Your iPhone Lock Screen is getting a whole lot busier.
With the release of iOS 16, currently accessible via public beta and expected to be fully launched this fall, iPhone users can now add widgets to the Lock Screen. The new widgets can feature anything from weather to stock information to calendar events, and will update themselves periodically.
At WWDC, Apple also announced that Live Activities — a feature that shows live information like updating sports scores or time until an Uber driver arrives — could also be shown in a widget-like feature on the Lock Screen. However, Live Activities will not be ready for public rollout in the fall, and will be coming at a later date via an update.
Here’s how to add the currently available widgets to your Lock Screen.
1. Open Settings and scroll down to “Wallpaper.”
Gotta start somewhere.
Credit: Screenshot: Apple
This is where any edits to your Lock Screen will live.
2. Tap on your existing Lock Screen to pull up the available edits.
Your current Lock Screen and Home Screen backgrounds will display.
Credit: Screenshot: Apple
If you want to create a whole new Lock Screen, you can also tap on “Add New Wallpaper” and make every edit possible before proceeding to add widgets with the below steps.
3. Tap on the empty box below the time.
This is also where widgets will appear on your Lock Screen,
Credit: Screenshot: Apple
This will pull up the available widgets and the ones you select will go in the area encased by this box.
4. Pick your desired widgets and arrange them.
Tons of widgets to choose from.
Credit: Screenshot: Apple
The left is the small option, the right is the larger version.
Credit: Screenshot: Apple
Certain widgets will have different size options (e.g., a small square or larger rectangle). Depending on the sizes you choose, you can select between two and four widgets for your Lock Screen, and they will appear in a row in the order you select them.
5. Tap “Done” in the upper right corner and admire your new widgets.
Almost done!
Credit: Screenshot: Apple
Ta-da!
Credit: Screenshot: Apple
And with that, tons of info will now be available whenever you pick up your phone.
