The latest operating system for Apple’s iPhones — iOS 16 — was released last week, and third-party apps were right behind it, with many releasing new versions on the same day. The biggest feature addition for apps in iOS 16 is the ability to provide information or functionality from the iPhone’s new customizable lock screen. With the new iPhone lock screen, you can modify the background, change colors and fonts, and add new widgets that stay on your screen when your iPhone is locked. Two types of widgets — circular and rectangular — are below the displayed time, while a third type — inline — appears as a line above the clock. You can add native Apple widgets from apps like Weather, Calendar, or News, or tons of third-party widgets from your favorite apps, even Google (coming soon). Check out some of the coolest widget apps for the new iPhone lock screen with iOS 16 below. For more on iOS 16, here are the first things to do after you’re up and running, and why your iPhone might not have all the cool features of iOS 16.
iOS 16 apps for designing your own widgets
Widgetsmith
Widgetsmith
Widgetsmith — a powerful iPhone app for creating and editing your own widgets — debuted in 2020 when iOS 14 added widgets to its home screen. Now, the app adds widget customization tricks to iPhone lock screens. With Widgetsmith, you can create and customize all three types of lock screen widgets to add calendar elements, text, weather updates, photos, and more.
ScreenKit
Screenkit
ScreenKit is another widget customization app making the jump to lock screens with iOS 16. The app includes tons of custom icons and other aesthetic features. ScreenKit makes it easy to create your own lock screen widget from scratch and then further customize it by modifying the background, colors or decorations.
iOS 16 apps that activate features or other apps
Promoter
Promoter
Widgets from the Launcher have been available for the Home screen and Today View for years. The app lets you create shortcuts to quickly access bookmarks, play music, launch other apps, or communicate with your top contacts via phone, message, or FaceTime. Now you can get most of the Launcher features on your iPhone lock screen. Just tap on your loved one’s face to send them a message or call.
Start
Launchify/Screenshot by Peter Butler/CNET
Add quick shortcuts on the lock screen that go to your favorite iPhone apps or bookmarks with Launchify, a new app released on the same day as iOS 16. The app lets you import your own custom icons or use thousands of the library. The free version of Launchify lets you add just two circular widgets to your lock screen — a $17-a-year or $2-a-month subscription unlocks additional widgets and the ability to add apps not included in the Launchify database.
iOS 16 utilities, trackers and social media apps with lock screen widgets
Daredevil
Daredevil
The popular flight tracking app Flighty has already been updated to include support for lock screen widgets. Now you can just glance at your iPhone to get the latest updates on arrivals and departures. You can also add lock screen widgets with a countdown for your trip, the weather at your destination, an in-flight progress bar, or other detailed information about your flight, including your gate number, seat assignment, and pick-up information luggage.
Social media giant Facebook surprised users on iOS 16 launch day by updating its iPhone app to include support for two lock screen widgets. You can add birthdays at a glance or top updates from your friends. The birthday widget is available in circular and rectangular versions. The top updates widget is only available as a wider rectangular widget and includes your most recent Facebook notifications.
Dark Noise
Dark Noise
The Dark Noise ambient sound app has become a popular tool for iPhone users who like to have background noise for sleeping or focusing. Now you can access white noise right from your lock screen. Dark Noise has added all three types of widgets for the various sounds and noises included in the app.
Apollo for Reddit
Apollo for Reddit
Heavy Reddit users will appreciate the new lock screen widgets from this third-party app for monitoring the popular message board site. Apollo for Reddit developer Christian Selig has already created several new lock screen widgets for monitoring Reddit activity at a glance while your iPhone is locked. You can add widgets that show the performance of your most recent post, new messages in your inbox, your updated karma points, trending posts or bookmarks to your favorite subreddits, among many options.
WaterMinder
The health-focused iPhone app WaterMinder helps you stay hydrated, and now you can get reminders to drink more water — right from your iPhone’s lock screen. The app was recently updated to add eight styles of lock screen widgets. Now you can see your current water levels, view hourly and weekly graphs, and record your drinks right on your iPhone’s lock screen.
Things
Things
Things is a popular personal task manager for iPhone that lets you create to-do lists and track your progress towards completing them. A new iOS 16 update puts much of the power of things right on your iPhone’s lock screen. Three new widgets from Things let you view tasks in your to-do list, quickly add a new task, or track your progress in completing tasks. The Things screen lock widget defaults to the tasks in the Today list, but you can customize it to show other items like your inbox, deadlines, or shopping lists.
Package
Package
The handy Parcel tracking app lets you track the progress of your deliveries from 300 services, including UPS, FedEx, DHL and the US Postal Service. With its latest iOS 16 update, the app now adds the ability to track a specific package right from the lock screen. Parcel lock screen widgets come in all three formats — circular, rectangular, and inline.
More apps with new lock screen widgets for iPhone with iOS 16
Many more iPhone apps have updated or added lock screen widgets for use with iOS 16. Here’s a list of the programs we found that have new lock screen widgets: For more on iOS 16 and the new iPhone 14, learn why your iPhone might not have all the new features of iOS 16 and how to remove the new search button from the home screen.
