon to replace an uploaded image or the trash icon to delete it.

Restrict Users from Modifying iOS/iPadOS Wallpaper

Use the iOS Advanced Restrictions payload in Hexnode UEM to prevent users from changing the wallpaper after the policy sets it on the device.

1. Go to Policies > iOS > Advanced Restrictions.
2. Under Allow Security and Privacy Settings, uncheck Modify wallpaper.
3. Apply the restriction to the target devices and save the policy.

What Happens on the iOS/iPadOS Device

The device wallpaper is updated immediately when the Hexnode UEM policy is applied to the supervised iOS/iPadOS device.

Troubleshooting iOS/iPadOS Wallpaper Policy Issues

Wallpaper Policy Does Not Apply to the Device

If the wallpaper does not update after the policy is applied, verify that the target iPhone or iPad is supervised. The Hexnode UEM Wallpaper configuration works only on supervised iOS/iPadOS devices.

Uploaded Wallpaper Does Not Appear Correctly

If the wallpaper appears cropped, stretched, or misaligned, check the image dimensions and aspect ratio. Use 19.5:9 as the recommended aspect ratio for iPhones and 4:3 for iPads, or use an image that matches the wallpaper resolution of the specific device model.

Users Can Still Change the Wallpaper

If users can still modify the wallpaper, confirm that Modify wallpaper is unchecked under Policies > iOS > Advanced Restrictions > Allow Security and Privacy Settings. Also verify that the device runs iOS 9.0 or later, because the wallpaper modification restriction applies only to iOS 9.0 and above.