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Your iPhone's Lock Screen Is Getting Better Widgets, Notifications, & More in iOS 10

Mobile phone displaying notification panel with various alerts.

Your iPhone's lock screen is about to get a major upgrade in iOS 10, as shown off by Apple at WWDC '16, and it will make dealing with notifications and apps a breeze.

The new lock screen has been fully redesigned to give users better and faster interaction with the apps they need. It's also snappier and more aesthetically pleasing with notifications no longer darkening the wallpaper.

You can interact directly with notifications, and even expand them using 3D Touch to see more details and ways to respond or take action.

For example, you can accept calendar invites or expand a message and chat in real time. This will also work with third-party apps that incorporate this functionality, such as Uber. Once you hail an Uber, you'll get the instant notification, and using 3D Touch, you immediately get an exact fix on how far away it is through Maps.

(Devices without 3D Touch could eventually get these features as well, and we're fairly certain there will be a option to turn this off for privacy-minded users.)

You can also finally clear all notifications with 3D Touch, not just day by day.

The update also changes how you access widgets, as well as gives new and improved widgets. Instead of bringing the Notification Center down and choosing the Today view, you just slide over from the left to reveal your widgets. You can hit "Show More" to see more details, and you can even tap apps to open them up.

There's also a revamped Control Center that you can access from the lock screen, which separates the music player on its own screen, as well as a new way to access the Camera (slide over from the right).

The new lock screen features will be available to developers beginning today, and all users will get access once the upgrade is available in the fall after a public beta period.

Cover image by Justin Meyers/Gadget Hacks (via Apple)

Apple's iOS 26 and iPadOS 26 updates are packed with new features, and you can try them before almost everyone else. First, check our list of supported iPhone and iPad models, then follow our step-by-step guide to install the iOS/iPadOS 26 beta — no paid developer account required.

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