How to Add a Custom Animated Wallpaper to iPhone (Works with iOS 18.5 Beta)

[betaprofiles]

Since iOS 16, Apple has introduced a dynamic wallpaper system with multiple layered effects, but it’s limited to wallpapers created by Apple. Thanks to developer LeminLimez, we can now add more custom dynamic wallpapers using a tool called Nugget.

Do you remember the guide on enabling the new Siri UI on devices that don’t support Apple Intelligence last year? That’s right — we’re talking about the same tool.

Supported Devices

All iPhones with iOS 16 or later, including latest iOS 18.5 Beta (tested).
However, not all animated wallpapers work with iOS 16.

Preparation

• Nugget v5 or later, download free on Github
• Animated wallpaper file in .tendies format, which you can find some of here
• USB-C or Lightning cable
• Windows PC or Mac

If you’re using Windows, make sure to install iTunes from this link (not the one from the Microsoft Store) to work properly.

Don’t Forget to Back Up Your iPhone

Although Nugget is a safe tool to use, modifying your device carries a slight risk of causing a boot loop, which may require restoring your device to fix. Therefore, always back up your device before performing any steps in this guide.

Temporarily Disable Find My iPhone

You need to temporarily disable Find My iPhone to use this tool, but don’t worry, you can turn it back on right after you’ve set up your desired animated wallpaper.

To disable Find My iPhone, go to Settings ➝ [Your name] ➝ Find My ➝ turn off Find My iPhone.

Steps to Follow

1. Connect your iPhone to your Mac or Windows PC using a USB-C or Lightning cable.
2. Open Nugget, then click on the PosterBoard tab in the left column. Ensure the Modify option is selected.
   
   
3. Click the Import Files (.tendies) button and select the animated wallpaper file you downloaded earlier.
   
   
   
   You can add multiple files at once, and it will look like this.
   
   
4. Click on the Apply tab in the left column, then click Apply Changes.
   
   
5. Your iPhone will begin restarting, and you’ll see the “hello” screen. Swipe up to set up Wi-Fi again, and you’re done.
   
   
6. Now you can add the newly added animated wallpaper by long-pressing the lock screen and tapping (+). Scroll to the Collections section and swipe left to view the new wallpapers.

If you see a blank wallpaper, please wait a moment for it to display correctly.

Bonus: HarmonyOS-Like Lock Screen

Developer @duongduong0908 on X has utilized this to bring a stunning zoom wallpaper effect similar to HarmonyOS to the iPhone.

✨︎𝗬𝗮𝗻𝗴𝗝𝗶𝗶𝗶 🍉

Note that it only supports iPhones with the Always-On Display feature (iPhone 14 Pro, iPhone 15 Pro, and iPhone 16 Pro). iPads are not supported.

You can use the HarmonyOS Build Wallpaper website to upload any image you want to set as your wallpaper. Then click the “Done & Download” button to download the .tendies file, and follow the same steps as above to import the wallpaper to your iPhone.