How to Customise Lock Screen Controls and Shortcuts on iPhone in iOS 18

For years, the two circular shortcut buttons at the bottom of the iPhone Lock Screen remained permanently locked to the Flashlight and Camera tools. With the release of iOS 18, Apple introduced complete customisability for these Lock Screen controls. Users can now replace the legacy shortcuts with favourite Control Centre actions, dedicated system utilities, third-party app quick launches, or custom Siri Shortcuts, or remove them entirely to prevent accidental presses in pockets and bags.

Supported Controls and Requirements

Customising your Lock Screen shortcuts requires an iPhone capable of running iOS 18 or later (iPhone XR, XS, and all newer models). Apple provides an extensive library of replacement controls, including:

• System Utilities: Calculator, Timer, Stopwatch, Alarm, Dark Mode toggle, Low Power Mode, Screen Recording, and Remote.
• Accessibility Tools: Magnifier, Voice Memos, Live Speech, and Hearing controls.
• Connectivity & Personalisation: Personal Hotspot toggle, Airplane Mode, and Quick Note.
• Custom Shortcuts: Any workflow created inside the Shortcuts app, allowing you to open specific apps, trigger home automation scenes, or call emergency contacts.

How to Customise Lock Screen Controls on iPhone

Editing your Lock Screen shortcuts follows the same interactive customisation interface used for wallpaper widgets:

1. Wake your iPhone and unlock it using Face ID or Touch ID, but remain on the Lock Screen (do not swipe up to the Home Screen).
2. Press and hold anywhere on the wallpaper background until the Lock Screen gallery carousel appears.
3. Tap the blue Customise button at the bottom of your active wallpaper.
4. Select the Lock Screen preview on the left side of the screen.
5. Look at the bottom corners of the screen where the Flashlight and Camera icons reside. You will notice a grey minus (-) badge above each icon.
6. Tap the minus (-) button on the shortcut you wish to change. The existing tool will be removed, leaving an empty circular + (Add) slot.
7. Tap the empty + circle to launch the Controls gallery sheet.
8. Scroll through the categorized list of available tools or use the search bar at the top to find a specific control (for example, Calculator, Timer, or Shazam).
9. Tap your chosen control to dock it into the Lock Screen shortcut slot.
10. Repeat the process for the opposite shortcut if desired.
11. Tap Done in the upper right corner of the screen, then tap anywhere on your wallpaper to save your configuration.

Assigning Custom Siri Shortcuts to the Lock Screen

If you want to launch an app that does not have a native Control Centre module (such as WhatsApp, Spotify, or Google Maps), you can bind a Shortcut to the Lock Screen:

1. Enter the Lock Screen customisation mode and remove one of the existing controls.
2. Tap the empty + slot and search for Shortcut.
3. Select the Shortcut control card from the gallery.
4. A secondary picker will prompt you to Choose a Shortcut from your personal library. Select the action you want to trigger (such as Open Spotify or Navigate Home).
5. Tap Done to save. Tapping this icon from your Lock Screen will immediately launch your custom workflow once authenticated with Face ID.

Removing Lock Screen Controls Completely

If you frequently experience accidental battery drain due to the flashlight turning on inside your pocket, you can opt for a minimalist Lock Screen with no bottom shortcuts at all:

1. Long-press the Lock Screen and select Customise > Lock Screen.
2. Tap the minus (-) button on both the left and right shortcut icons.
3. Do not tap the plus icons to assign replacements. Leave both circles empty.
4. Tap Done. Your Lock Screen will now feature a clean, uncluttered aesthetic with zero risk of inadvertent taps.

Customisable Lock Screen controls give iPhone owners instantaneous access to their most-used daily tools, seamlessly bridging the gap between Lock Screen convenience and personalized productivity.