iOS 26.5 just added a stunning new 'Luminance' wallpaper — here's how to get it

iOS 26 logo on iPhone sitting on a laptop keyboard
(Image credit: Future)

iOS 26.5 includes a new Luminance wallpaper with animated vertical gradient stripes that shimmer when you unlock your iPhone. It comes with 11 preset color schemes based on various Pride flags, or you can create custom combinations using up to 12 colors.

The animation effect works with any color combination — light and dark shades of the same color create subtle gradients, while contrasting colors produce bold, eye-catching patterns. Here's how to set it up.

You'll need iOS 26.5

The Luminance wallpaper requires iOS 26.5. Go to Settings > General > Software Update and install the update if you haven't already.

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It works on iPhone 11 or later and iPhone SE (2nd generation) or later — essentially any device that runs iOS 26. After updating, you can access the wallpaper immediately.

Add the Luminance wallpaper

Tap and hold on your iPhone's Lock Screen and tap the plus icon to browse your wallpaper collection. Scroll down to the collections section. Find the "Pride" collection and tap "Get" if you don't already have it. This downloads the entire Pride wallpaper set.

The Luminance wallpaper will appear as the first two options in the Pride collection. Tap either one to start customizing.

You'll see preset options labeled with Roman numerals. From here you can swipe through them to preview all the different color combinations to customize your home screen.


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Kaycee Hill
How-to Editor

Kaycee is Tom's Guide's How-To Editor, known for tutorials that get straight to what works. She writes across phones, homes, TVs and everything in between — because life doesn't stick to categories and neither should good advice. She's spent years in content creation doing one thing really well: making complicated things click. Kaycee is also an award-winning poet and co-editor at Fox and Star Books.

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