The next major software release for iPhone includes a host of easy-to-use features for Messages, notifications, Photos, Mail, Safari and more. However, what will probably get the most attention is iOS 16’s new custom lock screen feature. It’s the most support for personalization we’ve seen from Apple with the iPhone, building on all the work it did with iOS 14 when it did the debut graphical elements and some of the neat faces of the Apple Watch. iOS 16 is currently available as a free public or paid developer beta. Learn more about installing iOS 16 in our complete guide.
iOS 16 Lock Screen: How to Customize iPhone
Here’s a hands-on look at the process: If you press the “Customize” button on an old wallpaper, you will be prompted to “Add New” to continue. Photos can look very sharp with the new lock screen and you can even set it to rotate over your photos with the Photo Shuffle wallpaper. You can add up to 4 small widgets, 2 small and 1 medium or 2 medium widgets to the bottom space of the lock screen. The fastest way to add widgets is by clicking on them, but you can drag and drop them if you want to be more specific with placement. Tap the time to customize its font and color. Swipe from right to left to reveal more color options as well as the full color palette for a completely custom shade. You can also add 1 widget to the top day/date section, tap it to make a selection. Tap the three-dot icon in the bottom right to enable perspective zoom, and tap Done in the top-right corner when you’re done. Go back to the main lock screen customization page, you can also tap Focus at the bottom to link a specific one to the specific lock screen.
How do lock screen widgets work?
Once you place widgets on your lock screen, you’ll get live data presented whenever you glance. However, like the home screen widgets, they are not directly interactive, so tapping them will take you to the corresponding app (Calendar, Weather, Reminders, etc.).
How many iOS 16 lock screens can you make?
At any time, you can tap Customize to edit a lock screen or tap the blue + icon to create a new one. It’s not exactly clear how many lock screens you can make, but so far I’ve made 21 😅.
How to change Lock Screens
Similar to Apple Watch faces, once you have multiple lock screens, it’s easy to switch between them by long-pressing the lock screen and swiping to choose a different one.
How to delete custom lock screens
To remove custom lock screens, tap and hold on one and select “Delete Wallpaper” at the bottom.
Lock screens and battery life?
The new Weather and Astronomy wallpapers in iOS 16 are really impressive, but keep in mind that they will request location access (which can be updated as often as every 15 minutes) which can affect your iPhone’s battery life. How are you looking forward to using the new iOS 16 lock screen? Share your thoughts in the comments below!
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