The Best Free Wallpaper Apps For Android in 2023

Give your smartphone screen some love

By
Molly McLaughlin
Molly McLaughlin
Molly McLaughlin
Senior Editor & Content Strategist
Molly K. McLaughlin has been a technology editor and writer for over a dozen years. She runs product reviews for Lifewire, overseeing the process from hands-on testing to publishing.
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Updated on January 22, 2023

Adding wallpaper to your Android home screen is one of many ways you can customize your device. There are a lot of free wallpaper downloads available, including on Android Central, which has more than 2,000 designs from which to choose. Deviantart.com also offers free artwork for download. Flickr is a useful resource for quality images, but be aware of copyright issues.

There is also a slew of apps that offer free Android wallpaper downloads.

01
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Zedge

Zedge wallpaper app.
What We Like

  • Huge collection.

  • Can unlock paid content by watching an ad.

What We Don't Like

  • App is a bit cluttered.

  • Ads can be distracting.

Zedge is an app that offers free wallpaper and ringtones for smartphones. There's a free version of the app that's ad-supported and a paid version that's ad-free. The app has all sorts of categories, including anime, Star Wars, animals, designs, drawings, nature, and trending content.

If you turn location services on, you can even see content that's trending nearby. Premium images are available that you can either pay for or unlock by watching an ad. You can also upload images and other content and save your favorites.

02
of 06

Backgrounds HD

Backgrounds HD wallpaper app.
What We Like

  • Supports creators.

  • Has a community vibe.

What We Don't Like

  • Some of the hashtags don't match the photos.

  • Doesn't have distinct categories.

Backgrounds HD app invites creators to submit photos and other images that you can use as wallpaper. The app has unique categories, including live watches (clocks embedded with moving pictures). You can also search by hashtags, such as #cafe or #phenomenon. Browsing Backgrounds HD is easy, and you can follow your favorite creators if you set up an account.

There are also galleries with themes like minimalism, Christmas and other holidays, and locations around the world like the Matterhorn.

03
of 06

Kappboom - Cool Wallpapers & Background Wallpapers

Kappboom Cool Wallpapers app.
What We Like

  • Lots of categories.

  • Offers live wallpapers of real places.

What We Don't Like

  • Could use more filters.

  • Not clear how popular and new categories differ.

Kappboom, also known as Cool Wallpapers, has a massive selection of art in categories like babies, cats, plants, vintage, and love. There are also 3D images you can use. Also, there are two broad categories: Popular and New. When you launch the app, you'll see everything in those categories, but you can select a sub-category to narrow down your options. You can save favorites too (no account required.)

04
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Tapet

Tapet wallpaper app.
What We Like

  • Wallpaper you won't find anywhere else.

  • Lots of customization options.

What We Don't Like

  • Small learning curve.

  • Can't always get back to pattern you liked.

Tapet generates wallpaper based on your color and pattern preferences, and you can also set up the app so that it changes your background anywhere from weekly to every five minutes. You can align these intervals with your smartphone's clock too. The app also has an option to pull photos from your device when cycling through patterns. There are a ton of settings, including effects like overlay, vignette, blur, brightness, saturation, and textures.

05
of 06

Muzei Live Wallpaper

Muzei wallpaper app.
What We Like

  • Daily cycling of famous artwork.

  • Preview option available.

What We Don't Like

  • Interface is a bit confusing.

  • Very few settings.

Muzei has a vast collection of artwork that it cycles through daily. You can set the artwork of the day as wallpaper for your home screen or lock screen, and it will update every day. It also includes a watch face for Wear (formerly Android Wear), so you can match up your smartwatch with your phone.

The app has settings for blur, dim, and grey. You can use sliders to increase or decrease each effect. From your home screen, you can double-tap to bring it into focus temporarily.

06
of 06
Google Photos app.
What We Like

  • Syncs with your camera.

  • Editing options available.

What We Don't Like

  • Unedited photos can look weird as a background.

Your smartphone has a camera, so why not use your photos to decorate your screen? Just long-press on your Android screen, tap Wallpapers > My photos. Next, choose your source: Google Photos, Gallery, or any app on your phone that can save images, including many on this list. Be sure to use a high-quality image that isn't unintentionally blurry or blown out.

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