iOS 16 has been with us for a couple of weeks now and, for better and for worse, it is the most revolutionary operating system when it comes to iPhone customization. The key is in that new customizable lock screen that can be configured with different backgrounds, clock types and widgets . In addition, you can switch between them as if it were an Apple Watch.
Wallpapers now interact with time on the lock screen thanks to AI features that identify and separate objects from images, creating a unique feel where each element is placed on a separate layer.
If you want to learn how to configure your phone’s screen in maximum detail, take a look at everything you can do.
Customize the iOS 16 lock screen
To change the look of your iPhone’s lock screen, you must start by creating one. And you can do it by keeping your finger pressed on an empty area of the lock screen until you see a blue button identified with the ‘+’ symbol appear at the bottom.
Next, you can configure the wallpaper , the widgets, and some other elements.
Set up layered wallpapers
After tapping on the blue button that we have referenced before, you will have to select the option of ‘ Add New ‘. Then you should select the type of wallpaper that you can choose. Apple does not allow the use of any background in this type of tool and limits the experience to:
- People
- Photos
- random photos
- Emoji
- Climate
- Astronomy
- Color
It really is a bit confusing because, if we can use photos… What difference does it make if they are of cars, animals or hot air balloons?
If you have worked with Android , it will remind you of any MIUI, relame or Samsung theme store , to name three examples. At the top there is a list of buttons that allow us to move through the categories described, while if you scroll down you will see some preconfigured backgrounds with widgets.
By setting your wallpaper , you’ll see how, thanks to Apple’s machine learning capabilities, certain areas of the image will ‘float’ over the clock.
Change the clock style
After changing the wallpaper, it is the turn of the iPhone clock. When we are in editing mode, you just have to click on the time to change its font and color.
Of course, here we are much more limited because those from Cupertino only offer eight different style options and a few color tones. Less gives a stone.
Use of Widgets
Each lock screen can contain up to five widgets that are reminiscent, again, of what is seen on the firm’s Apple Watch. They are different from those that we find once we have unlocked the equipment, since they are monochrome and are limited to showing a few data such as the next Calendar appointments, the charge level of the Apple Watch, the temperature, etc. Keep in mind that if you use a larger Widget, it will take up more space on the phone, than if you use the small ones.
But best of all, you can also configure them to set different shortcuts to particular app actions. Of course, depending on the developers, there are still not many things you can do… at the moment.
What can’t you do?
Once again, we have to compare ourselves with the possibilities that Android gives us when it comes to customizing the lock screen.
In the case of Apple phones that already have iOS 16, we have to work with pre-established grids , and each of them is unalterable. That is, you cannot move the clock to another place on the panel and the widgets have their own place already assigned. These are automatically set to the right or center of the screen, depending on their size, and it will be impossible for you to leave gaps between them .
The classic lower buttons, which allow us to access the flashlight or the device’s camera, cannot be changed either.
