How to Create Your Own Wallpaper for Your Phone for Free

by John Mitchell
A blue smoke wallpaper image cropped for use on mobile devices like the iPhone.

A blue smoke wallpaper image cropped for use on mobile devices like the iPhone.

Jupiterimages/Photos.com/Getty Images

When you're not satisfied with a mobile phone's default wallpaper selection, create your own. You can do this with images you already have stored on your computer or by searching for new pictures on the Internet. Flickr and Google Images are excellent starting points for discovering new images based on specific keywords. You will have to crop the new photo to create the perfect mobile phone wallpaper. Most people are able to normally complete this project in fewer than five minutes.

Step 1

Locate and save the image you want to use for a wallpaper. If you found the picture online, you'll want to download it to your computer.

Step 2

Search online for the phone's screen resolution specs. For example, type "iPhone screen resolution specs" into the search engine and hit the "Search" button. This will yield many pages of results, but choosing one of the top page links reveals the iPhone 4 has a screen resolution of 960 pixels long by 640 pixels wide at 326 pixels per inch.

Step 3

Open the selected image in a photo editing software, such as Microsoft Paint, Adobe Photoshop, Google Picasa or GIMP.

Step 4

Resize the picture to meet the screen resolution specifications you searched before. For example, to resize an image in Microsoft Paint on Windows Vista or 7, click the "Resize" icon from the top navigation menu. Then enter the height and width in pixels. Since the starting image may not perfectly fit the height to width ratio, the resized image may have a trimmed border on the right or bottom edge.

Step 5

Save the image in PNG format. You will normally find this option located under the "File" menu as "Save" or "Save As" in most photo editors. Choosing "Save As" lets you save the image in a different format than what it was stored as. You can also quickly rename the file with the "Save As" function.

Step 6

Transfer the saved image to your cell phone. The easiest way to do this is if your mobile device has a data plan and receives email. If so, then simply attach the image to a new email message and send it to yourself. Then access the message from your mobile phone and download the attached file. Alternatively, you can use the phone's USB cord and provided software to execute a data transfer.

Step 7

Locate the wallpaper saved on your phone, then select the "Set As Wallpaper" option. Depending on the make and model of the phone, this option might be a few menus deep.

Tip

  • If the wallpaper doesn't appear correctly, make sure you cropped the image to the exact screen resolution specifications.
  • It is important you adjust the pixels per inch setting in the image editing software, because if you do not, this may distort the image quality.
  • Use the "Undo" option, normally located under the "Edit" menu, to reverse any mistakes or unwanted tweaks you make in the photo editing software.
  • Always save the wallpaper in PNG for highest portability, unless your mobile phone does not support this image format.

About the Author

John Mitchell is an expert in all things technology, including social media and smart phones. He is a news ninja for Qwiki, bringing the latest news on the interactive platform. Mitchell graduated from the University of Sedona with a master's degree in pastoral counseling psychology and authored the book, "No More Taxes."

Photo Credits

  • Jupiterimages/Photos.com/Getty Images