25+ iOS 16-ready apps featuring Lock Screen widgets you can try today

One of the major changes with today’s launch of iOS 16 is the ability for users’ to now personalize their Lock Screen with widgets, in addition to adding widgets to the Home Screen, which had rolled out in iOS 14. However, outside of built-in widgets for Apple’s first-party apps like Calendar, Clock, Fitness, Home, News, Reminders, and others, this new feature relies on developer adoption. Fortunately, a number of app developers have worked to make their apps iOS 16-ready on launch day, having seemingly understood the power that comes from earning a place in this key iPhone real estate.

Whether you’re looking to customize your overall iPhone theme, or you have a more specific goal in mind — like keeping up with your workouts or emails, for instance — there are already quite a few apps going live today that can help you personalize your device’s Lock Screen using widgets. These widgets come in three sizes: circular, rectangular and inline. The first two appear below the clock on the Lock Screen, while inline widgets sit as a line of text and/or symbols above. But it’s up to the developers which widgets they choose to support.

To add the widgets, you just press and hold on your Lock Screen after updating to iOS 16 then tap the “Customize” button. From this edit mode, you can then tap the row where you want to add or swap out widgets. This will pull up a window that lists the available widgets you can add.

Likely, Lock Screen widgets will mainly appeal to an app’s most loyal customers and to those who already spend time customizing their device’s look and feel on a regular basis with other personalizations, like custom icons and Home Screen widgets.

We’ve taken a look at some of the iOS 16-ready apps that have today introduced support for Lock Screen widgets, and compiled the list below with a few recommendations. Over time, there will be many more apps that update to include widgets, but whether sizable user adoption will follow still remains to be seen.

Personalization widgets

• Motivation: This motivational quotes widget saw 500,000 downloads in a day when iOS Home Screen widgets first launched. Now it will allow users to add those same motivational quotes to their Lock Screen in different widget sizes.

Image Credits: Motivation app

• I am: Made by the same company as Motivation, this variation includes only positive affirmations designed to disrupt self-doubt, many of which begin with the text “I am.”

Image Credits: I am app

• Launcher: This custom widget maker tool is expanding beyond its interactive Home Screen widgets to now allow users to add widgets to their Lock Screen which let you do things like run shortcuts, play music, contact people, or run any app. It will also support Watch Face Widgets on watchOS 9.
• Themify: Another Home Screen personalization app that’s updated with support for iOS 16 features, including the Depth Effect wallpapers and Lock Screen widgets offering inspirational quotes.
• Widgetsmith: One of the most popular Home Screen widget customization apps has expanded to now support the iOS 16 Lock Screen, giving users the ability to design their own text, circular or rectangular widgets using a variety of options, themes, symbols, photos, and other widget types — similar to how you can build your own Home Screen widgets. A must-have for true customizers.

• Livepic: (to become MyScreen): A customization app that had before focused on Live Wallpapers and Home Screen themes will update following iOS 16’s release in around a week’s time (Sorry, this one is delayed!). It will deprecate Live Wallpapers in favor of Depth Effect Wallpapers with its iOS 16 update, and will change its name to “MyScreen,” as a result. The app will also add a new “Lock Screen Pack” feature that contains several elements designed to work together, including wallpapers, widgets, charging animations, and more. It’s also adding a Photo Shuffle feature that lets you configure how often you shuffle between your favorite Lock Screen photos. Each pack has up to 20 images with a similar design, theme, or color scheme.
• Lock Screen Icon widget: A WWDC’20 Swift Student Challenge Winner, Rihab Mehboob, has designed a very simple Lock Screen widget that lets you customize your screen with icons and text, as well as another for contacting favorite people with messages or FaceTime.