What Are 4D Wallpapers: Everything You Need To Know

By Kingston Published March 22, 2023

Key Takeaways

4D wallpapers are dynamic wallpapers that use the phone's gyroscope or accelerometer to make static images appear alive.
They create a dimensionally enhanced view of the subject and background, making it look 3-dimensional.
To create a 4D wallpaper, import a photo to an editor and use the Spot Healing Brush Tool to separate the subject and background. Then make an object selection and save the files separately.

What Are 4D Wallpapers?

Dare to take your home screen experience up a notch with 4D live wallpapers! By utilizing the phone's built-in gyroscope or accelerometer, these dynamic wallpapers make static images appear alive. Depending on how you move and tilt your device, different elements of an image can be suspended in its own digital space - giving it (and you!) multiple viewing angles from which to appreciate its beauty. Let 4D wallpaper revolutionize the way we view our screens every day!

4D effects are capable of completely transforming any subject into a dimensionally enhanced masterpiece. From the faces in photos to illustrations on paper and graphic art around us – practically everything can now appear as if they were 3-dimensional! Bring life and texture to your everyday surroundings with exciting visual appeal that breaks free from traditional 2D viewing experiences.

How To Make 4D Wallpapers

If you’re itching to learn how to get free 4D moving wallpapers, you might immediately want an app recommendation. It is the fastest method to set 4D wallpapers on your smartphone, right?

However, sometimes you might also want to use an image you took yourself and make it into your wallpaper. In such circumstances, the best method to get 4D wallpapers on your device is by making them yourself. Here’s how you can achieve this without getting stock 4D wallpapers from an app.

1. Find A Photo

As you might expect, the first step in the process is finding a photo. Go to your phone’s gallery or transfer the pictures from a digital or DSLR camera to your desktop. Then sift through the files until you find one you like. You will only require one still photo for this.

Ideally, the photo should have a subject in the foreground and background. Moreover, the background shouldn’t be too complicated. Otherwise, you’ll have trouble separating them later to recreate the 4D effect.

However, you can experiment with the types of photos you can turn into 4D wallpapers as you like. Just remember you’ll need to edit each to make them into 4D backgrounds.

Alternatively, you can also design an image if you know your way around creative apps. You can make a graphic design, illustration, or painting if you want. Simply keep the foreground and background objects in separate layers then skip ahead to step 6.

2. Import Your Photo Into An Editor

Ready to make a 4D wallpaper? You'll need an image editor, and if you want something really robust then Adobe Photoshop is the way to go. The Spot Healing Brush Tool allows for effortless background/foreground separation - perfect when creating your masterpiece! Alternatives such as Affinity Photo or GIMP are also great options that can help turn any photo into a work of art with just one click.

3. Separate The Subject And Background

The Spot Healing Brush Tool in Photoshop is like your own little makeover secret assistant! Just brush over anything that needs to be taken out of the picture and then watch as a once flat background becomes magically transformed – but only if there's enough contrast around it. With this tool, plus some extra elbow grease, you can take any photo from drab to fab – just imagine yourself on an exclusive magazine cover with every click!

4. Reimport The Image

Now that your background is clutter-free, it's time to get creative! Import the same image back into Photoshop and let your imagination take over-- there are endless possibilities for transforming this file.

5. Make An Object Selection

When looking to create a captivating 4D parallax effect, the key is in your selection. Isolate what you wish to present and make sure that there's a clear distinction between it and its background for maximum impact! Don't worry if things look messy at first; our trusty Quick Selection Tool can help streamline any project by refining selections with just one click - ensuring an unbeatable end result.

For those seeking ultimate precision, the Pen Tool is a great option - though it will take longer than just selecting an area of your canvas. After careful selection with this tool, you can copy and paste to create a layer that only contains what was selected—no fuss or unwanted elements!

6. Save The Files Separately

After that, you must save both the background layer and the subject layer as separate files. You may right-click on every layer (both the foreground and background ones) and then choose “Export As.” Then save the photo to a designated folder on your desktop.

Remember to save the subject/foreground file as a PNG so it appears with a transparent background. Otherwise, you’ll save a photo of the subject with a white background instead, which will ruin the 4D effect.

7. Send The Files To Your Mobile Device

You can make your phone glow with captivating 4D wallpapers directly from the comfort of your own screen! Just attach some images to an email and send it off to yourself. When you open it on mobile, all that's left is importing those into your gallery. Android users have plenty of apps at their disposal for this task – but if you’re rocking iOS gear too there should be no problem getting creative either!

8. Use An App To Make The 4D Wallpaper

Unlock a new world of possibilities with 3D Wallpaper Parallax Free! This Android app allows you to craft an entirely unique 4D wallpaper by combining your own photos from the gallery. First, pick out two images - one for background and one as a foreground art piece – then watch in amazement as they're combined together into something distinctly yours that suspends the subject in time and space. Try it now, and see what kind of amazing creations await within!

9. Preview Your 4D Lock Screen Wallpaper

Press the “Preview” button on the lower right to see if the parallax effect is sufficient. You might have to edit a few things in this stage by resizing the layers using two fingers.

Remember that the dotted box showcased on the app will indicate what areas are visible on your phone first. Hence, we recommend keeping the background larger than that area. This will make the 4D wallpaper look cleaner, eliminating any black edges you see while moving your phone.

10. Set As Wallpaper

Once you’re through, press the “Set As Wallpaper” option on the preview page. This should set the 4D wallpaper as your current phone background.

You can also refer to our guide on the Best 4D Wallpapers Download Apps To Try Today.

Where Are 4D Wallpapers Usable?

Setting your background using 4D wallpapers is great for the most part. However, we’ve mostly discussed 4D wallpapers for Android tablets and phones in this article. With that said, are 4D wallpapers compatible with other operating systems? Where are they applicable? Read on to find out.

PC or Desktop

Even though you usually cannot find accelerometers or gyroscopes in computers, there are 4D wallpapers for laptops. However, you’ll likely need to use an app that can recreate the effect, like Rainmeter, to make it happen. Regardless, of how highly customizable Windows is, it’s certainly achievable.

Mac or MacBook

Despite not being as customizable as Windows, Macs can have live and dynamic wallpapers. In fact, it’s built into the ecosystem natively. However, it doesn’t support 4D parallax effects natively. Hence, you’re limited to regular dynamic wallpapers.

iPhone or iPad

Unfortunately, like the Mac, iOS devices only support dynamic wallpapers natively. Hence, you cannot find 4D wallpaper apps that can provide you with the parallax effect you’re used to on Android. Your only option is to use Apple’s version of live or dynamic wallpapers.

Android Devices

There are certainly plenty of options on Android as we’ve discussed in this article. However, it’s crucial to consider that not all Android phones support it. Most major phones from brands like Samsung or Xiaomi should handle it. Regardless, you’ll have to check whether your Android OS and phone brand can support 4D wallpapers.

Smartwatches

Most smartwatches inherently feature somewhat dynamic wallpapers due to complications and widgets being front and center. Moreover, most smartwatch wallpapers feature animations of different kinds. However, no smartwatch has yet to feature a 4D wallpaper with a parallax effect.

Final Word

4D wallpapers are a great way to spice up your device and add some interest. Some may come in still variants while there are also live wallpaper versions. Moreover, there are plenty of apps on Android and Windows that can help you achieve this effect. However, many other operating systems don’t support the parallax depth effect. Therefore, you might be limited as to which devices you can feature and download a 4D lock screen on. Whether sharing it with friends or enjoying it on your own, you can now enjoy a cool 4D wallpaper today.