How to Create and Switch Between Multiple Lock Screens on iPhone

Your iPhone lock screen is the very first thing you glance at dozens of times each day. Prior to iOS 16, users were restricted to a single static wallpaper image with a standard digital clock. Modern iOS versions completely reimagined this experience, allowing you to build an entire gallery of personalised lock screens. You can create distinct lock screens tailored for different moments of your day—such as a clean, widget-packed workspace for office hours, an astronomy display for evenings, and a family photo album for weekends—switching between them with a quick swipe.

The Advantages of Having Multiple Lock Screens

Creating separate lock screen profiles provides both aesthetic variety and contextual productivity:

• Focus Mode Linking: You can link specific lock screens directly to Focus modes (like Work, Personal, Fitness, or Sleep). When your scheduled Work Focus activates at 9 AM, your iPhone automatically switches to your professional lock screen with calendar and to-do widgets.
• Custom Typography and Colours: Each lock screen can feature unique clock font faces, colours, and numerical styles.
• Tailored Widget Clusters: Place weather forecasts and battery percentages on your morning screen, while reserving fitness ring trackers for workout profiles.

How to Create a New Lock Screen on iPhone

Designing a fresh lock screen takes less than a minute directly from the locked display:

1. Wake your iPhone and unlock it using Face ID or Touch ID (do not swipe up to the home screen).
2. Press and hold down your thumb on any empty area of the lock screen wallpaper.
3. The lock screen will zoom backwards into the interactive gallery switcher.
4. Swipe all the way to the right and tap the large blue + (Add New) button, or tap the blue plus icon in the bottom right corner.
5. Browse through Apple’s wallpaper categories: Featured, Weather & Astronomy, Photo Shuffle, Emoji, or Collections.
6. Select your preferred wallpaper foundation to enter the design canvas.

Customising Widgets, Fonts, and Depth Effects

Once inside the lock screen editor, you can personalise every element:

1. Customise the Clock: Tap the large digital clock. Choose from various typography weights, fonts, and colour tints to match your wallpaper palette.
2. Add Top Header Widgets: Tap the date banner above the clock to add a compact inline widget (such as upcoming events, fitness rings, or sunrise times).
3. Add Bottom Widget Cluster: Tap the widget box directly beneath the clock. Select up to four circular widgets or two rectangular widgets (like battery levels for AirPods, weather forecasts, or reminder checklists).
4. Tap Add in the top right corner. Choose Set as Wallpaper Pair (or tap Customise Home Screen to blur the wallpaper for your app icons).

Switching Between Your Created Lock Screens

Toggling between your curated lock screen designs is swift and tactile:

1. Press and hold your unlocked lock screen wallpaper.
2. Swipe horizontally left or right through your gallery carousel.
3. Tap the lock screen you wish to use. It becomes your active display immediately.
4. To link a screen to a Focus mode, tap the Focus button at the bottom of its gallery card and choose your preferred Focus profile (such as Work or Do Not Disturb).