How To Make a Video Into a Live Wallpaper: Methods For All Devices
If you are tired of those boring static wallpapers, your phone or computer screen can come alive with motion instead. Static images are fine, but having your favorite video clips playing in the background makes your device feel more personal. Videos of ocean waves, your pet's cute moments, or scenes from your vacation can all make great live wallpapers. Learning how to make a video into a live wallpaper is simpler than you might expect and adds a new touch to your device usage experience.
Part 1. How to Turn a Video Into a Live Wallpaper on Android
Samsung and a few other Android phones offer built-in features and easy methods to change your videos into dynamic wallpapers.
Step 1. Open the Gallery to Select a Video
First, open the Gallary app on your phone, select the video you want to use as a live wallpaper and tap the three dots in the bottom right corner.
Step 2. Set Video as Wallpaper
Choose the "Set as wallpaper" option, which will open a new pop-up.

Select "Lock screen," and your video will become a live wallpaper on your lock screen.

If your phone does not allow you to directly add the video as a live wallpaper, head to the Google Play Store and search for a "live wallpaper" app. Video Live Wallpaper, KLWP, or Video to Wallpaper are great options that offer user-friendly interfaces.
Once you've downloaded your preferred app, open it and look for an option like "Set Video as Wallpaper" or "Create New Wallpaper," which allows you to browse your device's gallery and select the video you want to use.
You might need to trim your video to a reasonable length since longer videos can drain your phone's battery faster. These apps allow you to do this, so aim for clips between 5 and 15 seconds for optimal performance. Many apps let you adjust settings like playback speed, brightness, and whether the video should loop continuously or play only when you unlock your device.
After you've made your adjustments, tap "Set as Wallpaper" or "Apply," and you'll typically get an option to set the video wallpaper as your home screen, lock screen, or both.
Part 2. How to Make a Video Into Wallpaper iPhone
iPhones use Live Photos for animated wallpapers, and you can use this to your advantage to convert your videos to this format and apply them as live wallpapers.
Step 1. Install VideoToLive App
Search "VideoToLive" on your iPhone's App Store. Tap "Get" and provide your Touch ID, or enter the passcode for iCloud to install the app on your phone.
Step 2. Import the Video
Now, swipe left to access the App Library, find the app, and tap to open it. Tap "Video and Live Photo" on the main screen.

Give the app the permission to access the media on your phone. Provide access, select the video you want to use as your wallpaper and tap "Next" to open the editing interface. Make sure it's a short clip for the best results on your iPhone screen.
Step 3. Trim and Edit Your Video
Use the "Trim" handles at the bottom to shorten your video to about 3 seconds long. For this purpose, drag the left handle to where you want your clip to start and the right handle to where you want it to end. The preview will update to show you exactly what portion you're selecting.
Then, tap anywhere on the video timestamp to choose the cover that will show on the lock screen when the live picture is not moving. Use your two fingers to pinch the screen and zoom in or out of the live picture. You can also rotate it if needed.

Step 4. Save as a Live Photo
Once you are done with the editing, tap "Make" in the top right corner of the app and choose "Live Photo (iOS 17)" or "Live Photo iOS15/Live Sticker" from the sub-menu. This will convert your video to a live photo and save it to your iPhone camera roll.

Step 5. Set as Wallpaper
Go to Settings, then Wallpaper, tap "Choose a New Wallpaper," and find your new Live Photo in the Live Photos album.
Select it, position it how you like, then tap "Set" and choose where to apply it. Remember that Live Photos animate on the lock screen when you press and hold the display.

Part 3. How to Make a Video Into a Wallpaper on Windows
On a Windows PC, you can make a video into a live wallpaper using the Lively Wallpaper app.
Step 1. Install the Lively Wallpaper App
In the first step, open the Microsoft Store, search for the Lively Wallpaper app, and click "download" to download it on your Windows PC.

Then, click the EXE file to install the Lively Wallpaper software on your PC.
Step 2. Select Add Wallpaper
After launching the Lively Wallpaper software, click on the "Add Wallpaper" option on the top toolbar.

Step 3. Add Video
Now, you can upload the video file by clicking the "Choose a file" option or dragging & dropping it into the tool. If your video is hosted on another platform, you can also copy its URL and paste it under "Enter URL" to use it as a moving wallpaper.

Step 4. Use the Video as Wallpaper
Once you select the video, a new pop up box will open. If you click "OK," Lively Wallpaper will process it in a few seconds and make it wallpaper on your desktop screen.

In case you want to change the video, open the software again. Here, you can see the last video you uploaded to Lively Wallpaper on the dashboard. Click the three dots next to it and select "Delete." Then, again, click "Add Wallpaper" and repeat the above steps to use another video as wallpaper on your Windows PC.
Lively Wallpaper also has a large library of videos, which you can use as dynamic wallpapers.
Part 4. How to turn a Video Into a Live Wallpaper on Mac?
Like Windows, you can make a video into a live wallpaper on Mac using the Dynamic WallPaper Engine app available on the Mac App Store. Macs have built-in tools that can turn videos into dynamic desktop backgrounds with a few simple steps.
macOS Sonoma has some of the best new features and one is there are a ton of new video wallpaper backgrounds. It plays while your Mac is on the screensaver or lock screen, and when you sign in, the video comes to a pause.
But what if you want to use your own video as a dynamic wallpaper on your Mac? Well, we have a workaround that works on all Mac devices.
Step 1. Install Dynamic Wallpaper Engine on Your Mac
Just go into the app store, search for Dynamic Wallpaper Engine, and install it.

Step 2. Import Local Video
When you open it, one of the features in this app is that you can point it to a local video file on your Mac, and it will basically do the exact same thing as that fancy feature built into macOS Sonoma.

Step 3. Adjust App Preferences
You can do to the app's Preferences to customize different settings of the video wallpaper. Turn on a few of these options to make the wallpaper a little bit more energy-efficient. You might also want to consider checking the "Running automatically when the Mac starts" box so that it runs on startup.

Part 5. How to Enhance Your Wallpaper Video with HitPaw Online Video Enhancer
Create Now!Before making a video into a live wallpaper on your device, you can improve its quality with HitPaw Online Video Enhancer so that the wallpaper looks better than the original footage.
The steps are simple. Just upload the video you want to use as a live wallpaper on the HitPaw Online Video Enhancer web platform and let the AI do its work using any of the offered models.
Face Model
The Face Model fixes facial details in your videos and makes people's features clearer and more natural. This works great for videos of friends or family that you want to use as wallpapers, as it sharpens eyes, smooths skin tones, and adds detail to faces.

General Denoise Model
This model removes graininess and noise from your footage and gives you a cleaner video to use as your wallpaper. It keeps important details while getting rid of the static and fuzzy spots that often show up in low-light videos or older footage.

Animation Model
The Animation Model works wonders on cartoon clips or animated scenes. It smooths out lines, brightens colors, and adds clarity to animated content. Your favorite anime scene or cartoon character will look much better as wallpaper after using this AI feature.

Colorize Model
Turn black and white or faded videos into colorful clips, or do the opposite with the Colorize Model. It does so naturally based on what objects usually look like.

Color Enhancement Model
This model boosts dull colors in your videos without making them look fake. It adjusts contrast, brightness, and color balance to make your footage more vibrant. Sunset scenes, nature videos, and vacation clips all become more striking wallpapers after color enhancement.

Low-Light Brightness Model
Fix dark videos with the Low-Light Brightness Model. It brightens shadows without washing out brighter areas and helps you see all the details in night shots or dim indoor scenes. Dark videos become useful wallpapers instead of just showing up as black screens.

Upscale Resolution
The Resolution Upscaler makes low-quality videos look sharper on today's high-resolution screens. It adds pixels intelligently without making the image blurry, so even older or smaller videos in 1080p, 4K, or even 8K resolutions can fill your screen as clear, detailed wallpapers without looking stretched.

After improving your video with these tools, it will look much better as a live wallpaper on any device. The enhanced quality will make your screen more pleasant to look at and show off your personal style with the best possible version of your chosen clip.
Part 6. FAQs of Making a Video Into a Live Wallpaper
Q1. Is using video wallpaper good?
A1. Video wallpapers add life and personality to your device that static images just can't match. They catch the eye and make your phone or computer feel more custom. Moving backgrounds can also help show off your interests, mood, or creativity. Plus, they're a great conversation starter when friends notice your screen isn't just another boring photo.
Q2. Do video wallpapers drain battery?
A2. Video wallpapers do use more battery power than static images, especially on phones. They can also slow down older or less powerful devices and might distract you when you're trying to work. Some people find moving backgrounds make app icons harder to see. On shared computers, they might not fit everyone's taste or could be seen as unprofessional in work settings.
Q3. Does live wallpaper consume data?
A3. Live video wallpapers don't use mobile data once they're set up on your device. They run from files stored on your phone, not from the internet. You only use data during the initial download of a wallpaper app or when downloading new live wallpapers from online sources.
Conclusion on Making a Video Into a Live Wallpaper
Bringing movement to your device backgrounds is a simple way to add personality to your digital experience. The methods in this guide work on all devices, including Android, iPhone, Windows, and Mac, without requiring extra apps. Now that you know how to make a video into a live wallpaper, your device's screen will be full of dynamic arrangements, which you can change anytime.
Home > Learn > How To Make a Video Into a Live Wallpaper: Methods For All Devices
Select the product rating:
Daniel Walker
Editor-in-Chief
My passion lies in bridging the gap between cutting-edge technology and everyday creativity. With years of hands-on experience, I create content that not only informs but inspires our audience to embrace digital tools confidently.
View all ArticlesLeave a Comment
Create your review for HitPaw articles