iOS 17 Lock Screen Interface to Turn iPhone Into Smart Home Display

An updated Lock Screen interface in iOS 17 will turn the iPhone into a "smart-home display," according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman. When not in use and positioned in a horizontal orientation, the ‌iPhone‌ will show information that includes calendar appointments, weather data, notifications, and more, allowing it to serve as a home data hub.

iOS 17 Icon Mock Feature Feature
With the ‌iPhone‌ attached to a MagSafe charging stand in a horizontal orientation, for example, the smart home interface will show up, mimicking what users might see with a device like an Echo Show or Google Nest Hub. The functionality will build on the widget options that Apple added to the Lock Screen in iOS 16.

Apple wants to make iPhones more useful when they're not being actively used and are positioned on a desk or nightstand. Apple plans to use a dark background with lighter color text to make the information on the display easy to read.

Apple is developing a horizontal interface for the iPad as well, but that may not be ready to launch in iOS 17, and the company is also working on a low-cost tablet that would magnetically attach to walls and stands to serve as a dedicated home hub.

iOS 17 is set to be announced at the June 5 keynote event that kicks off the 2023 Worldwide Developers Conference. For more on what to expect, we have a dedicated iOS 17 roundup, and Gurman's full report can be read over at Bloomberg.

Related Forums: iOS 17, iPadOS 17

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Top Rated Comments

myusernamedoesnotmatter Avatar
28 months ago
NGL, I'm excited for that. Should be useful.
Score: 12 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Zolotkey Avatar
28 months ago
I find my iPhone mini's screen too small to be useful for this feature. I wish iPadOS was first.
Score: 12 Votes (Like | Disagree)
TheYayAreaLiving ?️ Avatar
28 months ago
A Nightstand Mode on iPhone ?



Attachment Image
Score: 8 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Kebabselector Avatar
28 months ago
It might be nice if you could have a car play mode when horizontal - it'll save me buying a new head unit for the car.

(assuming it's not already an option I've not found)
Score: 8 Votes (Like | Disagree)
falkon-engine Avatar
28 months ago
Seems like a useful feature, no doubt, but I think it would be very relevant and helpful on iPad. But this appears to be another year where iPhone gets the new features first, only for it to come to iPad after a year or so.
Score: 8 Votes (Like | Disagree)
dk001 Avatar
28 months ago
On an iPad I can see this.
On an iPhone? Not.
Score: 7 Votes (Like | Disagree)