Last updated on October 19th, 2022 at 07:11 pm
After years of waiting and mocking from Android users for the lack of widgets, Apple added the feature in iOS 14. And with the release of iOS 16, you can now also add widgets to your lock Screen. While this is a great addition, there are a growing number of complaints and reports of lock screen widgets not appearing in iOS 16.
In this article, we have seven methods to fix missing lock screen widgets in iOS 16. The bug seems to mainly affect third-party app widgets. Therefore, this guide mainly focuses on that. However, why aren’t lock screen widgets showing up in iOS 16 in the first place? Let’s understand that.
Tip Note: If widgets aren’t appearing on your Home screen, see our explanation to fix missing widgets on your iPhone Home screen .
Why are my widgets not appearing on the iPhone lock screen ?
It’s only been a few weeks since the release of iOS 16. While there are many great new features, like custom spatial audio, the early iterations are prone to bugs. This is one of the main reasons why widgets are missing from iOS 16 lock screen.
Also, since iOS 16 also lets you add third-party widgets on the lock screen, we can’t entirely blame Apple. Indeed, some widgets may not yet be optimized by the application developer.
However, as long as there are no issues with widget development, the solutions in the next section should help fix iOS 16 lock screen widgets not showing.
How to Fix Widgets Not Appearing on iOS 16 Lock Screen
Following the methods below should resolve the issue. However, if the problem persists, we suggest waiting for an update from Apple and the app developer. Now, let’s start by checking your internet connection.
1. Check internet connectivity
Lock screen widgets may require internet access to provide certain information. So you need to make sure that you are using a good cellular network. So make sure you are using Wi-Fi or mobile data at full signal strength.
However, if you still do not seem to have good Internet speed, contact your service provider. They can help you with this.
Moreover, you should also check if the depth effect is enabled on your lock screen wallpaper. Wondering what the missing lock screen widget in iOS 16 has to do with it? Read the next section to find out.
2. Disable depth effect on wallpaper
The depth effect on iOS 16 lock screen wallpapers is one of our favorite additions. It’s quite unfortunate that you can’t add widgets with the depth effect enabled. Here’s how to make sure you’ve disabled it on your lock screen.
Step 1: Long press on the lock screen and tap on Customize.
Step 2: Select Lock screen.
Step 3: Tap on the three dots, in the lower right corner.
Step 4: If the depth effect is selected, uncheck the option.
This is how you can check if your iPhone is updated to the latest version. Another rudimentary fix for iPhone lock screen widget not showing is to re-add the widget.
3. Add the widget
This is how you can try to re-add the widget to a new wallpaper and see if it shows up.
Step 1: Long press on the lock screen and select personalize.
Step 2: Select Lock screen.
Step 3: Now tap on Add Widgets. Select the app from the list.
Step 4: Now choose the widget you want to add and touch or drag it to add it on your lock screen.
If the problem persists, another solution that has been making the rounds on various community forums is to try changing the default language.
4. Add a new language
If you are facing the issue of lock screen widgets not appearing in iOS 16, the widget might not be recognized at all, especially if it is in a language other than your preferred language.
However, you don’t need to add a language to your preferred language for your iPhone and apps to recognize it. So we don’t know exactly how this method solves the problem. But it seems to have worked for some users, so it’s worth a try.
Step 1: Open the Settings app and select General.
Step 2: Tap on “Language & Region”.
Step 3: Tap ‘Add language…’
Step 4: Select the widget language.
If this method doesn’t work, you can try restarting your iPhone .
5. Reset iPhone
The classic solution to try to get rid of any problem on your iPhone is to restart it. Well, hope this helps you with the lock screen widgets missing issue.
Step 1: First, you need to turn off your device.
- On iPhone X and above Press and hold the volume down button and the side button.
- On iPhone SE 2nd or 3rd generation, 7 and 8 series : Press and hold the side button.
- On iPhone SE 1st generation, 5s, 5c, or 5 : Press and hold the power button on top.
Step 2: Slide the Power slider to turn off the device.
Step 3: Next, turn on your device by pressing and holding the Power button on your iPhone .
If that doesn’t work, you can try updating the app that contains the widget.
6. Update the app
Lock screen widgets are a new addition to third-party apps and need time to be tested properly. When bugs and issues are found, third-party developers update the app with a patch. Therefore, it is important that you stay on the latest version of the app.
Step 1: Open the app store.
Step 2: Find the app you want to update.
Step 3: Check if there is any update for the app. you can tap Update to install the latest version.
If that doesn’t work, you can try reinstalling the app.
7. Reinstall the app
Once you delete and reinstall the app, it not only resets the app settings, but also downloads the latest version of the app. So it is possible that the bug responsible for messy lock screen widgets on iPhone will be fixed.
Step 1: Long press the app icon on the home screen and tap Delete app.
Step 2: Tap Delete App to uninstall the app.
Step 3: Now open the app store, search for the app and download it again.
7. Check for iOS 16 updates
If the problem persists, check for software updates. Apple releases small incremental updates to fix some bugs, so it is possible that this bug will be fixed in a new update.
Step 1: Open the Settings app and select General.
Step 2: Select Software Update.
Step 3: Make sure you are up to date with the latest software version.
Check if the widgets appear now. This marks the end of all methods to fix lock screen widgets not showing in iOS 16. If the widget is still not showing, the only solution is to wait for the app or update. iOS update. If you have any other questions, we may have answers in our FAQ section.
iOS 16 Lock Screen Widgets FAQ
1. Are lock screen widgets available in iOS 15?
No, lock screen widgets are only available on devices running iOS 16 ( iPhone 8 and later).
2. Do all apps have iOS 16 lock screen widgets?
No, only a few apps support lock screen widgets in iOS 16.
3. How many widgets can you add to iOS 16 lock screen?
You can add three small widgets, or two small and one large widget, or two large widgets on the lock screen.
Reload Missing Widgets on iOS 16 Lock Screen
These are all the methods to fix lock screen widgets not showing in iOS 16, so we hope this helped you get them back. However, if none of these methods work, we suggest you wait for the app developer to update the app or wait for a new iOS update on your iPhone .
