How to customize your Lock Screen in iOS 16

Fonts! Colors! Widgets! Personalize your lock screen as never before in iOS 16.

- JASON CROSS

Of all the great features coming to our iPhones this fall with iOS 16, the most easily recognizable and "everyone will use this" of them has to be the new overhauled Lock Screen. It's all about personalization-you have lots of options to change the way it looks, and a host of widgets to add more useful information. Where it used to be that every iPhone had the same Lock Screen with different static wallpapers, with iOS 16 everyone's screen will be personal to them.

Customizing your iOS 16 Lock Screen is simple and intuitive, but there may be some nuances you miss. Here's how you can make your Lock Screen your own.

1. LONG-PRESS THE LOCK SCREEN

To start customizing your Lock Screen, just long-press on it anywhere other than on your notifications. Your Lock Screen zooms out and the bottom of the screen has two buttons: Customize and a plus-sign (+) button to add a new Lock Screen.

You can have several Lock Screen setups and either switch between them manually (long press to get to this interface and then swipe left and right) or automatically (by assigning Lock Screens to specific Focus modes).

You can also edit the current Lock Screen in the Settings app, under Wallpaper. To delete a Lock Screen, long-press to enter the lock screen selection mode, swipe to the lock screen you want to remove, and longpress on it.

Select Delete Wallpaper from the bottom of the screen.

2. CHOOSE A LOCK SCREEN STYLE

The first thing you should do when you make a new custom lock screen is to pick your style. Each style has several options to choose from.

People: A Photos background that just starts with a filter on your Photos library for people.