4 Ways to Fix Depth Effect Wallpaper Not Working on iPhone

Which iPhone Models Support the Depth Effect Feature

The depth effect feature is only available on iPhones with an A12 Bionic chip or later. In other words, you can only use this feature on the following iPhone models:

• iPhone XR, XS, and XS Max
• iPhone SE (2nd and 3rd Gen)
• iPhone 11, 11 Pro, 11 Pro Max
• iPhone 12, 12 mini, 12 Pro, 12 Pro Max
• iPhone 13, 13 mini, 13 Pro, 13 Pro Max
• iPhone 14, 14 Plus, 14 Pro, 14 Pro Max

Try Basic Fixes

• Force reboot iPhone: Sometimes, temporary glitches with your iPhone can cause the depth effect feature to stop working. To fix this, press and release the Volume Up button, then press and release the Volume Down button. Then, press and hold the Power button until the Apple logo appears.
• Install iOS updates: If the depth effect not working issue is limited to the iOS build your iPhone is running, installing newer updates should help. Open the Settings app and head to General > Software Update to download and install pending updates.

1. Check If Depth Effect Is Enabled

Although the depth effect feature kicks in automatically when you use a supported wallpaper, you can double-check and ensure that you haven’t disabled the feature by mistake. Here’s how.

Step 1: Unlock your iPhone with Face ID and then long-press on your lock screen to edit it.

Step 2: Tap the Customize button at the bottom.

Step 3: Tap the three-dot menu icon in the bottom-right corner and enable the Depth Effect option if it isn’t already selected.

Fix 2: Remove Lock Screen Widgets

On the iPhone, you cannot use those lock screen widgets and the depth effect feature at the same time. So, to enjoy the depth effect on the lock screen wallpaper, you must remove any widgets from your lock screen.

To remove lock screen widgets, unlock your device and stay on the lock screen. Tap and hold the lock screen and then tap on the Customize button at the bottom. Tap the widget panel and use the minus sign next to a widget to remove it.

Fix 3: Check the Image File Format

The depth effect may not work if your lock screen wallpaper is not in the JPEG format. To check your wallpaper’s format, open it in the Photos app and tap the info icon at the bottom. In the overlay pane, you’ll see the image file format.

If your image is in an unsupported format, you’ll have to convert it to JPEG or use another wallpaper to enjoy the depth screen effect. Note that the depth effect might not work if your iPhone fails to recognize the subject in your photo. Ideally, you should use an image in which the subject is distinguishable from the background.

Fix 4: Reposition or Crop the Wallpaper

If the depth effect is not working despite using a supported wallpaper, you may have to reposition or crop your image. If the subject of your wallpaper happens to cover the majority of your clock area, the depth effect will not work as expected.

Step 1: Unlock your iPhone and stay on the lock screen. Then, long-press on your lock screen and tap the Customize button at the bottom.

Step 2: Use the pinch gesture to zoom in and zoom out. Adjust the wallpaper in a way that the depth effect works. You can preview the depth effect as you reposition the image.

Step 3: Tap on Done in the top right corner to save changes.