iOS 27 adds four new ways to customize the iPhone Lock Screen

iOS 27 will add four new ways to customize the iPhone Lock Screen: extending images, generating wallpapers with Image Playground, changing the clock’s size and position, and hiding the Now Playing widget.

Extend and Image Playground will work directly during wallpaper selection. The system will be able to fill in areas beyond an image’s edges, while users can create stylized or entirely new wallpaper options.

The update will also change the Lock Screen layout: users can shrink the clock and move it into the top row of widgets, leaving more room for the wallpaper.

Extend fits photos to wallpapers

If a photo does not match the iPhone’s aspect ratio or is poorly cropped, iOS 27 will suggest using Extend. Apple’s AI will generate additional content around the image’s edges so it can fit the Lock Screen more effectively.

Image Playground generates wallpapers

A new Image Playground option will appear in the wallpaper picker. It can turn images from the Photos library into stylized versions, including “Retro Illustration” and “Animation,” or create a wallpaper from scratch based on a natural-language description.

The clock moves into the widgets

Users will be able to shrink the clock and move it into the top row of widgets. This creates more space for the wallpaper, but also makes the time harder to see from a distance.

Now Playing can be dismissed

The Now Playing widget can be swiped away from the Lock Screen. Audio will continue playing after it is removed, reducing the chance of accidental taps on the control.