How to add widgets to your iPhone Lock Screen

Quick answer

An iPhone on iOS 16 or later can have widgets on the Lock Screen. Unlock it but stay on the Lock Screen, press and hold the screen > tap Customize > choose the Lock Screen, then tap the widget area under the time (or “Add Widgets”), pick the widgets you want from the list, and tap Done. The row under the time holds up to 4 small or 2 rectangular widgets, and from iOS 26 you can also move widgets to the bottom of the screen. For weather, countdown days and step count, you can use Lumee’s Lock Screen widgets.

How do I add a widget to the Lock Screen?

Using iOS 26 as an example:

1. Unlock with Face ID, Touch ID or your passcode but don’t swipe up, so you stay on the Lock Screen.
2. Press and hold the Lock Screen until the “Customize” button appears at the bottom, then tap it.
3. Choose the Lock Screen to edit (not the Home Screen).
4. Tap the existing widgets under the time, or tap “Add Widgets”.
5. From the list below, tap the widget you want or drag it into the widget area. To remove a widget, tap the minus on its corner.
6. Tap “Done”.

If you want a different set of widgets without changing your current Lock Screen, in step 2 press and hold the Lock Screen and tap the plus button to create a new Lock Screen.

What are the limits of Lock Screen widgets?

Position	Widgets allowed	How many
Under the time (or the bottom of the screen from iOS 26)	Small (circular / square), rectangular	Up to 4 small, 2 rectangular, or 1 rectangular + 2 small
Date line above the time	One-line text	1

Also worth knowing:

• Not every app has Lock Screen widgets. An app only shows up in the list if it provides them.
• Lock Screen widgets usually appear in a single color that matches the time, unlike the full-color widgets on the Home Screen.
• From iOS 26, the widget area can sit under the time or at the bottom of the screen. If you make the time larger, the widgets may move to the bottom automatically.
• Widgets are set separately for each Lock Screen.

Show different widgets at different times

You can link a Lock Screen to a Focus: press and hold the Lock Screen > tap Focus near the bottom of the screen > choose a mode (for example Work). From then on, when that Focus is on, your iPhone switches to this Lock Screen and its widgets. See your calendar and weather at work and your countdown days and step count after work, without switching by hand every day.

Add Lock Screen widgets with Lumee

The built-in widgets already cover weather, Calendar, Reminders and more. If you also want countdown days and step count on the Lock Screen, in a style that matches your Home Screen, you can use Lumee:

• Lock Screen widgets: weather, countdown, step count and more, visible as soon as you pick up your phone (the system decides how often they update, so they’re not always real time).
• Home Screen widgets: Photo Memories, important days, weather, calendar, world clock, quote of the day, step count, water, sleep, rest between sets, to-dos, e-invoice carrier barcode (a Taiwan e-receipt barcode), exchange rates, horoscope, international news and more.
• 17 styles: Cream, Sky, Rosy, Night, Pixel Arcade, Game HUD and more. 5 are free and Pro unlocks all.

To coordinate the Lock Screen and Home Screen, see “How to customize your iPhone Home Screen”. To put your own photos on the Home Screen, see “How to put your own photos in a widget on iPhone”.

The steps are as follows.

A heads-up: Lock Screen widgets usually show even before the iPhone is unlocked, so people nearby can see them too (some apps hide sensitive content while locked, but don’t assume that). Before adding something private like your schedule or to-dos, think about whether it’s okay to show on the Lock Screen.