Apple SVP of Software Engineering Craig Federighi says Apple’s revamping of the iOS 16 lock screen was an “act of love” to make the iPhone even more personal. The iOS 16 lock screen allows customization that moves well beyond merely setting a new wallpaper.
Federighi and Apple Design VP Alan Dye discussed the development of the lock screen changes with TechRadar.
“We knew this was a multi-act play, and we knew our next venue would be the Lock Screen,” Federighi told the publication. “We saw a real opportunity to take that area that really has evolved slowly over time but has never seen this kind of massive step forward, and to do something really big — but something very Apple and very personal.”
Federighi says it was “an act of love this year.”
Dye explained, “Our goal was to make the iPhone even more personal – and definitely more useful – but also keep intact those key elements that make iPhone, iPhone.”
Dye continued, saying that the Design Team had a goal to “create something that felt almost more editorial, and to give the user the ability to create a Lock Screen that really ends up looking like a great magazine cover or film poster but doing it in a way that’s hopefully really simple to create, very fun, and even with a lot of automation there.”
Part of the magazine look is having elements intersecting with others, such as having the subject of the wallpaper appear in front of the clock. Dye says the segmentation is a years-long goal of the team, but had to wait until it was perfect as “unless the segmentation is just ridiculously good, it breaks the illusion.”
Machine learning is also used to determine how to tweak a lock screen image to perfection. Federighi says there’s “dozen neural networks that judge the photo based on whether it’s a desirable subject, if there are people there, how they’re framed and cropped in the photo, their expressions. All these things that allow us to surface automatically really great, compelling options for people and then to render them on the screen in a way that makes them feel almost all-new.”
The iOS 16 lock screen experience brings a new multilayered effect, where the subjects of photos are set in front of the time on the Lock Screen, creating a sense of depth. The look of the lock screen date and time can be customized with expressive type styles and color choices.
Lock Screen widgets make it easier to see information at a glance, including calendar events, weather, battery levels, alarms, time zones, Activity ring progress, and much more. Notifications have been redesigned to roll up from the bottom for better visibility.
A new Lock Screen gallery features Apple collections, including Pride and Unity; a Weather wallpaper to see live weather conditions as they change throughout the day; and an Astronomy wallpaper for views of the Earth, moon, and solar system.
Users can also customize Lock Screens with their favorite emoji or color combinations. Multiple Lock Screens can be switched between favorites with a swipe of a finger.
A new Live Activities feature allows users to keep track of real-time events, including sports matches, workouts, food delivery orders, and more, directly from the Lock Screen.