Affiliate links on Android Authority may earn us a commission. Learn more.
How to install the Google Pixel 3 live wallpapers on your smartphone
- A host of Google Pixel 3 wallpapers have leaked online.
- The 28 live wallpapers are the same as those seen in previously leaked screenshots, and we have a walk-through for how to get them working.
- They were originally available only for Android Pie devices, but are now supported on anything from Android Marshmallow.
The Google Pixel 3 wallpapers have now been made available for download. The 28 live wallpapers arrived yesterday via mysmartprice and @IshanAgarwal24, the person responsible for the initial screenshots of the wallpapers.
These images, all of which are at 1080p resolution or higher, can be set as a static background on any handset. However, if you want to use the live version, you’ll have to install a separate APK on a compatible device (these files are also available through the download links in the middle of this page).
This option was originally only for phones running Android Pie; however, the APK was later ported to handsets running Android Marshmallow and above thanks to developer Pranav Pandey (via XDA).
Pandey removed the WallpaperColors API to get this up and running on older phones, which means the System UI color won’t change in line with the live wallpaper as it’s supposed to. Further, this applies mainly to Qualcomm Snapdragon chipsets — those running Exynos-, Kirin-, or MediaTek-powered phones may run into trouble (though I did get some of the wallpapers working on my HUAWEI P10).
You also may encounter some bugs when using the wallpapers on older phones — you can keep your eyes on this thread for updates.
How to install the Google Pixel 3 live wallpapers
To use the live wallpapers you will need the wallpaper files themselves (at the first link below), the Google Wallpapers app, and the relevant APK file. You’ll also need to allow installations from unknown sources to install the APK (if you haven’t allowed this already, you should be prompted when you try to install it).
First, install the Google Wallpapers app from Google Play and then download the wallpapers via the first link below. These will go to your downloads folder by default, though you’ll be able to move them to another location if you want to. Wherever they end up on your device, the Wallpapers app should be able to find them, and you should see them in one of the folders when you open the app in a minute.
- Download Google Pixel 3 wallpapers (plus Android Pie APK)
- Download Google Pixel 3 wallpapers APK file (Android 6.0-7.1)
- Download Google Pixel 3 wallpapers APK file (Android 8.0-8.1)
Once you’ve downloaded the images and installed Wallpapers, install the relevant APK from the links above. This is just a matter of downloading one of them and then tapping “install” once it’s downloaded.
You can then visit the Wallpapers app, head to Live Wallpapers, and you should be able to set the Pixel 3 wallpapers as your background. Check out how some of them look on a Pixel 2 below:
Google hasn’t said much about the Google Pixel 3 yet and we don’t know for certain that these are the wallpapers set to appear on the upcoming handsets. At this point, it seems fairly likely, though. Either way, you’re getting your hands on some cool new wallpapers.
Google is expected to launch the Pixel 3 and Pixel 3 XL smartphones on October 9; for more on that, visit our Google Pixel 3 rumors hub.