iOS 16 Brings Back Full-Screen Music Player to the Lock Screen

With iOS 16, Apple is bringing the full-screen music player back to the Lock Screen, offering an entirely new view that puts album art in the center with controls at the bottom.

ios 16 lock screen music player
The full-screen music player on the lock screen was last available with iOS 10 and is now back with iOS 16 as part of a lock screen redesign. On iOS 16, users will be able to change the Lock Screen font and colors, add new widgets, entirely new dynamic wallpapers, and more.

It's worth noting that in the first developer beta of iOS 16, the full-screen music player does not seem to be present.

iOS 16 and iPadOS 16 are currently in beta testing with developers with a public beta planned for both in July. ‌iOS 16‌, iPadOS 16, macOS Ventura, and watchOS 9 will be available to users this fall.

Related Forum: iOS 16

Popular Stories

maxresdefault

Apple Shows Off a Key Reason to Upgrade to the iPhone 17

Saturday February 7, 2026 9:26 am PST by
Apple today shared an ad that shows how the upgraded Center Stage front camera on the latest iPhones improves the process of taking a group selfie. "Watch how the new front facing camera on iPhone 17 Pro takes group selfies that automatically expand and rotate as more people come into frame," says Apple. While the ad is focused on the iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max, the regular iPhone...
wwdc sans text feature

Apple Rumored to Announce New Product on February 19

Thursday February 5, 2026 12:22 pm PST by
Apple plans to announce the iPhone 17e on Thursday, February 19, according to Macwelt, the German equivalent of Macworld. The report, citing industry sources, is available in English on Macworld. Apple announced the iPhone 16e on Wednesday, February 19 last year, so the iPhone 17e would be unveiled exactly one year later if this rumor is accurate. It is quite uncommon for Apple to unveil...
Apple Logo Zoomed

Tim Cook Teases Plans for Apple's Upcoming 50th Anniversary

Thursday February 5, 2026 12:54 pm PST by
Apple turns 50 this year, and its CEO Tim Cook has promised to celebrate the milestone. The big day falls on April 1, 2026. "I've been unusually reflective lately about Apple because we have been working on what do we do to mark this moment," Cook told employees today, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman. "When you really stop and pause and think about the last 50 years, it makes your heart ...
Finder Siri Feature

Why Apple's iOS 26.4 Siri Upgrade Will Be Bigger Than Originally Promised

Friday February 6, 2026 3:06 pm PST by
In the iOS 26.4 update that's coming this spring, Apple will introduce a new version of Siri that's going to overhaul how we interact with the personal assistant and what it's able to do. The iOS 26.4 version of Siri won't work like ChatGPT or Claude, but it will rely on large language models (LLMs) and has been updated from the ground up. Upgraded Architecture The next-generation...
iOS 26

iOS 26.3 and iOS 26.4 Will Add These New Features to Your iPhone

Tuesday February 3, 2026 7:47 am PST by
While the iOS 26.3 Release Candidate is now available ahead of a public release, the first iOS 26.4 beta is likely still at least a week away. Following beta testing, iOS 26.4 will likely be released to the general public in March or April. Below, we have recapped known or rumored iOS 26.3 and iOS 26.4 features so far. iOS 26.3 iPhone to Android Transfer Tool iOS 26.3 makes it easier...

Top Rated Comments

sharksftw Avatar
48 months ago

I hope that Apple allows users to adjust the location for where the playback controls go on the screen - I would much rather have the play, pause and skip forward and backward controls where they currently are on iOS 15

Having them at the bottom of the screen is horrible UI - especially when holding your iPhone with one hand
Huh? Especially with one hand it’s easier to use when it’s on the bottom.
Score: 15 Votes (Like | Disagree)
BvizioN Avatar
48 months ago
Not sure what the big deal is with this one. I personally wouldn't want a full artwork image to take up the lock screen. just the player controls as minimal as possible and that's ti.
Score: 12 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Eddy Munn Avatar
48 months ago

Pretty sure the full size music player was last around in iOS 10 and went away with iOS 11 :)
Correct. iOS 10 vs iOS 11.

Attachment Image
Score: 11 Votes (Like | Disagree)
adammusic Avatar
48 months ago
Bring lyrics there too please
Score: 5 Votes (Like | Disagree)
ric275 Avatar
48 months ago

The full-screen music player on the lock screen was last available with iOS 7 and is now back with iOS 16 as part of a lock screen redesign.
Pretty sure the full size music player was last around in iOS 10 and went away with iOS 11 :)
Score: 4 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Mr. 123 Avatar
48 months ago

Agreed. The whole point of the cover art is to see it in full display, not hide it away.
As someone who actually designs cover artwork, I fully agree!
Score: 3 Votes (Like | Disagree)