One of the main arguments when comparing Android and iOS is the huge customizability offered by Google’s mobile operating system. However, Apple realized this potential and now started to catch up with Android. iOS 15 brought iPhone home screen customization and iOS 16 is now here with lock screen customization. Yep, you can finally see more than just the clock and notifications on your iPhone’s lock screen with widgets. So, if you have iOS 16 beta installed on your iPhone, follow this guide to learn how you can easily add widgets to your lock screen.
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Adding Widgets to iPhone Lock Screen (2022)
Instead of a dedicated page for widgets, iOS 16 now lets you add widgets above and below the lock screen clock on iPhone. First, we’ll discuss how these widgets work, and then get into the details of how to add or remove widgets in iOS 16. That said, let’s dive in without further ado.
How do iPhone lock screen widgets work?
By adding widgets to the iPhone lock screen in iOS 16, Apple lets you get important information at a glance. You can follow live cricket scores, track your steps in real time and even check the latest weather conditions. While this is a step in the right direction, the lock screen widgets aren’t interactive – just like the home screen widgets on the iPhone. Tapping widgets on the lock screen will take you to the corresponding app.
While the lack of interactive widgets is disappointing, it’s not a dealbreaker. Many users will still be excited to pin widgets and customize their iPhone lock screen for easy access to information. That said, let’s learn how you can customize lock screen widgets on iPhone running iOS 16.
Add widgets under the iPhone lock screen clock
As we mentioned above, you can add widgets below and above the clock on the lock screen. First, we’ll customize the main widget panel, which appears below the time on the lock screen and displays information-rich widgets.
To get started, unlock your iPhone with Face ID or Touch ID and don’t go to the home screen. Long press the lock screen wallpaper. Now, if you want to customize your existing lock screen, tap the “Customize” button at the bottom. If you want to create a new lock screen and customize it to your liking, tap the blue “+” (plus) button at the bottom right.
Then tap the empty rectangular box that appears below the clock on the lock screen to bring up the widget panel.
The widget panel displays suggested widgets at the top, followed by a list of apps for which lock screen widgets are available in iOS 16 on your iPhone. That’s why you have a variety of widgets for native Apple apps at your disposal at the moment, with more third-party widgets expected to arrive with the official release later this year.
There are now two ways to add widgets to the iOS 16 lock screen on your iPhone. The easiest way to add widgets is to tap on a specific widget and it will appear in the widget panel on the lock screen below the clock. So find the appropriate widgets and click on them.
However, if you want to have a little more control over the placement of widgets, you can also drag widgets into the rectangular box below the clock on the lock screen. You can also long press the widget and move it around in the rectangular box to change its position.
Now that you know how to add widgets to your lock screen, it’s important to note that there is a limit to the number of widgets you can include under the clock. Apple allows the following combinations of widgets on the lock screen – up to 4 square (1 x 1) widgets, 2 square (1 x 1) widgets and one rectangle (1 x 2) widget, and two rectangle (1 x 2) widgets. Here’s a look at all the combos:
After you’ve customized the lock screen widgets to your liking, tap “Done” in the upper-right corner to confirm your changes.
In addition to adding widgets below the time, Apple also allows you to include one widget next to the day/date bar above the lock screen clock. The process remains the same as above where you need to long press the lock screen wallpaper to customize its layout. The procedure works like this:
When customizing the iOS 16 lock screen on your iPhone, tap the day/date section above the clock to open the widget panel.
Now find the widget and tap on it to add it to the day/date section. Then confirm your selection by tapping “Done” in the upper right corner.
How to change/remove iPhone lock screen widgets
Now, the process of removing or replacing widgets is also quite simple. So, if you want to remove any widget or add a new one on your iPhone lock screen in iOS 16, follow these steps:
Unlock your iPhone with biometric authentication (Face ID or Touch ID). Then press and hold the lock screen to access the lock screen carousel.
Next, tap the “Customize” button below the lock screen you want to customize widgets for. Then tap on the widget frame below or above the clock.
Now tap the “-” (minus) button at the top left of the widget you want to remove from your device’s lock screen.
If you wish to change the widget that appears next to the date/day above the lock screen clock, simply tap on it and select a new widget to use to replace the existing one.
Then, if you want to add another widget in its place on the lock screen, tap the new widget in the widget panel or drag it to the desired location in the rectangular frame.
Once you’re happy with the updated lock screen widget panel, tap “Done” to confirm.
List of lock screen widgets available on iPhone
In this section, we have listed all the different widgets that you can use on your iPhone’s lock screen. We have divided this section into widgets that you can use above and below the clock on the lock screen. So let’s take a look at what all the widgets Apple has to offer right now:
Widgets You Can Use Above the Lock Screen Clock
Calendar
Day, Date, and Month (default, not removable)
Next event
Clock
World Clock – Single City
Next Alarm
Fitness
Activity (shows move calories)
Reminders
(Tasks) due today
Stocks
Single stock ticker
Weather
Moon Events
Sun Events
Conditions (see current weather at your location)
Location
Rain
Air Quality (AQI)
UV Index
Wind
Widgets Usable Below the Lock Screen Clock
Batteries
1×1 battery charge indicator
1×2 battery charge indicator
widget sizes – ios 16 lock screen on iphone – list of all widgets
Calendar
1×1 Next Event
1×2 Next Event
Clock
1×1 World Clock – Single City (Analog)
1×2 World Clock – Single City
1×2 World Clock
1×1 Next Alarm
1×2 Next Alarm
1×1 World Clock – Single City (Digital)
Fitness
1×1 Activity (track movement)
1×2 Activity (track movement)
Home
1×2 Summary
1×2 Climate
1×1 Climate Sensor
1×1 Security
1×1 Security Accessory
1×2 Lights
News
1×2 Today’s Top Stories
Reminders
1×2 (Reminder) List
Stocks
1×2 Watchlist (track multiple stocks)
1×1 Symbol (track one stock/market)
1×2 Symbol (track one stock/market)
Weather
1×2 Moon Events
1×1 Sun Events
1×2 Conditions
1×1 Rain
1×1 Temperature
1×1 Air Quality
1×1 UV Index
1×1 Wind
