How to Add Widgets to the iPhone Lock Screen » The Wonder of Tech

by James · November 19, 2022

If you have an iPhone and have updated it to iOS 16, you have a new tool available: Lock screen widgets. These handy widgets can deliver information without you even needing to unlock your phone.

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About iPhone lock screen widgets

iPhone lock screen widgets are similar to widgets you can add to your home screen, starting with iOS 14 in 2020. As with home screen widgets, iPhone lock screen widgets are free to add to your phone. If you are familiar with using widgets on the home screen, you will enjoy using widgets on the iPhone lock screen.

Learn more about widgets for the iPhone home screen at => 2 good reasons to add widgets to your iPhone home screen now

The lock screen appears when you press the iPhone screen or the power button. Lock screen widgets appear during the time displayed on the lock screen.

With widgets, you can get information with a simple tap on the screen without even having to unlock your iPhone.

And if you have an iPhone 14 Pro or Pro Max, you have an Always On Display that can display these lock screen widgets constantly.

These widgets can display useful information such as current weather, temperature, news updates, stock prices and more. You can see your activity rings from Apple Watch, your next calendar appointment, your next flight time and the battery level of your Apple devices.

How to add lock screen widgets on iPhone

Adding widgets to your iPhone lock screen is quick and easy. In just a few minutes, you can make your iPhone even more useful for you.

Tap the screen to turn on the iPhone lock screen. Then tap and hold the screen until you see one Customize button appears at the bottom.

Press Customize. You may be prompted to add a new wallpaper to the lock screen. Background can be pictures, emojis, weather, astronomy or a color.

Tip => While customizing the lock screen, you can tap the time to customize the font.

Press + ADD WIDGETS to see the widgets you can add to the lock screen.

You will see layout of suggested widgets. Then scroll down to see which of your apps offer lock screen widgets.

You can add two, three, or four lock screen widgets to your iPhone, depending on the size of the widget. Some widgets are small circles, while others are longer rectangles. Some widgets offer the choice between a small circle or a larger rectangle with more information.

After you’re done selecting your lock screen widgets, tap Add in the upper right corner of the screen. The next time you tap your iPhone screen, you should be greeted with your lock screen widgets.

Experiment with these widgets to see which ones are most useful to you. You might want to see if one rectangle widget is worth the space of two small circle widgets on the lock screen.

iPhones can have multiple lock screens with different widget configurations. You may want to use one lock screen when you’re traveling, one when your day is full of appointments, and another when you want to keep an eye on the weather.

If you can’t add widgets to the lock screen

If you follow the steps above and don’t see the option to add widgets to the lock screen, your iPhone hasn’t been updated to iOS 16 yet. To check which version of iOS your iPhone is using, go to Settings => General => About => iOS Version.

If your iPhone’s iOS version number is lower than 16, you will not be able to add lock screen widgets to your iPhone.

Update your iPhone to iOS 16, then follow the steps above to add lock screen widgets to your iPhone.

Your thoughts

Have you tried lock screen widgets on your iPhone? What widgets have you tried on the lock screen? Which apps would you like to offer lock screen widgets?

Share your thoughts in the comments section below!