Samsung’s One UI 9 has given Motion Photos a new purpose, letting select Galaxy devices turn them into animated wallpapers for the home screen, lock screen, or both. According to Android Authority, citing SamMobile, the feature is currently available on Samsung’s latest foldables but hasn’t yet appeared in the One UI 9 beta running on the Galaxy S26 series.
That distinction matters. Having One UI 9 installed doesn’t automatically mean a phone supports Motion Photo wallpapers. So far, the feature has only been confirmed on three specific Galaxy models.
What Exactly Is Motion Photo
Motion Photo is a Galaxy camera feature that captures a few seconds of movement surrounding a photo, rather than freezing only the exact moment the shutter button is pressed. Those extra captured frames come in handy when someone blinks, looks away, or moves at an inconvenient time.
Samsung already allows users to view and edit that captured motion within the Gallery app. One UI 9 expands on this by giving Motion Photos a fresh use case, turning them into animated wallpaper.
How to Set a Motion Photo as Your Wallpaper
On a compatible phone, open the Gallery app and choose a picture that was captured with Motion Photo enabled. From there, select the option to set it as wallpaper, then apply it to the home screen, lock screen, or both.
One UI 9 displays a preview before the wallpaper is fully applied. Within that preview, a Motion Photo toggle lets users switch the animation on or off without altering the actual image.
This makes it easy to keep the movement active when it fits well with your layout, or switch to a static version if the animation ends up clashing with icons, widgets, or the clock display.
Galaxy Phones Confirmed to Support Motion Photo Wallpapers
At this point, Motion Photo wallpapers have only been confirmed on three One UI 9 devices, the Galaxy Z Flip 8, Galaxy Z Fold 8, and Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra.
Support on the Galaxy S26 series remains uncertain. SamMobile was unable to find the wallpaper option on a Galaxy S26 Ultra running One UI 9.0 Beta 5, and the feature hasn’t been confirmed anywhere across the current S26 beta lineup.
Its absence in beta software doesn’t necessarily indicate what Samsung will ultimately include once the stable S26 release arrives. It does, however, make clear that simply running One UI 9 shouldn’t be assumed as confirmation that Motion Photo wallpaper support is included. Samsung hasn’t released a separate compatibility list for this feature, nor has it said whether support will expand to additional Galaxy models.
Could More Galaxy Phones Get This Feature Later
Samsung has stated that One UI 9 itself will gradually expand beyond the Galaxy Z Flip 8, Z Fold 8, and Z Fold 8 Ultra. The company’s official One UI 9 overview also points to other wallpaper related updates, including automatic positioning designed to keep key parts of a cover screen image clear of clocks and widgets.
That said, a wider One UI 9 rollout doesn’t guarantee every compatible phone will receive every individual feature. Samsung’s current One UI materials don’t list Motion Photo wallpapers as something available across all Galaxy devices.
For now, the answer stays fairly narrow but clear. The Galaxy Z Flip 8, Galaxy Z Fold 8, and Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra remain the only confirmed models supporting Motion Photo wallpapers. Until Samsung either expands support further or publishes an official compatibility list, owners of other Galaxy phones will need to wait for confirmation specific to their own model.
