One of the major changes with today’s release of iOS 16 is the ability for users to now customize their lock screen with widgets, in addition to adding widgets to the home screen, which had been released in iOS 14. However, outside of widgets for Apple’s own apps like Calendar, Clock, Fitness, Home, News, Recorders and others, this new feature is dependent on developer adoption. Fortunately, a number of app developers have worked to get their apps ready for iOS 16 on launch day, having apparently understood the power of earning a spot on this key iPhone real estate.
Whether you’re looking to customize the general theme of your iPhone or have a more specific goal in mind, like keeping up with your workouts or emails, for example, there are plenty of apps out there today that can help to customize your device. Lock screen with widgets. These widgets come in three sizes: circular, rectangular, and inline. The first two appear below the clock on the lock screen, while the inline widgets are found as a line of text and/or symbols above it. But it’s up to the developers which widgets they choose to support.
To add the widgets, just long press the lock screen after updating to iOS 16 and then tap the “Personalize” button. From this edit mode, you can tap the row where you want to add or change widgets. This will open a window that lists the available widgets that you can add.
Lock screen widgets will probably appeal primarily to the most loyal customers of an app and those who already spend time customizing the look of their device on a regular basis with other customizations such as custom icons and lock screen widgets. start
We’ve taken a look at some of the iOS 16-ready apps that introduced support for lock screen widgets today and compiled the list below with some recommendations. Over time, there will be many more apps that are updated to include widgets, but whether there will be significant user adoption remains to be seen.
Personalization widgets
- Motivation: This motivational quote widget saw 500,000 downloads in one day when iOS home screen widgets were first released. It will now allow users to add these same motivational quotes to their lock screen in different widget sizes.
Image Credits: Motivation App
- I Am: Made by the same company as Motivation, this variation features only positive affirmations designed to break through self-doubt, many of which begin with the text “I Am.”
Image Credits: I am the app
- Launcher: This custom widget creation tool is expanding beyond its interactive home screen widgets to now allow users to add widgets to their lock screen that let you do things like run shortcuts, play music , contact people or run any application. It will also support Watch Face widgets in watchOS 9.
- Themify: Another home screen personalization app that gets updated with support for iOS 16 features, including depth effect wallpapers and lock screen widgets that feature inspirational quotes .
- Widgetsmith – One of the most popular home screen widget customization apps has expanded to now support the iOS 16 lock screen, giving users the ability to design their own text, circular or rectangular widgets through a variety of options, themes, symbols, photos and more. widget types – Similar to how you can create your own home screen widgets. A must have for true customizers.
Widgetsmith’s iOS 16 update is approved and ready to go on Monday. Lock screen widgets, redesigned editor, image content isolation, powerful tools and URL triggers.
If you’re a press/influencer/super fan and want to check it out, here’s a TestFlight: pic.twitter.com/7U6MvTs769
— David Smith (@_DavidSmith) September 10, 2022
- Livepic: (to become MyScreen): A personalization app that previously focused on live wallpapers and home screen themes will be updated after the release of iOS 16 from here in a week (sorry, this one is delayed!). It will deprecate live wallpapers in favor of depth-effect wallpapers with its iOS 16 update, and as a result, will change its name to “MyScreen”. The app will also add a new “Lock Screen Pack” feature that contains multiple elements designed to work together, including wallpapers, widgets, loading animations, and more. It also adds a photo shuffle feature that lets you set how often you shuffle your favorite lock screen photos. Each pack has up to 20 images with a similar design, theme or color scheme.
- Lock Screen Icon Widget – WWDC’20 Swift Student Challenge Winner Rihab Mehboob has designed a very simple lock screen widget that allows you to customize your screen with icons and text as well as a other to contact your favorite people with messages or FaceTime.
I’ve been making another lock screen widget app 😇
Show icons and text above/below the clock to customize your lock screen! pic.twitter.com/od2Yj4QaBF
— Rihab Mehboob (@elohohel) July 27, 2022
Travel
- TripIt: This frequently used travel app adds lock screen widgets that will display the most relevant details of a user’s trip or activity, including things like their upcoming trip or plan (eg, flight, train, hotel, etc.), relevant flight information and post-landing details such as a car reservation or hotel reservation.
Image credits: TripIt
Image credits: Flighty
Work/Productivity
- Things: The popular task manager app brings your to-do list to the lock screen. The company created three new lock screen widgets, a Lists widget that puts your to-dos right on your phone screen, including today’s to-dos, your inbox, deadlines or other . Meanwhile, the New To Do widget lets you tap to launch the app and add a new item, while the Progress Ring widget lets you quickly see how many of your to-do items you’ve completed.
Image credits: Things
- Readdle: This company’s long-standing PDF app for iPhone, PDF Expert, will introduce lock screen widgets for quick access to recent and favorite files, jumping to an audio player, or syncing files to your computer. Its documents and calendar apps will also include the lock screen with widgets for files, recent and favorite tasks and events, to-dos, and other features. And its Scanner Pro app will let you start a scan or visit your scan library from the lock screen.
- Todoist: This popular to-do list and task manager app added a variety of iOS 16 lock screen widgets to quickly add tasks, keep track of task goals, and other productivity stats.
- GoodLinks: This $4.99 read-back app updated for iOS 16 with support for a number of features, including focus filters, app shortcuts, and lock screen widgets that let you access a list or a tag or open a random unread link.
- LookUp – This English dictionary app already offered more than just definitions with features like word of the day, quizzes, translations and more. With iOS 16, it adds lock screen widgets that include a visible word of the day, quick access to search (so you can look things up without unlocking your iPhone), and a learning widget to grow your vocabulary.
LookUp lock screen widgets focus on three areas of the app:
1. Visual information of the word of the day
2. Quick Access to Search: Especially useful when you’re reading and don’t need distractions.
3. A learning widget that shows the progress of vocabulary building. pic.twitter.com/8cnhLmjCdJ
— Vidit Bhargava (@viditb) September 12, 2022
- Google: We should note that Google today promised iOS 16 lock screen widgets for key apps like Search, Chrome, Gmail, Maps, and more, but doesn’t have them available on launch day, saying they will roll out in “the next few weeks”.
to cook
- Pestle: This recipe app will be updated for iOS 16 with features like Siri shortcuts, support for “Shared with You” to incorporate recipes sent in iMessage, as well as lock screen widgets. Its new widgets will include one that shows a user their meal plan, as well as the live activity widget when iOS 16.1 is released later this fall.
✨ Pestle Live Activities on iPhone 14 Pro ✨
Live Activities is coming to all iOS 16.1 devices, not just the 14 Pro, and it’s going to be awesome. pic.twitter.com/ZK3DG53nLt
— Will Bishop (@WillRBishop) September 8, 2022
The weather
- CARROT Weather – This award-winning weather app has already made a name for itself with its great design, feature set and the humor it brings to something as simple as a weather forecast. Now adds 20+ customizable lock screen widgets that will allow users to see the weather, daily and hourly forecast and even CARROT jokes without unlocking your iPhone.
- Slopes: The new lock screen widgets in this skiing and snowboarding app will keep you updated on conditions at your favorite local resort and other snow forecasts. Its iOS 16 update also added a new home screen widget that displays your favorite winter photos.
Image credits: Slopes
Health and fitness
- Personal Best: This fitness tracking app is rolling out a big update for iOS 16 that includes new features like heart rate zones, new workout icons and more, plus its lock screen widgets that help you to track your latest workouts and their details. .
Image credits: Best Staff
- SmartGym: Along with plans for Live Activity support in a later release, this fitness app adds iOS 16 lock screen widgets that offer a weekly summary, heart rate and calorie graphs, and a way to track how many workouts you’ve done. Widgets also come in various shapes and sizes.
Image credits: SmartGym
- Empirical Sleep: This iPhone sleep tracker works with Apple Watch to help users analyze their sleep patterns, even integrating their data with the iOS Health app. The app analyzes three main metrics: sleep onset, duration and quality, and makes recommendations for better sleep. With iOS 16, Empirical Sleep is being updated with new support for “sleep stages” compatible with watchOS 9, new watch face…