iOS 16 review: lock screen widgets, while not interactive, are an instant upgrade and the myriad other changes make the iPhone more functional and easier to use
Apple previewed customizable lock screens in June, including wallpaper, photo, font, and color choices. The review shows that design direction arriving as a broader usability change rather than a cosmetic reskin.
The shift extends the widget-led home-screen changes in iOS 14 to the screen users see before unlocking. iOS 16 makes that surface more personal and information-dense, even though its widgets do not support interaction.
First-order effects
iPhone users gain a configurable lock screen and at-a-glance widgets, making routine information accessible earlier in the device flow.
Apple turns the lock screen into a more functional iPhone surface while retaining a noninteractive widget model.
Second-order effects
The earlier home-screen widget model now has a second prominent placement, increasing the value of glanceable app information over controls that require opening an app.
Apple's emphasis on customization shifts more of the iPhone experience toward user-selected visual and information layouts rather than a single default screen.
Third-order effects
If Apple continues extending widgets across core surfaces, iPhone interface competition will increasingly center on how much useful information users can arrange without sacrificing the platform's controlled interaction model.
The trend: iOS is evolving from a uniform, app-first interface toward configurable system surfaces that prioritize personal context and quick information access.
iOS 16 is here and it comes with 400+ NEW features and changes! I think this might be the most complex, loaded iOS update ever.. 🤯 Here's everything new with iOS 16 & why you might want to install it: https://www.youtube.com/...
@pierce 🎉 “After weeks of using it and getting that gentle buzz every time I hit a key, I don't know how I ever just smashed my fingers onto motionless glass. I'm not sure it's made me a better typer, but it's a much more pleasant typing setup. ”
There's one recurring theme in my iOS 16 review: Customization is fun 📱✨ For this reason, the biggest - and most important - chapter is the Lock Screen one. I cover all the new personalization features in iOS 16 + lots of third-party widgets: https://www.macstories.net/... https:…
with iOS 16 now (almost) here, i'm reminded how silly it is that the iPad isn't getting any of the lock screen improvements that the iPhone got. widgets would be super useful, especially on an iPad mini, and there's so much more room for them. next year, i guess.
iOS 16 arrives today, here's @pierce's take on what it means for the iPhone and what will impact your day to day the most: https://www.theverge.com/...
I reviewed iOS 16, which is full of good ideas about lock screens ... and also full of good ideas everybody else had five years ago https://www.theverge.com/...