How to Add & Edit Widgets On Your iPhone or Android Lock Screen

Download Article

Everything you need to know about adding widgets to your lock screen

Co-authored by Hannah Dillon Reviewed by Stan Kats

Last Updated: September 28, 2024 Fact Checked

Download Article

Adding Widgets on iPhone

|

Creating Custom Widgets With Widgetsmith

|

Adding Widgets on Android

|

Video

Are you trying to add widgets to the lock screen on your phone? If so, this is the guide for you! In this article, we'll go over how to add built-in widgets to your iPhone Lock Screen, create custom widgets with Widgetsmith for iOS, and make custom widgets for Android devices. Keep reading to learn more.

Quick Steps

Long press on your iPhone Lock Screen.
Tap Customize .
Select your Lock Screen.
Tap the rectangle underneath the clock.
Select the widget(s) you want to add.
Tap Done to save your changes.

Section 1 of 3:

Adding Widgets on iPhone

Download Article

Users with iOS 16 or newer can add widgets to their Lock Screen. After long pressing, a Customize button will appear.
You will now be in Lock Screen editing mode.

Advertisement
This is where the widgets are stored on your Lock Screen.
4
Select a widget from the list. Not every app has a Lock Screen widget, even if they have a Home Screen widget.
- You can place up to 4 square widgets, 1 rectangle widget and, 2 square widgets, or 2 rectangle widgets in this space.
5
Tap Done in the upper-right corner to finish editing the Lock Screen. The widgets will now be present on your Lock Screen when your phone is locked. ^{[1]
X
Research source}
- If you want to add these widgets to other Lock Screens you have saved, you'll need to add them manually. Widgets are not shared between Lock Screens.

Section 2 of 3:

Creating Custom Widgets With Widgetsmith

Download Article

1
Download the Widgetsmith app. Widgetsmith is a free app (with in-app premium purchases) that allows you to create custom widgets on your iPhone. Download it from the App Store .
- Once Widgetsmith is installed, open the app up.
- If you are on iOS 18, you will need to wait until Widgetsmith updates for the new iOS before you can use it. Widgetsmith still works on iOS 16 and 17, however. ^{[2]
  X
  Research source}
It's near the middle of the page, next to the Home Screen button.
3
Choose to add a circular or rectangular widget. Tap Add … Widget under the widget style of your choice.
- While the menu does let you create text widgets, there is no option to add a text widget to the Lock Screen.
After selecting a widget style, you can begin customizing your widget in the Widgetsmith widget editor. The first tab lets you select the widget type, and the second tab lets you customize the widget's style. Then, depending on what widget type you chose, there will be additional tabs allowing you to edit what information the widget displays.
The widget will be saved to your Widgetsmith. If you want to change the name of the widget, tap on the default name (which is the widget style and a number, i.e., Circular #1).
After long pressing, a Customize button will appear.
You will now be in Lock Screen editing mode.
This is where the widgets are stored on your Lock Screen.
The list is alphabetical, so Widgetsmith will be near the bottom.
10
Choose the widget style you created. If you made more than one widget, add as many Widgetsmith widgets as you need (as long as they fit in the widget tray).
- You can place up to 4 square widgets, 1 rectangle widget and 2 square widgets, or 2 rectangle widgets in this space.
To change the widget to the one you created, tap on the widget you just added to your Lock Screen.
12
Tap Configured Widget and select the widget you made. The popup will accept the change, and then you just need to tap outside of the popup to apply the change. The widget will immediately switch to the one you've selected.
- Repeat this for each Widgetsmith widget you're adding to your Lock Screen.
13
Tap Done in the upper-right corner to finish editing the Lock Screen. The widgets will now be present on your Lock Screen when your phone is locked.
- If you want to add these widgets to other Lock Screens you have saved, you'll need to add them manually. Widgets are not shared between Lock Screens.

Section 3 of 3:

Adding Widgets on Android

Download Article

1
Download the Lockscreen Widgets and Drawer app. This app allows you to place lock screen widgets on an Android device. The app is $1.49 and can be downloaded from the Google Play Store .
- Open the Lockscreen Widgets and Drawer app once it's done installing. If the app asks for permissions, be sure to grant them.
By default, the toggle is off and says Disabled . Once you tap the toggle, the option will say Enabled and the lock screen widgets options will expand.
There are many types of widgets available in the app, so take some time to scroll through and explore the options.
4
Select a widget you want to add. Depending on the widget you choose, there may be a few options you can change (such as the widget's style).
- The first time you select a widget, your phone may ask you to give permissions again.
Once your phone's screen goes dark, wake it up so you can view your lock screen.
6
Reposition and resize the widget frame. To do this, tap the widget frame with two fingers. You can move it by dragging it around the screen, and you can resize it by dragging the handles on each side of the frame.
- To access the widget frame's settings and options, tap it with three fingers and follow the on-screen instructions.
You can always add or remove widgets by returning to the Lockscreen Widgets and Drawer app. ^{[3]
X
Research source}