Hands-On With the New iOS 16 Lock Screen - MacRumorsOpen MenuShow RoundupsShow Forums menuVisit ForumsOpen Sidebar
Skip to Content

Hands-On With the New iOS 16 Lock Screen

iOS 16 introduces some major changes, including a total overhaul for the iOS Lock Screen. The Lock Screen looks different, it's more customizable, and it can do more than ever before, so we thought we'd do a quick hands-on video to give MacRumors readers a first glimpse at the revamped Lock screen.


The Lock Screen can be customized with unique fonts, colors, and, for the first time, widgets. On an iPhone running iOS 16, just unlock it and then long press to get to all of the various customization options.

Many of the photos that you set on the Lock Screen are dynamically displayed in front of the time, or you can have your Lock Screen shuffle between multiple photos. You can choose a custom date and time, changing the color and the font, and you can apply Photo styles to Lock Screen images.

You can set up multiple Lock Screens and then swap between them with a swipe, and you can assign Lock Screens to different focus modes.

Most notably, the Lock Screen now supports widgets. You can add widgets that display information like the weather, time, date, battery level, calendar events, alarms, time zones, Activity ring progress, and more, with Apple making a widget API available for developers.

Live Activities, another new feature, helps you keep track of things that are happening in real time like sports games right from the Lock Screen, and there's even a Lock Screen gallery that lets you quickly and easily change the look of your iPhone.

With the Lock Screen changes, Apple also overhauled notifications. Incoming notifications are now shown at the bottom of the display, leaving your Lock Screen clear so you can see your widgets.

We'll have tons more on iOS 16 in the coming days, so make sure to stay tuned to MacRumors.

Related Forum: iOS 16

Popular Stories

iOS 27 Next to iPhone

Here's When iOS 27 Rolls Out Today in Every Time Zone [Update: It's Out]

Sunday September 13, 2026 3:00 am PDT by
Update 10:04 a.m.: iOS 27 is rolling out now, though it may take a bit for all users to see it, so keep checking! Apple is about to release iOS 27, which will finally deliver more advanced Siri AI capabilities as well as a variety of other refinements, improvements, and new features to iPhones. It's Apple's biggest software update of the year, and Apple announced at Wednesday's iPhone event...
iOS 27 Icon iPhone

iOS 27 Available Now With These 8 New Features

Monday September 14, 2026 9:00 am PDT by
Update — 10 a.m. Pacific Time: Apple has released iOS 27. During its iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone Duo event last week, Apple announced that iOS 27 will be released widely on Monday, September 14. iOS 27 should be available around 10 a.m. Pacific Time / 1 p.m. Eastern Time today via the Settings app, under General → Software Update. Below, we have highlighted eight new features and...
Apple iCloud Plus expansion hero

iCloud+ Now Includes Apple TV, Apple Arcade, and Curated Apple Music Stations in Over 100 Countries

Tuesday September 15, 2026 1:43 am PDT by
Apple today announced a new subscription initiative that turns paid iCloud+ subscriptions into a broader services bundle in more than 100 countries. In select countries, Apple says every paid iCloud+ plan, including the cheapest 50GB tier, now includes Apple TV and Apple Arcade "at no additional cost," while family sharing extends the storage, TV and Arcade access to up to five people....

Top Rated Comments

sniffies Avatar
56 months ago
It's unbelievable that after all these years, Apple still refuses to let us customize the two icons at the bottom.
Score: 31 Votes (Like | Disagree)
56 months ago
Everything on the LOCK screen should be optional. Why would they put flashlight and camera buttons, or music app controls on the LOCK screen that should be LOCKED. The entire point is to not accidentally push a button. It boggles my mind. I get that some people want quick access, but at least make it optional.
Score: 24 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Joosst Avatar
56 months ago
Call me conservative but I preferred the time when good designers just came up with the best idea. I don’t believe this level of aesthetic customisation is necessary at all for the average user.
Functionally it would make sense (being able to change the flashlight button etc.). But why should users be able to pick fonts? Couldn’t Apple just choose the best one?
Score: 10 Votes (Like | Disagree)
56 months ago

Even if they did, I’m sure you would somehow still find something to nitpick
It's almost as if there's always room for improvement...
Score: 9 Votes (Like | Disagree)
HQuest Avatar
56 months ago
Horrible font choices, no option for resize these fonts, only one picture for both lock and home screen, limited count of widgets and no choice of placement for any of the items (date/time/sunset/sunrise, clock, widgets) other than wherever Apple felt like should be. For a oh-so-much-praised-revamped-redesigned-new Lock Screen, as is, looks like garbage and a move backwards. Great ideas, sub-par implementation.
Score: 7 Votes (Like | Disagree)
turbineseaplane Avatar
56 months ago

What's up with those font choices and colors? Looks ugly AF.
When I saw those fonts I was immediately hoping you could customize that further.

Those were the most vanilla milk toast boring choices -- killed the whole concept for me there
Score: 6 Votes (Like | Disagree)