Here’s an overview of all the new Lock Screen features that Apple will release with iOS 16.
5. Lock Screen Widgets
While Apple introduced widgets for your iPhone’s Home Screen with iOS 14, with the upcoming update, it is bringing the feature to your Lock Screen as well. Widgets on your Lock Screen allow you to quickly take a look at information like:
Battery levels The date The weather The time Alarms Events in your calendar Different time zones And much more
A glance at this list will tell you how useful this could be as many of these are apps that are essential in most of our regular routines. Moreover, if you’re someone who’s part of the procrastinating crew, having widgets on your Lock Screen will hold you back from unlocking your phone and indulging yourself in hours of screen time.
4. Live Activities
Whether it’s an Uber ride, your favorite restaurant dropping off your food, or a football final, Live Activities will show you real-time events right on your Lock Screen. The layout for this feature is similar to Widgets. This is designed to avoid you getting bombarded with notifications by developing events.
Unfortunately, there is a slight delay in the release of this feature. Apple has announced the release of iOS 16 in fall 2022, but Live Activities will not be available at launch and will come out later in the year.
3. Lock Screen Gallery
The Lock Screen in iOS 16 will allow you to create various options for different moods, Focus modes, or times of the day. Each Lock Screen can have its own wallpaper and widget setup. Even better, all you need to do to switch between them is swipe across your screen.
2. Built-In Editor
Another interesting feature you’ll see when you press and hold on your Lock Screen is the Customize button, along with a plus (+) button. This allows you to edit an existing Lock Screen, while the plus (+) button will enable you to create a new one altogether.
When you press Customize, you can make changes to a Photo Wallpaper (when you have an already existing photo as your wallpaper) or to a Color Wallpaper (if you want to switch to a color instead of a photo or already have a color). You can also create a multi-layered photo effect that puts the subject of the photo in front of the date and time widget to create a sense of depth.
1. Photo Shuffle
As the name suggests, this addition lets you see an automatic slideshow of different photos on your Lock Screen. You can create an entire library of your favorite pictures to play throughout the day. These could depict a memory, a person, a place, or just the best photos of yourself.
If you don’t want to make a library yourself, your iOS 16 can play an automatic shuffle for you. You also get to choose the time intervals between each photo shuffle.
A Revamped Lock Screen With iOS 16
iOS 16 is bringing the big guns out with all these major upgrades to the Lock Screen. You can add widgets, get real-time updates, change font styles and colors, and even play a slideshow of photos on your Lock Screen. There are tons of other great iOS 16 features you can check out too.
