How to customize your iPhone lock screen and add widgets

(Pocket-lint) – When Apple released iOS 16 in September, it introduced the ability to customize an iPhone lock screen. We’re not talking about simply changing your wallpaper. Now you can change the entire look of a lock screen, from colors to fonts, and you can add widgets that display info from your favorite apps. You can also create more than one lock screen to switch between if you want to change up your aesthetic. Once you’ve set up what Apple calls a focus, you can associate that focus with your new custom lock screen. The idea is if you want to reduce distractions like notifications, you can switch to a specific custom lock screen with a focus enabled.

Read: Apple Event Recap: Everything Announced at iPhone 14 Launch

Confused? Do not worry. Pocket-lint has detailed how to personalize your iPhone lock screen step by step.

How to create a custom iPhone lock screen

Below we describe everything you can do when it comes to customizing your lock screen from start to finish. Later in this manual, certain aspects are explained in more detail, e.g. B. how to add a photo or widgets to your lock screen.

Create a new lock screen

1. Touch and hold your lock screen until To adjust button appears.
2. Tap the Add new or + button at the bottom of the screen.
3. That Lock Screen Wallpaper Gallery will appear.
4. That Add new background image The screen shows a gallery of choices.
   • Above you can add photos, people, photo shuffle, emojis and weather background.
   • There are categories like Featured, Suggested Photos, and Photo Shuffle.
5. Tap on one of the wallpaper options to choose it as your lock screen.
6. For wallpaper selection, swipe left or right to try color filters with patterns and fonts.
7. You can also tap components to edit, including the Date, clock and widgets.
   • Tap on one and a menu with different customization options will appear.
8. When you’re done, tap Add to above and then select:
   • Choose whether you want to use the wallpaper on both the lock screen and the home screen.
     • Tap Set as background pair.
   • Make other changes to the home screen.
     • Tap Customize home screen. You can then do things like blur it.

Edit a lock screen

Touch and hold your lock screen until the customize button appears, swipe to the lock screen you want to edit and tap the customize button. Now you can edit it and save your changes.

Clear a lock screen

You can delete a lock screen by touching and holding the lock screen until the Customize button appears. Swipe to the lock screen you want to delete, then swipe up on the screen and tap the trash can button.

Switch between lock screens

You can create multiple custom lock screens and switch between them throughout the day. Touch and hold the lock screen until the Customize button appears, then swipe to and tap the lock screen you want to use.

How to add a photo to your iPhone lock screen

When customizing your lock screen, you can add a specific photo from your photo library or choose a suggested photo. You can also apply a depth effect to your wallpaper or set your lock screen to blend different photos.

1. Touch and hold the lock screen until customize button appears and tap the +.
2. Beat + at the bottom of the screen, then select photos or Photo shuffle.
   • if you choose photos and want to create one Multi-layered effect:
     • Tap (…) in the bottom right, then select Depth Effect.
     • Layering is not available for background images with widgets.
     • It may not be available if the subject is too high, too low, or obscures the clock.
     • Layering is only available for images with people, pets, or the sky.
   • Reposition your image by pinching to zoom or dragging with two fingers.
   • You can also swipe left or right to try color filters with patterns and fonts.
3. if you choose Photo shuffleyou can preview the photos by tapping the grid icon.
   • Set those shuffle frequency By knocking (…).
   • Then, Choose an option under random frequency.

Note: To add a photo directly from your photo library, in the Photos app, tap Library > select a photo > tap the Share button > select Use as Wallpaper > tap Click Done > choose whether you want it to appear on the home screen or the lock screen.

How to add widgets to your iPhone lock screen

You can add widgets to your lock screens, including one for temperature, battery level, upcoming calendar event, and so on.

1. Touch and hold the lock screen until customize button appears.
2. Beat To adjust.
3. Tap the field under the time to add widgets to your lock screen.
4. Tap or drag the widgets you want to add.

Easy!

How to add focus to your iPhone lock screen

Focus is a feature that helps you reduce distractions. You can adjust any of the focus options provided – like work, home, or sleep – or create a custom focus. You can use Focus to temporarily silence all notifications, for example. Then you can set a focus right on your lock screen. If a focus is linked to your lock screen, you can activate it by swiping to the relevant lock screen.

1. First you need to establish a focus. Visit Apple’s support page to learn how.
2. Touch and hold the lock screen until customize button appears.
3. Beat focus below to see the focus options (e.g. “Sleep” or “Work”).
4. Choose a focusthen tap x.

How to customize the aesthetic of your iPhone home screen

There was a time when Apple didn’t allow its users to customize the home screen. But the company is much more forgiving these days. You can completely control the aesthetics of an iPhone, for example by changing your home screen app icons to custom icons and using widgets. If you want to go super sharp, you can even add a video clip of something to your lock screen. It’s easy to do.

Just follow Pocket-lint’s separate guide: How to customize your iPhone home screen with shortcuts and widgets

Looking for more help?

Apple has an entire support hub dedicated to the iPhone lock screen.

Pocket-lint also has the following guides for iOS 16:

Written by Maggie Tillman.