Latest iOS 16 Beta Adds Full-Screen Music Player for Lock Screen

Apple today seeded revised third betas of iOS 16 and iPadOS 16 to developers, along with the first iOS and iPadOS 16 public betas. Both of these updates add a new Lock Screen feature - a full-screen music player.

lockscreen feature
Since iOS 10, the music player on the Lock Screen has been available as a smaller card-style player that only takes up a small portion of the screen with a miniature version of the album art.

With the latest ‌iOS 16‌ beta, album art is shown front and center, and a separate smaller music player is available below it for controlling playback. The album art dictates the color of the background of the Lock Screen, but if you tap at the bottom of the display, you can go back to your standard wallpaper and minimize the player.

To get back to the album art interface, just tap on the album icon on the minimized player.

The larger music player on the Lock Screen is part of the ‌iOS 16‌ Lock Screen overhaul that allows users to customize their Lock Screens with unique colors, fonts, and looks. Apple demonstrated the new full-screen music player at WWDC, but it was not available in the ‌iOS 16‌ beta until today.

Related Roundups: iOS 16, iPadOS 16
Related Forum: iOS 16

Top Rated Comments

giggles Avatar
12 months ago
It’s a lockscreen, a glanceable complications center and an iPod.

A lockscreen, an Apple Watch and an iPod.

A lockscreen, an Apple Watch and an iPod.

Are you getting it?
Score: 10 Votes (Like | Disagree)
211 Avatar
12 months ago
Still no option to Like/Dislike, loop or shuffle. Who spends more than a second to look at the album art that Apple felt making it bigger was what people wanted?
Score: 8 Votes (Like | Disagree)
tastesliketailpipe Avatar
12 months ago
Finally!

Artwork is important. At least it’s important to me. Brings me closer to the music.
Score: 7 Votes (Like | Disagree)
BWhaler Avatar
12 months ago
Can you swipe on the album art to advance songs or replay? So odd Apple doesn’t have this feature, even in the music app.
Score: 7 Votes (Like | Disagree)
BrownyQ Avatar
12 months ago
This takes me back to my first iPhone experience, when the lock screen would be dominated by the Music app when playing. I'm so happy to have this back, it's the small dumb things that make me happy.
Score: 6 Votes (Like | Disagree)
bbfc Avatar
12 months ago

I have no problem with the album art and it can be prominently featured in the Musis app itself. But on the Lock Screen? How many people stare at the album artwork on the Lock Screen for long? I still don’t care as long as it doesn’t sacrifice functions that would be useful, but here it does (and always has done as these functions have never been directly accessible). At least give the user the option on what they want
You can turn it off by tapping the album art.
Score: 4 Votes (Like | Disagree)