In iOS 16, Apple has added multiple options to customize the iPhone Lock Screen, including the ability to change the font and color, apply filters, and even add information-rich widgets to your wallpaper.

image
Apple has created a variety of customizable Lock Screen wallpaper types that you can choose from, including shuffling photos, Emoji backgrounds, Apple Collections, and Colors, as well as dynamic Weather and Astronomy screens that reflect real-time data.

And with the introduction of Lock Screen widgets, you can display information like the weather, time, date, battery level, calendar events, alarms, time zones, Activity ring progress, and more, with Apple making a widget API available for developers.

You can build a gallery of different Lock Screen wallpapers and switch between them on the fly with a swipe. If you have an Apple Watch, the Lock Screen gallery interface will be familiar to you, since it's very similar to the way watch face customization works.

Let's dive right in and create a new Lock Screen by following the steps below.

  1. Unlock your ‌iPhone‌ with Face ID or Touch ID
  2. Press and hold on the Lock Screen.
  3. Tap the blue + button, or swipe leftwards all the way to the end and then tap Add New.
  4. Select a new wallpaper from the menu of options, which include People, Photos, Photo Shuffle, Emoji, Weather, Astronomy, Collections, and Color.
    Lock Screen

  5. Customize the look of your chosen Lock Screen by tapping the frames up top to change the clock style and add widgets above and below the time. For further personalization, use the filter and image options at the bottom of the screen, which will change depending on the type of wallpaper you've chosen.
  6. When you've finished customizing your new Lock Screen, tap Done in the top-right corner, and then tap the screen again to exit the Lock Screen gallery.
    Lock Screen

Note that you can customize the current Lock Screen at any time by invoking the gallery view from the Lock Screen with a long press, or by going into Settings -> Wallpaper & Lock Screens.

Related Forum: iOS 16

Popular Stories

imac video apple feature

Apple Unveils First New Products of 2026

Monday January 26, 2026 1:55 pm PST by
Apple today introduced its first two physical products of 2026: a second-generation AirTag and the Black Unity Connection Braided Solo Loop for the Apple Watch. Read our coverage of each announcement to learn more:Apple Unveils New AirTag With Longer Range, Louder Speaker, and More Apple Introduces New Black Unity Apple Watch BandBoth the new AirTag and the Black Unity Connection Braided...
Second Generation AirTag Feature

Apple Unveils New AirTag With Longer Range, Louder Speaker, and More

Monday January 26, 2026 6:07 am PST by
Apple today introduced the second-generation AirTag, with key features including longer range for tracking items and a louder speaker. For those who are not familiar, the AirTag is a small accessory that you can attach to your backpack, keys, or other items. Then, you can track the location of those items in the Find My app on the iPhone, iPad, Mac, Apple Watch, and iCloud.com. The new...
iPhone 5s

iPhone 5s Gets New Software Update 13 Years After Launch

Monday January 26, 2026 3:56 pm PST by
Alongside iOS 26.2.1, Apple today released an updated version of iOS 12 for devices that are still running that operating system update, eight years after the software was first released. iOS 12.5.8 is available for the iPhone 5s and the iPhone 6, meaning Apple is continuing to support these devices for 13 and 12 years after launch, respectively. The iPhone 5s came out in September 2013,...
Apple Logo Spotlight

Apple to Launch These 20+ Products This Year

Sunday January 25, 2026 6:02 pm PST by
2026 promises to be yet another busy year for Apple, with the company rumored to be planning more than 20 product announcements over the coming months. Beyond the usual updates to iPhones, iPads, Macs, and Apple Watches, Apple is expected to release its all-new smart home hub, which was reportedly delayed until the more personalized version of Siri is ready. Other unique products rumored for ...
M5 MacBook Pro

Apple Reportedly Aiming to Upgrade the MacBook Pro Twice This Year

Sunday January 25, 2026 11:46 am PST by
Apple plans to release new MacBook Pro, MacBook Air, Mac Studio, and Studio Display models in the first half of this year, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman. In his Power On newsletter today, Gurman added that redesigned MacBook Pro models with an OLED touch screen "should be hitting toward the end of 2026," meaning that the MacBook Pro line would be upgraded twice this year. First up...