by If you give the iOS 26 -Bèta a test run or just want to know how different it is, chances are that you can adjust your iPhone as desired. (As a reminder, these iPhones can now download the iOS 26 beta, whether you can wait until the first version has been released, probably in September.) That includes personalizing a lot of. Don’t worry, I’m in the same boat. This week I am already an average of 55 pickups per day – checking notifications and the time is really true!
Because you have to see your locking screen to open your phone, you can make it as useful as possible as well as possible – and possibly eliminate the need to actually unlock your phone. From adding useful widgets (think: checking the weather) to tradeing your most used apps as your fast control buttons, you can actually make your telephone time more productive. It is fairly easy to do on the latest operating system, so we will lead you through it.
Read on to see how you adjust your locking screen in iOS 26.
How different is the new iOS 26 lock screen
With the upcoming operating system from Apple you have various new options when it comes to changing the appearance of your locking screen. Apple usually kept the structure the same as iOS 18, so the new changes are not difficult to find.
This is what is noticeably different: there is more depth and a glassy finish in the lower buttons, in contrast to iOS 18 where the icon background is gray. Speaking of a glassy finish, when adjusting the clock there is a new glass option to give it the aesthetics of liquid glasses – the glass appearance can only be applied on the clock on the lock screen.
In addition, when you wipe to your notification center, you will find that instead of the original gray background of your notifications is now clear. The same applies to sweeping at the control center. That is because the glass effect has also been added here. If you do not like how clear the background is, you can go to Settings> Accessibility> Display and text size and then switch on the transparency. This applies to your reports and other choice of drop -down people.
Now let’s deal with the personalization of your locking screen.
How to adjust the lock screen of your iPhone
Just like the current iOS, you can change the appearance by pressing and retaining on the lock screen. If you do this, the collections of lock screens that you have made will be opened where you can choose to adjust the current screen or make a new one. For now, tap the Customize button.
Choose your wallpaper
First things first – and perhaps the best part of this process – select a photo to set the tone on your iPhone. Whether that is a personal photo of your child, important others, a pet or one of the iPhone sharing options is up to you. If you do not want to use a personal photo, it is quite cool again live wallpaper – if it is cloudy, your background is cloudy; If it’s sunny, well, you get the idea. This option is under the category weather and astronomy when choosing a wallpaper – you may have to scroll down to see it, but on my phone it is under the part shown.
Can’t you decide one? You can set a photo shuffle to rotate all day.
And if you do not want your wallpaper to be covered in the clock, you can switch on the depth effect in which the time is laid behind the most important parts of your photo. For example, my toddler’s head is displayed before the clock, but it does not interfere with seeing what time it is. To switch it on, just tap the Three Dots menu at the bottom right and then select the depth effect. You can also do the same to switch it off.
Make your clock larger and glassy
Here there is one that is 100% new at iOS 26: you can make the clock even larger on your locking screen. That’s right, no longer to see what time it is. In the editing mode on the right under corner of the clock, tap (you see a little notch) and drag it down. At its largest it takes up almost half of the screen.
Also new in the clock, as I said before, is the possibility to give it a glassy finish. Just tap the time while editing and you will see the option for glass or solid. In this setting you can also change the font, courage and color.
Do you see how large the clock can be in iOS 26? (Screenshots by Katie Teague/Yahoo Tech)
Change your fast controls elements
The choices here are really not much different than iOS 18 – You still have the option to exchange the fast controls at the bottom. If you have not changed them yet, you probably still have the flashlight and camera buttons. To update them, tap the minus symbol and then tap the plus sign. The idea is to add an app or function that you use regularly, such as Visual Intelligence/Siri, Snapchat or Calculator. Not all apps are options here, but you can use the quick button to add other apps such as Amazon or Starbucks.
Ideally, this saves time from scrolling through pages of apps to find what you are looking for – or by forgetting what you were doing and clicking on a completely different app.
Add widgets
Under the clock you can add widgets to your screen, so that you can quickly look at things such as the weather or calendar events without opening the apps. All you have to do is tap the box and then drag and fall (or simply tap) the widget you want to add.
The newest addition added to Widgets in iOS 26 is the shortcuts app. You can choose from all the shortcuts that you have already made and apply them on your screen.
Connect your lock screen to Focus mode
Because we are talking about keeping our screen time productive, one of the best ways to do this is possible by making focus mode possible. When you connect this function to your locking screen, this can change the widgets that appear and your notifications. The options in iOS 26 are not disturbing, reducing interruptions (new), work, personal and sleep.
To switch it on, press the lock screen for a long time and the focus button must appear. You can then make your selection for which type of focus you need: personal, work, etc. If you have not yet set them, click Focus settings at the bottom to get started.
You can draw up a schedule for when your focus time has to start and end, and you can also silence talkative people and apps that constantly have your phone at the point. You also select the lock screen that is switched on when it is time to concentrate.
When you have finished adjusting your locking screen, make sure that you are selected in the top right corner, so that your changes are stored. You will also be asked if you also want to save the image on your home screen or whether you want to adjust it instead. I like to use different photos, but that is up to you.
Change your focus settings by pressing your screen for a long time> Tap Focus> Focus settings. This is what it should look like on iOS 26. (Screenshot by Katie Teague/Yahoo Tech)
How do you make multiple final screens in iOS 26
Ready for a new locking screen, but would you still keep your current one? Just hold the lock screen until you see the carousel again. From here you can sweep to the right or tap the plus mark button at the bottom right. When the screen is opened, you will see the photos icon at the top left. Click on it and browse through your photos until you find the one you want to use. Once you have made a selection, you will be returned to the lock screen to complete the adjustment.
You can cut the image so that it fits better – it is usually awkward zoomed in. Once you have adjusted it, you don’t touch that hexagon! It will zoom in again and ruin any crop that you did.
When you are satisfied with your lock screen, tap Add in the upper right corner. You can then choose whether you want to add the same photo to your home screen or to adjust it.
That’s it! You now have a locking screen that is unique to you – and hopefully a little more useful.
