How to Customize Your iPhone Lock Screen (iOS 16 and Later)

To customize your iPhone lock screen: long-press the lock screen → tap Customize → tap the lock screen image to change wallpaper or widgets → tap Done. This works on all iPhones running iOS 16 or later.

The 6-Step Customization Flow

Apple introduced the current lock screen editor in iOS 16 (released September 2022). Every step below applies equally to iOS 16, 17, 18, and iOS 26.

Step 1 — Wake your iPhone and long-press the lock screen

Press and hold anywhere on the lock screen for about 1 second until the screen zooms out and reveals your wallpaper gallery at the bottom. If Face ID or Touch ID activates first, authenticate and immediately long-press before swiping to the home screen.

Step 2 — Tap Customize on the active wallpaper

Your current lock screen appears in the center with a blue Customize button below it. Tap Customize. Two options appear: Lock Screen and Home Screen. Tap Lock Screen to enter the editor.

Step 3 — Change the wallpaper image

Tap the wallpaper photo itself to open the photo picker. You can choose from Photos (your camera roll), People, Photo Shuffle, Emoji, Weather, Astronomy, Color, or — with Lockimate — a Live Photo animated wallpaper. For a moving lock screen, pick a Live Photo from your library and ensure the Live toggle at the bottom is enabled (it turns yellow when active).

Step 4 — Add or edit widgets

The lock screen editor shows 2 widget zones: a small area above the clock (supports 1 circular widget) and a wider row below the clock (supports up to 4 small or 2 large widgets). Tap either zone to open the widget picker. More than 50 apps expose lock screen widgets as of iOS 17, including Weather, Calendar, Fitness, Battery, and third-party apps like Fantastical and Carrot Weather.

Step 5 — Adjust the clock style

Tap the clock directly in the editor to change its font and color. iOS 16 launched with 6 font options; iOS 17 added Arabic Indic and Devanagari numerals. Choose a color from the palette or use the eyedropper to match your wallpaper.

Step 6 — Tap Done and Set as Wallpaper Pair

Tap Done (top right). A sheet asks whether to use this wallpaper as a pair (lock screen + home screen) or customize the home screen separately. Choose your preference. Your new lock screen is active immediately.

Step 3 is where it gets personal — instead of a static photo, set one that animates on raise-to-wake. Lockimate makes that Live Photo from any picture you choose.

Animate my wallpaper

What You Can and Cannot Customize

Element	Customizable	Notes
Wallpaper image	Yes	Photo, Live Photo, color, emoji, or system scenes
Clock font	Yes	6 font styles + numeral variants
Clock color	Yes	Palette + custom eyedropper
Widget row (below clock)	Yes	Up to 4 small or 2 large widgets
Widget slot (above clock)	Yes	1 circular widget
Date format	No	Always shows day + date
Notification style	Yes	Via Settings → Notifications → Display As
Lock screen layout	No	Clock and widget positions are fixed

Multiple Lock Screens and Wallpaper Switching

iOS 16 introduced wallpaper galleries, so you can create multiple lock screens and switch between them. Long-press the lock screen → swipe left or right to browse your gallery → tap the one you want → tap the lock icon at the bottom to switch. You can store as many lock screens as you like; there is no documented limit.

To delete a lock screen, long-press it in the gallery → swipe up → tap the trash icon. You cannot delete the currently active lock screen.

Making Your Lock Screen Animate

The most visually distinctive customization is a Live Photo wallpaper. When set correctly, it plays a 1.5-second animation every time you raise your iPhone or tap the screen — this is native Apple behavior requiring no third-party app to stay running. For ideas and methods, see the animated lock screen iPhone guide.

Lockimate converts any still photo into a genuine Live Photo (.heic + .mov) that Apple's wallpaper system recognizes. The first wallpaper is free. After that, a Pro subscription unlocks unlimited generations across 4 animation vibes (Warm, Playful, Cinematic, Lively) and 4 art styles (Realistic, Anime, 3D Cartoon, Painterly).

For the full walkthrough of setting a Live Photo as a lock screen, see the Live Photo lock screen guide.

iOS 26 Changes to Lock Screen Customization

iOS 26 (announced WWDC 2025, releasing fall 2026) brings Spatial Scenes — 3D depth-mapped wallpapers that shift slightly as you tilt your phone. The customization flow is identical: long-press → Customize → select a Spatial Scene from the new category. For everything changing this release, see the iOS 26 lock screen guide. Existing Live Photo wallpapers continue to work exactly as before. The widget system is unchanged; Apple confirmed the same 4-widget maximum for the bottom row.

For a full breakdown of what is new, see the iOS 26 wallpaper guide.

FAQ

How long does it take to customize the lock screen?

The entire flow — long-press → Customize → change wallpaper → add 2 widgets → pick clock color → tap Done — takes under 90 seconds on a typical iPhone. The wallpaper picker loads instantly from your local Photos library; only Spatial Scenes require a short download if they have not been cached.

Why does the Customize button not appear when I long-press?

Three common causes: (1) Your iPhone is running iOS 15 or earlier — the Customize button was introduced in iOS 16. Update via Settings → General → Software Update. (2) Screen Time restrictions are blocking wallpaper changes — check Settings → Screen Time → Content & Privacy Restrictions → Allow Changes. (3) Your iPhone is managed by an MDM profile that locks the wallpaper — contact your IT administrator.

Can I customize the lock screen without long-pressing?

Yes. Go to Settings → Wallpaper → tap the lock screen preview → tap Customize. This reaches the same editor. Useful if long-press is difficult or if AssistiveTouch is enabled.

Does customizing the lock screen affect battery life?

Static wallpapers have no measurable battery impact. Live Photo wallpapers play only when you raise your phone or tap the screen; Apple's implementation is hardware-accelerated and draws less than 0.1% additional battery per day in typical usage (approximately 80 raise-to-wake events).

Can I use the same wallpaper on the lock screen and home screen?

Yes. When you tap Done, iOS offers "Set as Wallpaper Pair" which applies the same image to both screens, or "Customize Home Screen" to set them independently. The home screen does not animate Live Photo wallpapers — animation is exclusive to the lock screen.