How to set a live wallpaper on Android
Updated 2026-07-07
Android has supported live wallpapers for years, but where they show up — lock screen, home screen, or both — depends on your phone. Here's the quickest way to set one with the 2Live app, plus how to use a video of your own.
- 1
Install 2Live from Google Play
Get 2Live (4K live & AMOLED wallpapers) free from the Play Store, then open it. Thousands of hand-picked 4K live wallpapers are free to set.
- 2
Pick a live wallpaper
Browse the feed or a category and tap a wallpaper you like to open it full-screen.
- 3
Tap “Set as wallpaper”
Tap Set. 2Live uses Android's native wallpaper engine to apply the animation directly.
- 4
Choose where it applies
Pick Home screen, Lock screen, or Both. On Samsung Galaxy, video live wallpapers apply to the lock screen; on Pixel and most phones the live motion runs on the home screen.
- 5
Done — enjoy the motion
Lock your phone or return to the home screen to see it move. To change it, just open 2Live and set another.
Set your own video as a live wallpaper
Want to use your own clip? Open the video in your Gallery app, tap the ⋮ menu, and choose “Set as wallpaper” — then pick Home screen or both. Alternatively, long-press an empty part of the home screen, tap “Wallpaper & style,” open the Lock screen tab, and choose from the Animated/live category.
Set a live wallpaper on the Android home screen
To get motion on the home screen specifically, use an interactive live wallpaper rather than a raw video: in 2Live, tap Set and choose “Home screen” (or “Both”). Because it's applied through Android's live-wallpaper engine, the animation runs right behind your icons on Pixel, OnePlus, Xiaomi and most other phones. If your phone only offers the lock screen for videos, that's the skin's limitation for raw clips — an app-applied live wallpaper still works on the home screen.
Samsung Galaxy lock-screen video wallpaper
Samsung's One UI lets you set a video as the lock-screen wallpaper directly: long-press the home screen → Wallpaper & style → Lock screen → choose a video. Note that on Galaxy phones the moving video applies to the lock screen only; the home screen uses a still frame to save power.
Why a video won't always set on the home screen
Many Android skins restrict full-motion video to the lock screen and use a static frame on the home screen, where icons and widgets live, to keep things smooth and battery-friendly. True interactive live wallpapers (the kind 2Live applies) can run on the home screen because they're built as Android live-wallpaper services rather than raw video.
Battery & performance
Live wallpapers use a little more power than a still image, but modern phones throttle the animation when the screen is off or you're in a static app, so day-to-day battery impact is minor. On AMOLED screens, a mostly-black live wallpaper sips even less power.
Frequently asked questions
How do I set a live wallpaper on Samsung?
Long-press the home screen → Wallpaper & style → Lock screen, and pick a video or animated wallpaper — or set one in a tap with the 2Live app. On Galaxy phones the moving wallpaper applies to the lock screen.
Can I set a live wallpaper on the home screen?
Yes, on most phones. Interactive live wallpapers (like those in 2Live) run on the home screen; raw video clips are often limited to the lock screen depending on your phone.
Are the wallpapers free?
Yes — 2Live offers thousands of hand-picked 4K live and AMOLED wallpapers free, with a fresh set added regularly.
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