01
Days
365 dots. One for every day.
The whole year in one grid. Each morning, one more dot turns white and today glows.
A Lock Screen for iPhone
Your year, one dot at a time.
A calm wallpaper that fills in one dot every morning. You see how much of the year is behind you, and how much is still yours.
- Today is day
- 272
- Year complete
- 75%
- Days left
- 93
Live preview · today's wallpaper
Tip: click near the phone.
Why dots
It kind of feels like our lives are made up of a countless number of weeks. But there they are—fully countable—staring you in the face. Those are your weeks and they’re all you’ve got.
Tim Urban, “Your Life in Weeks”, Wait But Why
- 90
- Years in a long life
- 52
- Weeks in each year
- 4,680
- Weeks in total
A year is only 52 of those weeks. Year in Dots keeps this one where you look most: your Lock Screen.
Two styles
Pick how you want
to see your year.
02
Months
Twelve calendars. One glance.
The year split into months, so you always know where you stand in this one.
How it works
Four steps.
One time
Apple does not let apps change your wallpaper. A free iOS Shortcut does it for you, every morning. You set it up once, and then it runs by itself.
On a computer? The guide shows QR codes that you scan with your iPhone.
- Do this first
Make a photo Lock Screen
A Shortcut can only update a Lock Screen that uses a photo. Add a new Lock Screen with any photo. Our starter image works well. This one step prevents the most common setup error.
-
Add the Shortcut
Open the Shortcut link on your iPhone and tap Add Shortcut. The Shortcut gets today's image for your exact screen size.
-
Point it at that Lock Screen
Open the Shortcut and tap the blue word Wallpaper. Choose the photo Lock Screen from step 1, then tap ▶ one time. Your dots appear.
-
Let it run every morning
Make a Time of Day automation. Set it to Daily, choose Run Immediately, and select the Shortcut. From now on, it updates while you sleep.
Help
When iOS
gets in the way
Most problems come from one iOS rule. These answers fix almost all of them.
It says “Photos cannot be set on the selected wallpaper”
The Shortcut points at a Lock Screen that does not use a photo, for example the default iOS wallpaper, Astronomy, or Emoji. iOS does not let Shortcuts change those.
- Make a new Lock Screen with any photo (step 1 of the guide).
- Edit the Shortcut and tap the blue word Wallpaper.
- Select the new photo Lock Screen, then run the Shortcut.
The Shortcut ran, but my wallpaper did not change
The Shortcut updates the Lock Screen that you chose in the Set action. This is not always the Lock Screen you see now. If you use Focus modes with their own Lock Screens, choose the one you see most.
The Shortcut also needs the internet to get the image. Run it by hand one time. If it shows an error, the message tells you what to fix.
The automation asks me before it runs
Open the Automation tab and tap your automation. Select Run Immediately. Turn off Notify When Run if you do not want a message each morning.
Can it change my Home Screen too?
The Shortcut updates the Lock Screen. To change the Home Screen too, edit the Shortcut and tap Lock Screen in the Set action. Then select the Home Screen as well.
Which iPhones work?
All iPhones with a recent version of iOS, from iPhone SE to iPhone Air, iPhone 18 Pro, and iPhone Duo. The Shortcut sends your screen size, so the dots always fit your screen.
What does the Shortcut send?
Only your screen size, today's date, and the style you chose. There is no account and no personal information. The image is about 50 KB, and the Shortcut runs once a day, so it uses almost no battery or data.
Made by one person
Free. No ads.
No account
Year in Dots runs on a small server that I pay for. If it helps you notice your days, a coffee keeps it running.
Buy me a coffee