You can change your lock screen appearance while keeping your phone find

Your iPhone lock screen is the first thing you see when you pick up your phone, and Apple lets you customize the look without compromising the security features that protect your data. You can change the wallpaper, adjust the clock style, add widgets that show information at a glance, and choose which notifications appear. The lock screen stays locked — customizing how it looks does not weaken the passcode, Face ID, or Touch ID that guards your phone.

The process differs slightly depending on whether you have an iPhone 14 or newer (which offers the most customization options) or an older model. Either way, you start in the Settings app or by long-pressing the lock screen itself.

Key Takeaways

  • Long-press your current lock screen to open the customization menu, or go to Settings > Display & Brightness > Lock Screen.
  • You can change the wallpaper, clock font and color, and add up to four small widgets that show live information without unlocking your phone.
  • Notifications can be hidden, shown in a stack, or displayed as a list — choose what works for you without affecting security.
  • Lock screen customization does not change your passcode, Face ID, or Touch ID settings, so your phone remains equally find.
  • You can create multiple lock screen styles and switch between them by swiping left and right on your lock screen.

How to open the lock screen customization menu

The fastest way is to long-press your current lock screen — hold your finger on it for about two seconds until a menu appears at the bottom. Tap "Customize" to enter editing mode. You can also reach the same menu through Settings: open Settings, tap Display & Brightness, then tap Lock Screen.

Once you are in customization mode, you will see your lock screen displayed with editing options below it. The exact options depend on your iPhone model and iOS version, but the core choices are always wallpaper, clock style, and notifications.

Changing the wallpaper and clock appearance

Tap the wallpaper preview at the top of the customization screen to choose a new background. You can pick from Apple's built-in collections (Nature, Emoji, Gradient, Weather), use a photo from your library, or create a custom color. If you choose a photo, you can adjust how much it is blurred and whether it shows through to the clock.

Below the wallpaper, you will see the clock itself. Tap it to change the font, size, and color. Apple offers several clock styles — some are minimal, others show the date or weather alongside the time. The color you choose applies only to the lock screen clock, not to your home screen or other parts of your phone.

Adding widgets to show information without unlocking

Widgets on your lock screen display live information — weather, calendar events, battery percentage, reminders, or fitness rings — without you having to unlock your phone. Tap the area below the clock to add up to four small widgets. Not all apps support lock screen widgets, but common ones like Weather, Calendar, Reminders, and Health do.

Each widget shows only a small amount of information and updates automatically. Tapping a widget does not open the app; it just shows you more detail on the lock screen itself. If you want to actually use the app, you still need to unlock your phone.

Controlling how notifications appear on your lock screen

By default, notifications stack on your lock screen and you tap to expand them. You can change this behavior by tapping the notification settings icon (usually a bell or notification symbol) in the customization menu. Your options are:

  • Count — shows only a number of how many notifications you have, without listing them.
  • Stack — shows one notification at a time; swipe up to see more.
  • List — displays all notifications in a scrollable list.

Changing the notification style does not delete notifications or turn off alerts. It only changes how they appear on your lock screen. You can still manage which apps send notifications through Settings > Notifications.

Creating and switching between multiple lock screens

You can create different lock screen styles and switch between them by swiping left and right on your lock screen itself. To add a new one, long-press your current lock screen and tap the plus icon (+) at the bottom. Design it the same way you customized your first one — choose wallpaper, clock style, widgets, and notification settings.

This is useful if you want a minimal lock screen for work and a more colorful one for personal time, or if you straightforward like variety. Each lock screen remembers its own settings, so switching between them is when ready. You can delete a lock screen by swiping left on it in the customization menu and tapping the trash icon.

What lock screen customization does and does not change

Customizing your lock screen appearance has no effect on your security settings. Your passcode remains the same length and complexity. Face ID and Touch ID continue to work exactly as before. The lock screen is still locked — anyone holding your phone cannot see your messages, photos, or apps without entering your passcode or using biometric authentication.

The only security-related choice you make in lock screen customization is whether to show notifications and how much detail they display. If you are concerned about someone seeing your message previews, you can hide notifications entirely or choose to show only the app name without the message content. This setting is in Settings > Notifications > Show Previews.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I use a live photo or video as my lock screen wallpaper?

You can use a live photo, which will animate when you long-press your lock screen. Video is not supported as a lock screen wallpaper. If you want a moving background, a live photo is your only option.

Will my lock screen customization sync across my other Apple devices?

Lock screen settings do not sync to your iPad or Mac. Each device has its own lock screen customization. Your iPhone lock screen stays only on your iPhone.

What happens to my lock screen if I update iOS?

Your customization is preserved during iOS updates. Your wallpaper, clock style, widgets, and notification settings will remain the same after you update.

Can I hide the clock from my lock screen?

No, the clock cannot be removed entirely. You can change its style, size, and color, but it will always appear on your lock screen. This is by design — the lock screen is meant to show the time at a glance.

Do lock screen widgets drain my battery faster?

Widgets update periodically but use minimal battery because they do not require your phone to be unlocked. The battery impact is negligible for most users, but if you are concerned about battery life, you can remove widgets and rely on the clock and notifications alone.