By Jenefey Aaron

Updated on 2025-06-13

100 % Helpful

How to Customize Lock & Home Screen on iOS 26 (Step-by-Step Guide)

By Jenefey Aaron

2025-06-13 / iOS 26

iOS 26 makes it super easy to customise your lock and home screen just the way you like. From cool wallpapers to handy widgets and new clock styles, you can personalise everything in just a few taps.

In this guide, we’ll show you how to customise lock/home screen on iOS 26 step by step. Whether you’re new to iOS or just exploring, this guide will help you make your screen look amazing.

Part 1: iOS 26 Home & Lock Screen Customisation – What's New

Part 2. How to Use iOS 26 Home Screen Customization

#1 Customize Widgets and Switch Views
#2 Change Home Screen Style & Effects

Part 3. How to Use iOS 26 Lock Screen Widgets & Customization

#1 Add Widgets & Customize Clock Style
#2 Create a New Lock Screen with Custom Wallpapers
#3 Generate 3D Spatial Scene with Portrait Wallpapers

Part 4: How to Download iOS 26 to Get Customisation Features (All-in-One Tool)

Option 1: Download iOS 26 via Settings (Official Method)
Option 2: Use an All-in-One iOS 26 Upgrade or Downgrade Tool Without Losing DataHOT

Part 1: iOS 26 Home & Lock Screen Customisation – What’s New

iOS 26 brings a fresh visual update with the new Liquid Glass design. App icons, widgets, and backgrounds now have a sleek, translucent look that blends smoothly with your wallpaper.

Key improvements include:

Refined Widgets & Icons: Semi-transparent, layered effects for a more dynamic screen.
Enhanced Depth Effects: Lock Screen wallpapers support improved subject layering and subtle animations.
Familiar Controls: Long-press to customize fonts, filters, and widgets — now with a polished, modern style.
Home Screen Blur & Styling: Custom wallpaper, icon layout, and blur effects are now more immersive.

While the customization process stays the same, the look and feel of both screens is now more fluid, stylish, and responsive.

Part 2. How to Use iOS 26 Home Screen Customization

iOS 26 introduces a fresh look for the Home Screen with its new Liquid Glass design. Here’s how to make the most of it with simple customization steps:

#1 Customize Widgets and Switch Views

Long-press the Home Screen until apps start jiggling.
Tap a widget (like Calendar) to edit it.
Swipe left or right to switch between different widget styles (e.g., day view or full calendar view).

Tap Done to save your layout.

This makes it easy to personalize how each widget displays content—right from your Home Screen.

#2 Change Home Screen Style & Effects

Long-press the Home Screen and tap Customize from the pop-up menu.
Tap the wallpaper background to access visual style options.
Choose from styles like Default, Dark, Clear, and Tinted.
Use the sliders to adjust color tone and blur strength.

The Home Screen in iOS 26 offers more creative flexibility. You’re no longer limited to a fixed grid of apps. You can now style your screen the way you want.

What's New:

Move apps anywhere, not just in order.
Leave blank spaces between app icons.
Change app icon colors using built-in filters (light, dark, tinted, monochrome).
Apply themes for a consistent look.
Stack widgets of different sizes in one place.
Use transparent backgrounds for a cleaner appearance.

Part 3. How to Use iOS 26 Lock Screen Widgets & Customization

Now that you've customized the style and color of your Lock Screen, let's take it further. iOS 26 allows you to personalize your Lock Screen in three powerful ways — adding widgets, choosing wallpapers, and generating 3D Spatial Scenes. Here's how:

#1 Add Widgets & Customize Clock Style

On the Lock Screen selection page, tap Customize under the wallpaper preview.
Tap the curved glass handle on the screen to access clock customization.
Choose your font style, adjust text color using the palette and slider, and switch between Glass and Solid styles.

Tap Add Widgets to place useful tools like weather, battery, or calendar right below the clock.

This gives your Lock Screen both visual flair and functional convenience—fully embracing the Liquid Glass aesthetic in iOS 26.

#2 Create a New Lock Screen with Custom Wallpapers

Long-press the middle of your Lock Screen until the wallpaper gallery appears.
Tap the ➕ (plus) button in the bottom-right corner to create a new Lock Screen.

Choose from various wallpaper options such as:

Photos – Pick from your gallery
Emoji – Create a fun layout with your favorite emojis
Featured – Apple-curated designs
Color – Set a solid or gradient color background
Collections – Pre-made themes with animation or effects

After selecting a wallpaper, you can customize fonts, add widgets, and adjust style settings before saving.

This makes it easy to give your Lock Screen a fresh look anytime, with both functional and aesthetic options.

#3 Generate 3D Spatial Scene with Portrait Wallpapers

Long-press the Lock Screen and tap the ➕ button to create a new wallpaper.
Select a Portrait photo from your gallery as the wallpaper.
Once applied, tap the small "Photo" icon in the center of the Lock Screen preview.

iOS will begin "Generating Spatial Scene", a new feature in iOS 26.
After processing, your Lock Screen wallpaper will display a 3D-like depth effect that reacts subtly when you tilt or unlock your phone.

This Spatial Scene feature adds an immersive, futuristic touch to your Lock Screen—and it’s exclusive to iOS 26.

Part 4: How to Download iOS 26 to Get Customisation Features (All-in-One Tool)

Option 1: Download iOS 26 via Settings (Official Method)

This is the standard way to get iOS 26 lock screen features if your iPhone is supported.

Connect your iPhone to Wi-Fi and make sure the battery is charged (at least 50%).
Go to Settings > General > Software Update.
If iOS 26 is available, you’ll see the option to Download and Install.

Tap Download and Install. Enter your passcode if asked.
Wait for the update to finish downloading. Then tap Install Now.
Your iPhone will restart and install iOS 26.

Option 2: Use an All-in-One iOS 26 Upgrade or Downgrade Tool Without Losing Data

Without iTunes or Finder, Tenorshare ReiBoot is a safe and easy alternative solution. This all-in-one tool lets you install or downgrade iOS without losing your data. It’s designed for beginners and works on all iPhones.

Key Features of Tenorshare ReiBoot

Upgrade to iOS 26 (Beta or Official) without iTunes
Downgrade to a previous iOS version without jailbreak
No data loss during upgrade or downgrade
Fix stuck Apple logo, black screen, boot loop, and more
Works with all iPhone models and iOS versions
Safe and fast firmware installation

How to Upgrade to iOS 26 Using Tenorshare ReiBoot:

Install and execute ReiBoot on your computer. Use a USB cable to connect your iPhone. Unlock the device and tap "Trust" if asked on your screen. From ReiBoot’s main screen, click on “iOS Upgrade/Downgrade”.
Then choose "Upgrade" to install iOS 26.
ReiBoot will detect your device and show the latest iOS 26 firmware. Click "Download" to get the file. This may take a few minutes depending on your internet speed.
Once the firmware is downloaded, click "Initiating Upgrade". ReiBoot will begin installing iOS 26 on your iPhone.
After the upgrade is complete, your iPhone will restart with iOS 26 installed no data lost.

Final Words:

Customising your iPhone has never been easier or more fun. You can now customize your lock and home screens with iOS 26.

Using an older iOS version and wondering how to customise the lock/home screen on iOS 26, the first step is to upgrade. For that, we highly recommend using Tenorshare ReiBoot. It lets you safely update to iOS 26 or even roll back to a previous version all without data loss. Plus, if your iPhone runs into any issues during the upgrade or while customising, ReiBoot can fix over 150+ iOS problems with just a few clicks.

downloads :

Tenorshare ReiBoot - Fix iOS Issues

rated on Trustpilot >

Repair iPhone system issues like boot loops, black screens or apple logo effortlessly.
Easily upgrade or downgrade your iOS without data loss – no tech skills needed.