Senior Vice President of software engineering at Apple, Craig Federighi, took to the stage at WWDC to demo some of the unique functions of the new lock screen that accompanies iOS 16, with Federighi calling it the biggest update to the lock screen in company history. It truly is different, with a bevy of new features that add up to a highly customizable experience for iPhone users. First up, you can edit various parameters of the photos that populate the lock screen, with depth of field mechanics, new backdrops, and the ability to move your subjects around the lock screen. The subjects in your photos can also be manipulated via a layering tool that allows them, for instance, to rest behind the clock. There are plenty of new fonts available for the clock, and each font is editable on various parameters like color and visibility. The new lock screen also features access to many widgets, like weather and maps, that look to work similarly to the Complications feature from recent watchOS updates. The update allows users to adjust these widgets on the fly, offering direct control of certain apps right from the lock screen. New notifications roll in from the bottom, and there’s an interesting tool called Live Activities that auto-updates time-sensitive notifications, such as Uber rides or sporting events. iOS 16 is available for beta testers this month, with a full release expected in September.
