Skip to main content

Google's Wallpaper app delivers gorgeous vistas and stunning images to your mobile

Google Pixel XL
Julian Chokkattu/Digital Trends
It’s a problem with which smartphone home screen wallpaper aficionados are all too familiar: a veritable deluge of wallpapers to choose from, but a dearth of quality ones. Sure, you might stumble upon a ZIP file chock full of quality scribblings every once in a while or a well-curated storefront here and there, but acquiring wallpapers is a generally arduous undertaking. It’s a process, in fact, that can take almost as much time as choosing one.

Well, Google’s here to help. On Thursday, the Mountain View, California-based giant released a new app for Android, Wallpapers, that packs an extraordinary number of illustrations, images, and photography with which to spruce up your mobile.

In terms of functionality, Wallpapers is relatively bare bones. It’s in essence a curated portal: open the app and you’re presented with dazzling collections of satellite imagery from Google Earth, a Google collection drawn from its topographical mapping service; landscape photography from partners like 500px; architectural highlights by city, region, country, and continent; a variety of textures and materials; and artwork of a generally abstract nature. Every wallpaper in the collection includes an “explore” tab that provides details on the artist, and, if applicable, the location.

If you’re the indecisive sort, there’s an option to set a live wallpaper that’ll rotate the artwork on your device’s home screen every day. And if you’re lucky enough to have a device running Android 7.0 Nougat or later, you can set different images for both your home screen and lock screen.

google_wallpapers_phone-0
Image used with permission by copyright holder

If all that sounds a little familiar, that’s probably because Google’s Pixel phones ship with a similar set of wallpaper customization tools. In fact, the new Wallpapers seems almost identical in appearance to the Pixels’ artwork picker, down to the Wallpaper app’s “live wallpapers,” or animated artwork of the Earth from outer space, solar phenomenon, and scenic vistas.

That last bit’s a tad unexpected: Google has previously implied that live wallpapers would remain exclusive to its newly-launched Pixel smartphones. “Wallpapers serve as the very first touchpoint for users and help establish a premium experience and build an emotional connection,” Google wrote in a blog post announcing live wallpapers. “For the Pixel, we wanted to design an experience that was both inherent and unique to Google.” But the surprise is a welcome one — in this writer’s opinion, the search giant’s live wallpapers are by far the collection’s most entrancing.

The new Wallpapers app is available for download from the Google Play Store. It’s compatible with Android devices running Android 4.1 and above.

Kyle Wiggers
Former Digital Trends Contributor
Kyle Wiggers is a writer, Web designer, and podcaster with an acute interest in all things tech. When not reviewing gadgets…
Google just announced 10 huge updates for your Android phone
The Home Screen on the Google Pixel 8 Pro.

Google I/O, the annual everything-Google-software fest, has kicked off. As usual, Android takes center stage. From enhanced privacy and Google Wallet upgrades to theft detection and app safety checkups, there’s a lot to look forward to here.

From Android 15 features to more general Android updates, here’s a breakdown of all the major Android announcements from I/O 2024.
Making life easier with Google Wallet

Read more
Google is making it easier for you to find and download Android apps
Google Play on the Oppo Find N2.

Google announced a wide range of features for Android phones at the I/O 2024 developers conference earlier today. However, the event was not all about user-facing changes. The company also revealed a handful of new tricks for developers to showcase their apps effectively while maintaining a vigilant eye on safety.

Among the most important changes -- one that is also going to make life easier for users - is support for more payment options. The most notable of these is support for installment subscriptions, which has already yielded positive results for developers in the early access phase.

Read more
Google Messages vs. Samsung Messages: Which app should you use?
Google messages versus samsung messages app icons side by side on Galaxy Z Fold 5.

Amid the rise of third-party messaging apps, texting remains a popular means of messaging in the U.S. If you own an Android phone, you've likely used or heard of Google Messages, which is positioned as the default text messaging app for Android. It is the culmination of Google's long history with multiple messaging platforms. Google has pursued smartphone companies to use its Dialer and Messages apps as their default since at least 2017 and now mandates them to use Google Messages as the default messaging app on all devices.

Meanwhile, if you have been a Samsung user in the past, you have likely also known and experienced the Samsung Messages app, which comes preinstalled on all Samsung phones and cannot be uninstalled. This is despite losing its spot as the default messaging app on Samsung Galaxy smartphones.

Read more