Quick answer
To customize your iPhone Lock Screen, touch and hold it, tap Customize and choose Lock Screen. Swap the wallpaper, tap the clock to change its font and color, tap the row below the clock to add widgets, then tap Done. For a nice result, pick a high-resolution wallpaper with a calm area behind the clock and keep widgets to two or three.
1. Choose your wallpaper
- Photo: go to Settings → Wallpaper → Add New Wallpaper → Photos, pick an image, pinch and drag to position it, and tap Add.
- Live Photo: choose a Live Photo; since iOS 17 it plays briefly when you wake the iPhone.
- Photo Shuffle: rotate through a set of photos on tap, on wake, hourly or daily.
- On iOS 27: use Extend to fill the screen with photos that don’t fit, or create a background with Image Playground. See how to set wallpaper in iOS 27.
Need something new? Browse 4K and 8K iPhone wallpapers or a themed wallpaper pack.
2. Use the Depth Effect
With the Depth Effect, the subject of your photo — a person, pet or mountain — sits in front of the clock for a layered look.
- Choose a photo with a clear subject in the upper half.
- Position it so the subject overlaps the bottom of the clock only.
- In Customize, tap ••• and make sure Depth Effect is on.
If it won’t turn on, remove a widget or two from the row below the clock, or try a sharper photo. Depth Effect wallpapers are made for this.
3. Change the clock font and color
- In Customize, tap the clock.
- Pick a font, then a color (or a color from the wallpaper). Use the slider to adjust the weight.
- On iOS 27, choose the compact layout to keep the time small so more of the wallpaper shows.
4. Add widgets
Tap the row below the clock to add up to four small widgets — Weather, Calendar, Batteries, Fitness and more — and tap the date to add one inline widget. Full steps: how to add Lock Screen widgets.
5. Link Lock Screens to a Focus
In the Lock Screen gallery, tap Focus under a Lock Screen and choose a Focus such as Work or Sleep. Your iPhone switches to that Lock Screen whenever the Focus turns on. A clean, minimal Lock Screen for Work and a photo-led one for Personal is a good start.
How to make your Lock Screen look nice
- Start with a high-resolution wallpaper: 4K or 8K stays sharp when iOS zooms for the Depth Effect.
- Leave room for the clock: calm skies, gradients or dark tones at the top keep the time readable.
- Match the clock color to a color in the wallpaper for a cohesive look.
- Keep widgets to two or three so the wallpaper stays the star.
- Refresh with the seasons: try fall, Halloween or Christmas wallpapers.
- Mind your privacy: Calendar and Reminders widgets are visible to anyone holding your phone.
Bonus: keep a photo above notifications
The ON Lock Screen app uses Live Activities to keep a photo you choose visible on the Lock Screen, above notifications — something wallpapers and widgets can’t do. See how to add photos to your Lock Screen.
Frequently asked questions
How do I customize my iPhone Lock Screen?
Touch and hold the Lock Screen, tap Customize, then choose Lock Screen. From there you can change the wallpaper, tap the clock to change its font and color, and tap the widget row to add widgets. Tap Done to save.
Why is the Depth Effect not working?
The Depth Effect needs a photo with a clear subject that iOS can separate from the background, positioned so the subject only partly covers the clock. Too many widgets in the row below the clock also turn it off. High-resolution wallpapers give iOS more detail to work with.
Can I have more than one Lock Screen?
Yes. Tap + in the Lock Screen gallery to add another, then swipe between them. You can link each Lock Screen to a Focus so it switches automatically.
Do these steps work on iOS 27?
Yes. The steps work on iOS 16 and later. iOS 27 adds a compact clock layout, AI-extended wallpapers and Image Playground backgrounds on top of them.