How-To

How to Add Widgets to an iPhone Lock Screen

By Brian Burgess

Published October 5, 2022

Want to see updates on your iPhone screen? If you’re running iOS 16 and later, you can use a widget. Here’s how to add widgets to your iPhone lock screen.

If your iPhone is running iOS 16 or above, you can add widgets to your phone’s lock screen. These widgets provide quick access to useful information, from the current weather to upcoming events, as well as updates from apps like Apple Fitness. You can customize the widgets to work best for you and your situation.

If you have an iPhone with an always-on display (such as an iPhone 14), you can use it to your advantage to display your widgets. The feature is still available on older iPhones, however.

If you want to know how to add widgets to your iPhone lock screen, follow the steps below.

How to Add Widgets to an iPhone Lock Screen

Adding widgets to the iPhone lock screen can help you view important information quickly and easily. Luckily, adding widgets is a straightforward process on iOS 16 and above.

To add widgets to iPhone lock screen:

1. Tap and hold your lock screen on your iPhone.
2. In the pop-up, tap the plus (+) icon.
3. Select a new wallpaper to appear on the lock screen. You can use images you’ve taken or saved to your phone, but you can also add preset images (named Emoji, Weather, People, etc.)
4. If you want a preview, you’ll see what a widget screen will look like under the Featured section.
5. Tap on the widget’s different elements to modify them. For example, you can change the font, color, and the amount of information being displayed.
6. To include another widget, tap the Add Widgets button and select the one you want to use from the widget picker. It includes Apple and updated third-party apps. Finding combinations takes trial and error, so keep that in mind while setting it up.
7. Once you’ve made your choices, tap Done and Save as Wallpaper Pair (when prompted).

Using Lock Screen Widgets on iPhone

If you’re an Apple Watch owner, you’ll notice that widgets on iPhone are similar to complications on an Apple Watch. However, the feature isn’t without its flaws.

For example, you can only add a select number of widgets at a time. If you try too many, it will notify you that you must remove a widget to add another event.

Apple could add more space for widgets to the lock screen rather than the limited four. It could also make it easier to interact with them using live activities. Still, the new widgets feature brings new life to the lock screen with helpful information you need at a glance.

Customize Your iPhone Lock Screen with Widgets

Want to view important information on your iPhone quickly? Thanks to the widgets feature in iOS 16 (and later), you can. You’ll need to choose your widgets carefully and make sure you set them up to suit your needs (and your screen size).

If you don’t see the widgets feature, make sure to update your iPhone by opening Settings > General > Software Updates and installing any available updates.

Want to take advantage of new and exciting iOS features (or remove ones you don’t like)? For example, you can remove the Search button on the iPhone home screen. You might also want to make sure that your iPhone is blocking ad tracking on your device.