The easiest way to add wallpapers to your iPhone is through iTunes.
Technically, you are also able to add wallpapers through OpenSSH by adding them to the folder root/library/wallpapers. But, in order for them to show up they need to have a thumbnail. So, you would have to create a thumbnail for every wallpaper you add.
How to add wallpapers using iTunes: The first thing you need to do is create a folder on your computer titled Wallpapers (or really whatever you want it to be titled). You will probably want to create your new folder inside the folder My Pictures on your computer…that way you can still sync your pictures and your new wallpapers. When you find new wallpapers you would like to add just save them in the new folder you created. Then go into iTunes under the Photos tab and make sure your Wallpapers folder is one of the folders selected to sync. If not, you will want to click on “Sync photos from” and select the folder you created (make sure that your Wallpapers folder has a check next to it in the preview screen if you are not syncing all).
Now when you sync your iPhone it will add your wallpapers into an album in Photos on your iPhone. To change the wallpaper on your actual iPhone just go into Photos then into your Wallpaper Album and select the wallpaper you would like to add then tap the little box with an arrow in the bottom left corner and select Use As Wallpaper. Now, you can move the Wallpaper by tapping and dragging it and you can scale the Wallpaper by zooming in or out. Once you have the wallpaper exactly how you want it tap Set Wallpaper.
Screenshots:

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December 20th, 2007 at 2:19 pm
doesn”t work !!!!
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December 20th, 2007 at 2:35 pm
What are you having trouble with…the iTunes or the OpenSSH
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December 20th, 2007 at 10:59 pm
Great article, there are a lot of people who are unsure how to get great wallpaper on their iPhone. Some readers might like to know that http://www.myiphonetricks.com has some great High Definition iPhone wallpaper as well. Keep up the good work.
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December 30th, 2007 at 9:59 pm
Although I can set a photo as wallpaper, I can’t seem to get it to stay permanently on the screen where the icons are. What am I doing wrong?
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December 31st, 2007 at 12:39 pm
You will need to go into SummerBoard (SMBPrefs) and turn off your Theme Wallpaper Setting and turn on your Wallpaper Setting. Then it will show up behing your icons.
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January 1st, 2008 at 2:28 pm
What happend to the icons on the last image. Is that a setting?
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January 2nd, 2008 at 9:25 pm
No those icons are from the theme Ethereal.

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conniekkg reply on March 11, 2008:
I found it on the website, but how do you get it onto the iphone? It isn’t on the installer… Thanks for ur help!!
Brooke reply on March 11, 2008:
You will have to manually install this theme via SSH…check out THIS post.
January 28th, 2008 at 8:07 am
Where do you find SummerBoard (SMBPrefs) on the phone?
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January 28th, 2008 at 8:33 am
SummerBoard is in the Installer.app. under the Category System.
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January 30th, 2008 at 4:07 pm
Hi
I was wondering how you got that purple apple with the iphone in the carrier slot. I don’t see it in the customize app- Carrier image..
Thanks.. why can’t you just set up a folder in iphoto for the wallpapers?
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January 30th, 2008 at 4:11 pm
@Marni…that is a custom carrier icon that you would have to add to Customize via OpenSSH…let me know if you are comfortable with that and would like me to post a link to the file.
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January 30th, 2008 at 4:45 pm
Thank you Brooke.. I would love to learn how to do that.. I would give it a shot.. just tell me how.. I will follow step by step..
: )
Marni..
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February 27th, 2008 at 6:03 pm
How do I setup summerboard, so I can see the whole picture - no dock background - as seen in the sample at the top of this page.
Thank you
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Brooke reply on February 27, 2008:
I downloaded the DSI: Transparent pack in the Themes (Customize) category in the Installer. Then I just changed my dock (using Customize) to the transparent one from that pack! The DSI: Transparent pack is available through the Ste Packaging source.
February 28th, 2008 at 1:55 am
Thank you very much Brooke! Very kind of you!
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Brooke reply on February 28, 2008:
No problem!
February 29th, 2008 at 3:33 pm
Why do synchronized photo’s/pictures have such bad quality? I have tried everything but they never match the quality the standard backgrounds that come with the phone.
I have tried formats like .png .jpg and quality settings, but it makes no difference. Am i doing something wrong? Or is there a way to get high quality photo’s/pictures to my phone?
Thanks
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March 4th, 2008 at 6:46 pm
To N-Freak:
Have the same problem but I tested to take a wallpaper in .png and created a thumbnail. Then I transfered it to the phone with WinSCP. Then the compression of the wallpaper wasn’t changed and the wallpaper had the high quality as on this site. So I think it is iTunes that is the bad link here. You shouldn’t have to do this manually in my oppinion. Can’t seem to find any setting in iTunes to “keep compression” or something like that.
HELP!!!
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March 12th, 2008 at 4:28 pm
I have found a workaround. Simply do it with Fugu (WincSCP for Windows?).
Make a thumbnail and put it and the wallpaper next to the standard wallpapers dir. Voila, it pops up next to them on your iPhone.
I don’t have photo’s so it doesn’t matter I have to do it for a couple of wallpapers, but if you have photo’s i’d do it with iTunes.
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April 25th, 2008 at 8:47 am
whenever i change my settings on Summerboard, and i leave that screen, my setting reset to default,….why?
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ALEX reply on May 17, 2008:
This has happend to me before its an summerboard problom and there is a tweak for it in installer try that
May 3rd, 2008 at 4:28 pm
is there a way to get the wall papers in theme builder or do i have to go into SBM and put my theme wall paper off and set the wall paper as my background?
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May 8th, 2008 at 4:52 pm
how do i add a background photo in the back of my home screen on my iphone? behind the icons and also make it scroll down and up instead of right to left
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ALEX reply on May 17, 2008:
You cant make it scroll up and down but how you get the wall paper behind the icons is you have to install “Summerboard” and download themes for it in “themes(Summerboard)” in installer. then you can go into the summerboard app and switch the theme and if you want your wallpaper in the back ground then you just switch the theme wallpaper off
May 22nd, 2008 at 3:14 pm
Great Artical.
Thanks
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July 20th, 2008 at 9:47 pm
[...] wallpapers. Any takers? After you receive your wallpaper here’s how to add it to your iPhone/iPod. Adding Wallpapers to Your iPhone | Apple iPhone School You could also find premades by googling something simple such as ‘iphone wallpapers’. [...]
August 11th, 2008 at 12:50 pm
[...] use this guide Adding Wallpapers to Your iPhone | Apple iPhone School [...]
November 8th, 2008 at 5:23 pm
Okay. Yes, I know how to do this, but I am having trouble with changing the lock screen wallpaper. This method used to work for me just fine, but then I started messing around with themes from Customize and whatnot and now I cannot change the lock screen wallpaper for the life of me. I’ve tried everything! Can anyone possibly help me with my problem??
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November 26th, 2008 at 11:08 am
Hey, I just want a background on my iphone that will stay with my theme. The theme is a vista one, with a sidebar and startmenu, etc. I have tried to simply install summerboard but it doesn’t work. It is because of my installer app thing. In installer, there is a ton of stuff missing. If I go into all packages-all categories-there is only nine things that show up. I installed the “Kate” one, because I remember seeing it was good; but that leaves eight. Help me out please, I only want summerboard and my installer fixed.
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