How iPhone lock screen works with iOS 16

It’s been working for Android for a long time, now it’s the iPhone’s turn: With iOS 16, the lock screen can be adapted to your own ideas.

As with many new Apple features, the way to the individual lock screen is a bit hidden. In the menu, you look in vain for the setting for the new feature that came to iPhones with the iOS 16 update. Instead, you press and hold the active lock screen until the options appear.

New screen overview

In the middle is the current iPhone lock screen, with a swipe to the left and right you can select more and create new. Apple provides a few ready-made themes, suggests beautiful photos from its own media library that are appropriate in terms of format, or offers color gradients.

In addition, a number of widgets can now be placed on the lock screen, such as battery status, world clock, weather, alarm clock or activity rings. The clock can now also be displayed in different fonts and colors. Save now. Finished.

The lock screen in iOS 16 is completely new – with widgets and personalizationPhoto: TECHBOOK

Customize iPhone lock screen

Three lines are available for customization. The top offers space for calendar and appointments, time zones and alarm, a fitness overview, reminders, stocks or the weather. The time is firmly placed in the middle. However, font and color are freely selectable. Several widgets can be placed next to each other in the lower row. These include reminders, weather, battery status, fitness, alarms, news and smart home shortcuts. Some of the widgets open the respective app directly when tapped. Not only Apple apps support widgets. Other developers have already created widgets for their apps and offer them to users.

Individual lock screens can also be linked to a focus plan. Users can use it to switch to a different lock screen and use it to automatically start the focus plan selected for it

Focus can be combined directly with lock screens in iOS 16
Focus can be combined directly with lock screens in iOS 16Photo: TECHBOOK

Also read: iOS 16 is here! These are the innovations of the iPhone update

Unfortunately, using the bottom row of widgets means that one of the visually coolest lock screen innovations is gone. Because if only the top two lines are active, iOS 16 automatically creates a 3D effect. Depending on which screen background you use, the image is divided into three levels. The time then partially disappears behind the front plane. When unlocking, the effect is particularly noticeable. Here the rear level with the time appears first and then the rest of the picture.

With material from dpa

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