iOS 17 update may turn your iPhone lock screen into a smart display

Apple's iOS 17 software update will reportedly expand the use of iPhone lock screen widgets

iOS 17 will have more dynamic lock screen widgets, according to a new report (Image credit: Apple)

Apple’s iOS 17 update will be previewed at its WWDC 2023 keynote on June 5, but we’re already getting insight today into how it’ll change up your iPhone.

It appears as if Apple will expand upon its existing lock screen widgets with iOS 17 by turning your locked and horizontally resting iPhone into a smart display of sorts, according to Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman. This means calendar appointments, the weather and notifications should be visible on the lock screen at a glance.

➡️ The Shortcut Skinny: Apple’s big iOS 17 update

• 👀 Apple’s iOS 17 first look should be June 5 at WWDC 2023

• 🔢 Lock screen widgets may turn your iPhone into a smart display

• 🔧 Expect the iOS 17 beta and a public beta in the coming weeks

Why this iOS 17 update matters

In a way, this new view is Apple’s way of catching up with Google and Amazon with the use of widgets with live information, according to Gurman. It’s not completely new to Apple – the Apple Watch also has “glanceable” complications on watch faces.

For the end user, the iPhone will be more useable in lock screen mode when it’s resting on a table or a nightstand. Current lock screen widgets are rather limited and it seems like Apple is going all-in on live information with rumors of a low-cost tablet with a magnetic attachment (for a stand or wall) that sounds like it’ll rival the forthcoming Google Pixel tablet.

This news about the iOS 17 update hasn’t been confirmed by Apple, but Gurman is a reliable source of early information and we usually see him leak software features and hardware specs (like the Apple headset) in the lead-up to each Apple event – this one being only 12 days away.