In iOS 16, Apple has added multiple options to customize the iPhone Lock Screen, including the ability to apply different styles or "looks" to your chosen wallpaper picture. This article explains how it's done.

ios 16 lock screen customization
With the Lock Screen in iOS 16, Apple set out to give ‌iPhone‌ users the ability to create something that looks slick like a magazine cover, but in a way that's simple and fun to make.

To achieve this, iOS 16 uses machine learning to analyze Lock Screen pictures, and provides you with a selection of "looks" to choose from. However, the end result is more compelling than just laying a filter over a photo, as looks are intelligently generated specifically to style the chosen picture.

The following steps guide you through the process of choosing and applying a look to a new photo-based Lock Screen in iOS 16.

  1. Unlock your ‌iPhone‌ with Face ID or Touch ID, then press and hold the Lock Screen.
  2. Tap the blue + button, or swipe leftwards all the way to the end and then tap Add New.
  3. Tap the Photos button in the top row of options.
  4. Choose a picture from your Photos library to use.
    Lock Screen

  5. Swipe left and right in the Lock Screen editor to preview the auto-generated looks that are available for this picture.
  6. When you've settled on the look you want, tap Done.
  7. Tap the Lock Screen you just created to activate it.
    Lock Screen

Note that you can customize the current Lock Screen at any time by invoking the gallery view from the Lock Screen with a long press, or by going into Settings -> Wallpaper & Lock Screens.

Related Forum: iOS 16

Popular Stories

Apple Logo Black

Apple Just Made Its Second-Biggest Acquisition Ever After Beats

Thursday January 29, 2026 10:07 am PST by
Apple today confirmed to Reuters that it has acquired Q.ai, an Israeli startup that is working on artificial intelligence technology for audio. Apple paid close to $2 billion for Q.ai, according to sources cited by the Financial Times. That would make this Apple's second-biggest acquisition ever, after it paid $3 billion for the popular headphone and audio brand Beats in 2014. Q.ai has...
Aston Martin CarPlay Ultra Screen

Apple's CarPlay Ultra to Expand to These Vehicle Brands Later This Year

Sunday February 1, 2026 10:08 am PST by
Last year, Apple launched CarPlay Ultra, the long-awaited next-generation version of its CarPlay software system for vehicles. Nearly nine months later, CarPlay Ultra is still limited to Aston Martin's latest luxury vehicles, but that should change fairly soon. In May 2025, Apple said many other vehicle brands planned to offer CarPlay Ultra, including Hyundai, Kia, and Genesis. In his Powe...
14 inch MacBook Pro Keyboard

Apple Changes How You Order a Mac

Saturday January 31, 2026 10:51 am PST by
Apple recently updated its online store with a new ordering process for Macs, including the MacBook Air, MacBook Pro, iMac, Mac mini, Mac Studio, and Mac Pro. There used to be a handful of standard configurations available for each Mac, but now you must configure a Mac entirely from scratch on a feature-by-feature basis. In other words, ordering a new Mac now works much like ordering an...
Apple Logo Black

Apple's Next Launch is 'Imminent'

Sunday February 1, 2026 12:31 pm PST by
The calendar has turned to February, and a new report indicates that Apple's next product launch is "imminent," in the form of new MacBook Pro models. "All signs point to an imminent launch of next-generation MacBook Pros that retain the current form factor but deliver faster chips," Bloomberg's Mark Gurman said on Sunday. "I'm told the new models — code-named J714 and J716 — are slated...
Apple MacBook Pro M4 hero

New MacBook Pros Reportedly Launching Alongside macOS 26.3

Sunday February 1, 2026 5:42 am PST by
Apple is planning to launch new MacBook Pro models with M5 Pro and M5 Max chips alongside macOS 26.3, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman. "Apple's faster MacBook Pros are planned for the macOS 26.3 release cycle," wrote Gurman, in his Power On newsletter today. "I'm told the new models — code-named J714 and J716 — are slated for the macOS 26.3 software cycle, which runs from...