Calpaper

Set up your daily wallpaper.

Choose your look in Calpaper first. Then import the ready-made shortcut and follow the same guide you’ll find in the app. Five steps on iOS 27; ten on iOS 18–26.

For iOS 18–26

  1. 01Give Calpaper its own wallpaper

    Open Settings → Wallpaper → Add New Wallpaper. Tap Photos and pick a photo. Tap Add, then Set as Wallpaper Pair.

    Calpaper replaces this wallpaper’s photo each morning. A separate wallpaper keeps your other ones safe.

  2. 02Add the shortcut

    In Calpaper’s setup guide, tap Add Shortcut, then tap Add Shortcut again in Shortcuts. You can also add the ready-made Calpaper shortcut here.

    It arrives named Calpaper, with Get Today’s Calpaper and Set Wallpaper Photo already connected. Show Preview and Crop to Subject are off. If you removed Shortcuts, reinstall it first.

  3. 03Open it

    In Shortcuts, tap ⋯ on the Calpaper tile.

    Tap the menu, not the tile itself: tapping the tile runs the shortcut.

  4. 04Choose Calpaper’s wallpaper

    Tap Wallpaper. Choose the wallpaper you added, then tap Done.

    Don’t skip this: the scheduled run needs a specific wallpaper to replace. Show Preview and Crop to Subject are already off in the imported shortcut.

  5. 05Try it, save

    Tap ▶ and answer both permission prompts with Allow. Tap Done.

    Run it once now so the unattended morning run doesn’t stop at an unanswered permission. Keep the shortcut’s name as Calpaper.

  6. 06Go to Automation

    Tap Automation at the bottom of Shortcuts.

  7. 07Start a new automation

    Tap + in the top-right corner. If it’s your first automation, tap New Automation instead.

  8. 08Choose Time of Day

    Tap Time of Day.

  9. 09Pick when it runs

    Set 6:00 AM, or another time you prefer. Keep Daily, select Run Immediately, then tap Next.

    Run Immediately lets it refresh without asking you to confirm every morning.

  10. 10Run Calpaper

    Under My Shortcuts, tap the Calpaper tile. Return to Calpaper’s setup guide, tap I’m Done, and choose Always Allow if asked.

    Choose the tile under My Shortcuts, not Calpaper in the apps list below: the app action only makes the picture and does not set it. Not under My Shortcuts? Tap New Blank Automation, add Run Shortcut, choose Calpaper, and tap Done. Use Always Allow, not Allow Once: the morning run can’t answer a prompt.

For iOS 27

  1. 01Give Calpaper its own wallpaper

    Open Settings → Wallpaper → Add New Wallpaper. Tap Photos and pick a photo. Tap Add, then Set as Wallpaper Pair.

    Calpaper replaces this wallpaper’s photo each morning. A separate wallpaper keeps your other ones safe.

  2. 02Add the shortcut

    In Calpaper’s setup guide, tap Add Shortcut, then tap Add Shortcut again in Shortcuts. You can also add the ready-made Calpaper shortcut here.

    It arrives named Calpaper, with Get Today’s Calpaper and Set Wallpaper Photo already connected. Show Preview and Crop to Subject are off. If you removed Shortcuts, reinstall it first.

  3. 03Open it

    In Shortcuts, hold the Calpaper tile and tap Edit.

    A tap runs it. Holding it opens the menu.

  4. 04Turn it on, point it

    Tap the circled › by 6:00 and turn Automation on. Tap Wallpaper, pick the one you added, and tap ✓.

    The shared automation arrives switched off. Once on, it runs every day at 6:00. Pick a wallpaper explicitly: a manual run can ask you to choose one, but the morning run cannot.

  5. 05Try it, save

    Tap ▶ and answer both permission prompts with Allow. Tap ‹ to save. Return to Calpaper’s setup guide, tap I’m Done, and choose Always Allow if asked.

    Don’t skip the first run: unanswered permissions stop the morning update. Use Always Allow, not Allow Once, when Calpaper asks to output the wallpaper.

Tomorrow morning is sorted.

Your wallpaper will refresh at your chosen time. Want to change its look? Open Calpaper, make it yours, and tap Update.

Setup questions

Need a hand? Visit support

Does it update throughout the day?

Your wallpaper is a snapshot, refreshed by Shortcuts at the time you choose. If your calendar or Reminders change, tap Update in Calpaper to refresh it now.

Why do I need Apple Shortcuts?

iOS doesn’t let apps change your wallpaper on their own. Shortcuts can. Calpaper makes the image, and the ready-made shortcut sets it as your wallpaper. Import it once, choose your wallpaper, and enable the daily automation.

Which Apple Reminders appear?

Choose your lists in Content → Reminders and allow access. Calpaper shows open reminders due today first, then overdue ones, then undated ones. Complete a reminder in Apple Reminders and it disappears at the next wallpaper update. Lines you typed in Calpaper before v1.3 move into Reminders when you first allow access.

Is Calpaper Pro a subscription?

No. The daily wallpaper is free, and Calpaper Pro is one purchase. Photos, gradients, extra fonts, emoji, transparency, more countdowns, alternate icons and accents, wordmark removal and a matching Home Screen come with Pro. Check the app for your local price. There are no ads or accounts.

I bought Calpaper before it was free. Do I pay again?

No. Pro stays unlocked on the Apple Account that bought Calpaper, with two exclusive OG icons for early supporters. Settings → Calpaper Pro should say Early supporter. If it doesn’t, tap Restore purchase while using that Apple Account.

How do I add a matching Home Screen?

With Pro, edit your Calpaper shortcut. Set the existing Set Wallpaper Photo action to the Lock Screen. Add a second Get Today’s Calpaper action and set its Screen option to Home Screen. Follow it with a second Set Wallpaper Photo for the Home Screen, using that second action’s image. Choose your dedicated Calpaper wallpaper and keep Show Preview and Crop to Subject off. Run once and allow any prompts. You’ll get the same background with no blocks under your icons.

Why does the status say Check?

In v1.4, Check means setup hasn’t been verified or an update couldn’t find your shortcut. Tap it for the checklist. If the shortcut runs but stops before changing your wallpaper, Calpaper points you to the wallpaper-selection step instead of sending you back and forth between apps. Choose your dedicated wallpaper in Set Wallpaper Photo, then run it again.

Can Calpaper tell me if a morning is missed?

Yes. After your first successful wallpaper, Calpaper offers an optional missed-morning notice. If you allow notifications, one local notice fires 26 hours after the last run unless another run replaces it. Tap it to open the checklist. It isn’t a daily reminder or a marketing notification.

Can I use it without calendar access?

Yes. In v1.4, the morning update still draws your reminders, note and month when calendar access is off. Calendar and Reminders permissions are optional. The update also keeps the last known reminders if Apple Reminders is slow to respond.

Where are the emoji controls now?

In Look, under the fonts. The editor now has three steps: Canvas for the background and clock, Content for the blocks, and Look for fonts, placement, transparency and emoji.

Which languages can I use?

English, Spanish, Portuguese, German, French, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Traditional Chinese, Simplified Chinese and Turkish. Each includes the app, the Shortcuts guide and the dates on your wallpaper.

Where do my calendar, reminders and photos go?

They stay on your iPhone. Calpaper draws your wallpaper on your device, with no account. Anonymous usage stats are optional and never include your calendar, reminders, notes or photos. If you opt in, stats can include Pro purchase, restore and cancellation events. Read the privacy policy.

Can I make the text easier to read?

Yes. Turn on Larger text in Calpaper’s Look step. It’s included for free. The app also supports VoiceOver, Dynamic Type and Reduce Motion.