With smartphones (not flexible) more and more alike every day, what makes yours different from the crowd? Many people use third party launchers to change the arrangement of icons on the desktop. But simply changing your cell phone wallpaper can be a good way to add personality. Here we teach you how how to create your own wallpaper, but how to install it on your cell phone?

Although it is a simple task, not everyone understands all the secrets and adjustments that this function — available on any cell phone — offers. Changing your cell phone's wallpaper is simple, and we'll teach you how (and some tricks) below.

Resolution matters

It all starts in your gallery. Select an image — it can be something you downloaded from the internet or a photo taken with your cell phone. Ideally, it should be of high resolution so that it doesn’t look “blurry” after application. If your smartphone screen is HD, look for a file with the same resolution or higher. Full HD, at least a 1080p file. And so on.

The aspect ratio of the image is also important: it won't work to use an image in landscape mode if the smartphone is used in portrait mode. Your wallpaper must follow this same aspect so that the result is satisfactory after application to the cell phone.

After selecting the wallpaper from your phone’s gallery, look for a “+” sign or an ellipsis (…) to expand the file options. This menu may vary depending on your smartphone manufacturer, but the navigation to find this option is quite intuitive. Once this is done, click on the “Set as wallpaper” option or the equivalent.

Setting wallpaper in different areas of the system

Depending on the brand of your cell phone, you can change the wallpaper not only on your desktop, but also on your lock screen, or even on your phone. Always On Display, or from your smartphone dialer. You don't need to use the same image for all these areas of the system.

Once you select an option, the preview will expand. This preview shows how the wallpaper will be displayed alongside other system elements. If you have selected the desktop, the wallpaper will appear with the icons. If you have selected the lock screen, it will be previewed with the clock and some notifications.

Custom cuts and night mode

Something interesting that can be done at this stage is to adjust the size and cropping. Simply use the pinch motion to enlarge or reduce the size of the wallpaper. For example, if it has a large resolution, pinching to reduce it will allow more elements of the file to appear after application. If they are more rectangular, you can drag them to the sides to change the cropping that will be framed in portrait mode.

It is worth noting that if your cell phone is in night mode, the wallpaper may appear darker on your phone's desktop. Some smartphones allow this shading to be disabled. You need to look for the corresponding option in your device's settings. The same can happen if you use a third-party launcher — such as Nova Launcher.

Finally, it is worth noting that some manufacturers offer animated wallpapers and personalized themes for their phones. With Samsung, for example, users can explore new themes and wallpapers in the Galaxy Store. On smartphones that do not have this feature natively, apps from the Play Store can help — but always evaluate the software's reputation and user reviews.