Skip to main content
The Keyword

Customize your Lock Screen with Google apps in iOS 16

Five iPhones featuring wallpapers of tropical landscapes and dogs with circular and rectangular Lock Screen widgets.

iOS 16 has arrived. And along with many new features, you can now customize your Lock Screen to put the information you need front and center.

Your Lock Screen is the first thing you see when you pick up your phone, and Lock Screen widgets for lots of Google apps are on the way. You’ll be able to unlock your device to access your favorite Google features in just one tap — and even see some updates right on your Lock Screen.

Here’s a sneak peek of what’s coming.

Find what you’re looking for, fast

Search

Need an answer fast? Start your Google search right from your Lock Screen. You can even configure the Search widget to start searching with your voice or camera — to translate, get homework help or shop what you see.

GIF of various Google Search Lock Screen widgets, including a rounded rectangular Search bar and four circular widgets for Voice, Lens, Translate via Lens, Shopping via Lens and Homework via Lens.

Chrome

Try our Chrome Lock Screen widgets to quickly launch Chrome, start a search with your voice or in incognito mode, or load our beloved dino game.

Four Chrome Lock Screen widgets, including Search in Chrome, Voice Search, Incognito mode and Chrome Dino game.

Drive

Access your files with our Drive widgets. Open a suggested Drive file or your starred files and folders with a single tap to pick up where you left off with that work project or short story draft.

A Google Drive rectangular Lock Screen widget displaying a suggested file titled “Project Lopez 2022” and a circular Lock Screen widget of a starred Drive folder.

Get where you need to go

Google Maps

With the Maps Frequent Trips widget, get real-time traffic updates and estimated travel times to places like home and work right on your Lock Screen. When you’re ready to head out, just tap to open the app and start navigating.

You can also find restaurants, shops and other favorite nearby spots by tapping the Maps Search widget.

GIF of two rectangular Lock Screen widgets displaying trips to “Home” and “Google San Francisco”; four circular Lock Screen widgets for restaurants, shopping, coffee and hotels in Google Maps

Stay in the know

Gmail

Stay on top of your email with Gmail’s Lock Screen widget, which will automatically show you the number of new messages in your inbox. You can also customize the widget to see which inbox categories, like Social or Updates, contain new messages.

GIF of Gmail Lock Screen widget showing eight unread emails in an inbox.

Google News

See real-time headlines with a quick glance at the Google News widget. And if something in particular catches your eye, simply tap to read more in the app.

Google News Lock Screen widget displaying a news headline that says “The Keyword: Google announces new customizable Lock Screen widgets on iOS.”

Look out for all these widgets in the coming weeks. In the meantime, get ready by installing your favorite Google apps on your iPhone. Once our widgets are available, just press and hold down your Lock Screen to start customizing.

Let’s stay in touch. Get the latest news from Google in your inbox.

Subscribe