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The Lock Screen is the first thing that you see when you pick up your favorite iPhone. It also gives you fast and convenient access to features like the Camera app, Siri, Control Center, and so much more. You can also prevent unauthorized access to your iPhone or iPad's private contents with the Lock Screen, since a passcode or biometrics are needed to get past it. Since the Lock Screen is such a vital part of your best iPhone experience, it's important to tweak it to your liking. With iOS 15, you can easily change the wallpaper or disable certain features if you prefer to not have a lot of information on your Lock Screen. At WWDC22 we learned that with iOS 16 on the way, you'll be able to experience an entirely new Lock Screen as you can customize the typeface and colors, add widgets, and so much more. If you are curious about the new iOS 16 Lock Screen features, you can download the developer or public betas right now. We have included steps for iOS 16-specific features further down in this guide, so you can have fun creating your perfect Lock Screen. Here's how to customize your Lock Screen on iPhone and iPad. How to change the wallpaper on your Lock Screen in iOS 15 and earlierYour iPhone or iPad comes with Apple's default wallpaper on the Lock Screen. Still, you can change it to another image from Apple's gallery, one of a few motion wallpapers, or even a Live Photo that animates when you long-press it.
How to set Auto-Lock timeYou can turn the screen off on your iPhone or iPad at any time, but by default, it'll turn off automatically after two minutes to save on power. If that time limit doesn't suit you, it's easy to change. Note: You can't change Auto-Lock time when in Low Power Mode.
How to turn off access to Notification Center, Control Center, Siri, and more on the Lock ScreenNotification Center makes it easy to get to your recent alerts without unlocking your phone. Control Center allows you quick access to settings, media controls, and home accessories from your Lock Screen. But, they also let other people access all of that just as quickly. If that's a concern, you can make it so that areas like Notification Center and Control Center can't be pulled up from the Lock screen and turn off Lock screen access for Siri, Wallet, and more.
Later, if you change your mind, you can repeat the same steps to turn any of the above settings back on. How to manage notifications for the Lock ScreenHaving your notifications pop up on the Lock Screen is incredibly convenient...unless it reveals private and confidential information you'd rather not have disclosed. For example, it could be the name of a contact or the content of a message. Whatever the case, you can turn them off in settings — unfortunately, only one at a time.
Note: Some apps may have additional privacy options (i.e., for Messages, you can turn off previews). Repeat for any and every app whose alerts you want to keep off your Lock Screen or change how they're grouped. How to add a new Lock Screen in iOS 16Apple occasionally offers updates to iOS, iPadOS, watchOS, tvOS, and macOS as closed developer previews or public betas (opens in new tab). While the betas contain new features, they also contain pre-release bugs that can prevent the normal use of your iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch, Apple TV, or Mac, and are not intended for everyday use on a primary device. That's why we strongly recommend staying away from developer previews unless you need them for software development, and using the public betas with caution. If you depend on your devices, wait for the final release. One of the big new features in iOS 16 comes in the form of a brand new Lock Screen. In fact, you can now have multiple Lock Screens, with each of them fully customizable to suit your tastes and preferences. Here's how to add a new Lock Screen in iOS 16.
From here, you'll follow the steps below to customize your Lock Screen interface. How to customize your new Lock Screen interface in iOS 16On top of being able to have multiple Lock Screens, each one is can be completely personalized to your liking, from the wallpaper to the typeface for the clock, and you can even add widgets.
How to customize an existing Lock Screen in iOS 16If you already have a Lock Screen set up but want to change it, you can do that too.
(Image credit: iMore)
(Image credit: iMore) Optionally, you can also go to Settings, then Wallpaper to change your Lock Screen. You'll get all of the same options as mentioned above. How to link a Lock Screen to a Focus mode in iOS 16Along with customizable and multiple Lock Screens, you can link particular Lock Screens to a select Focus mode that you have set up.
At the moment, you can only link one Focus to a Lock Screen, but you can link multiple Lock Screens to a single Focus. However, when you activate a Focus, it only picks one associated Lock Screen. I believe this is an oversight, and it is the early stages of the beta testing phase, so this may be an oversight for now and change later. How to change the wallpaper on your Lock Screen in iOS 16If you want to change just the wallpaper on your current Lock Screen, you can still do that from the Settings app, but it's a little different.
Make the Lock Screen completely yoursWith all current versions of iOS, like iOS 15, it's easy to get your Lock Screen set up just the way you want with your favorite wallpapers, customized notifications, and other settings. But iOS 16 definitely will be taking things to an entirely new level by letting you change the typeface and colors of information on the Lock Screen, and you can even have glanceable widgets. There will also be a new notification style called Live Activities that are widget-like in appearance and interactive, though limited to specific Apple apps. Regardless, customizing the Lock Screen to suit your personal tastes is well worth it, considering that it's the first thing you see every time you pick up your phone. If you are feeling a little overwhelmed with all of the new possibilities that you could do with the Lock Screen now, I'd recommend taking a look at what others have come up with in the /r/iOSsetups subreddit. This is a great place to just find inspiration on cool Home Screen setups, and now Lock Screens. Updated July 2022: Added screenshots for iOS 16 betas. Christine Romero-Chan was formerly a Senior Editor for iMore. She has been writing about technology, specifically Apple, for over a decade at a variety of websites. She is currently part of the Digital Trends team, and has been using Apple’s smartphone since the original iPhone back in 2007. While her main speciality is the iPhone, she also covers Apple Watch, iPad, and Mac when needed. When she isn’t writing about Apple, Christine can often be found at Disneyland in Anaheim, California, as she is a passholder and obsessed with all things Disney, especially Star Wars. Christine also enjoys coffee, food, photography, mechanical keyboards, and spending as much time with her new daughter as possible. How do I change my screen lock photo?In the top right corner of the screen, tap the three dots to bring up an options menu.. Select a photo and tap the three dots in the top right corner. ... . Tap "Use as." ... . Tap "Photos Wallpaper." ... . Adjust the photo, then tap "Set Wallpaper." ... . Select "lock screen" or "home screen and lock screen" to set the wallpaper.. Can I customize my iPhone Lock Screen?Create a New Lock Screen Background in iOS 16
To do this, go to Settings > Wallpaper and tap Add New Wallpaper. Alternatively, swipe down on the Home Screen from the top until you see the Lock Screen. Long-press on any empty area of the screen, then tap Customize > Add New.
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