Use a widget to control musical playback even when your iPhone is locked
REQUIRES
LockPod (Free, offers IAPs), iOS 16 or later
YOU WILL LEARN
How to add musical Lock
Screen widgets to iOS
IT WILL TAKE
5 minutes
GENIUS TIP
It just takes a few quick taps to create your first widget and load it on to your Lock Screen.
WHEN iOS 16 DEBUTED, it introduced a feature that let you add widgets to your device’s Lock Screen. But if you want to add anything more than a Now Playing widget for your music, you’re pretty stumped. Stumped, that is, unless you use LockPod.
This handy little app lets you add your favorite tracks to your Lock Screen, whether that’s in the form of playlists, albums, radio stations or local content stored on your device. Getting started is extremely easy, and it just takes a few quick taps to create your first widget and load it on to your Lock Screen. Right now, LockPod works with Apple Music and Spotify, although the developer says more services could be on the way. Apple Music has a few more options inside the app, but we will cover both options here. Whichever service you use, you’ll end up with a much more musically functional Lock Screen as a result.
LockPod is free to download and use, but it also has an optional premium version. This lets you add custom text and images to each of your widgets and removes the cap on the number of widgets you can create (the free version is limited to one widget). It’s not a subscription, though, and you can pay what you want from a choice of different price options.
Now that you’re ready, let’s dive in and liven up your Lock Screen.
HOW TO Put music on your Lock Screen
JARGON BUSTER
You can add widgets to your Lock Screen from iOS 16 onwards. These show info and let you interact with apps even when your device is locked.
1 Get started
When you first open LockPod, you’ll be able to choose between Apple Music and Spotify. Once the app is connected to your chosen service, tap
