How to Customize Your iPhone Lock Screen

Customize your iPhone Lock Screen with widgets, wallpapers, fonts, and colors. Complete guide for iOS 16 and later with step-by-step instructions.

1. Access Lock Screen customization. Wake your iPhone and press and hold anywhere on the Lock Screen until it enters edit mode. Your current Lock Screen will shrink slightly and you'll see a plus (+) button at the bottom right. If you have multiple Lock Screens, they'll appear as a carousel you can swipe through.
2. Choose or create a new wallpaper. Tap the plus (+) button to create a new Lock Screen or select an existing one to edit. Browse through Apple's suggested wallpapers, choose from your Photos, or select dynamic options like Weather or Astronomy. For Photos, you can pinch to zoom and drag to reposition the image.
3. Customize the time display. Tap the time at the top of your Lock Screen to modify its appearance. Choose from different fonts including the new iOS 16 options, then select your preferred color or gradient. Some wallpapers automatically suggest complementary colors based on the image's palette.
4. Add widgets below the time. Tap the widget area below the time display to add up to four small widgets or two rectangular widgets. Choose from Weather, Battery, Calendar, Clock for other time zones, and more. Drag widgets to reorder them or tap the minus (-) button to remove them.
5. Configure shortcut buttons. Tap the shortcut buttons in the bottom corners of the Lock Screen to change them. Replace the default Flashlight and Camera shortcuts with options like Voice Memos, Do Not Disturb, Magnifier, or shortcuts from the Shortcuts app. Some apps also provide their own shortcut actions.
6. Link a Focus mode. Tap Focus at the bottom of the customization screen to connect your Lock Screen to a specific Focus mode. When that Focus activates, your iPhone automatically switches to this Lock Screen. This creates contextual setups like a work Lock Screen that appears during work hours.
7. Save and manage multiple Lock Screens. Tap Done to save your customized Lock Screen. To switch between multiple Lock Screens, press and hold the Lock Screen and swipe left or right through your collection. Press and hold any Lock Screen thumbnail to access options to edit, duplicate, or delete it.