iOS 16.3 adds lock screen widgets to classic iPhone wallpapers

iOS 16 unveiled a revamped Lock Screen to users. With that, it’s possible to add different widgets and font styles in multiple wallpapers for your iPhone. But, for reasons unknown, Apple didn’t let users add these widgets in classic iPhone wallpapers. With iOS 16.3, fortunately, that changed.

According to 9to5Mac, the latest software update for the iPhone now lets users customize the classic iPhone wallpaper they currently have by adding lock screen widgets for the first time. Here’s what the message says:

Customize Current Lock Screen

Customizing the current Lock Screen replaces the current Home Screen wallpaper. Adding a new wallpaper keeps the current wallpaper and creates an additional one.

That said, it’s important to note that only iPhone users that kept a classical wallpaper before updating to iOS 16 can now take advantage of this change.

After iOS 16 rolled out last September, the Cupertino firm removed all the previous classic backgrounds as the new lock screen has animations that interact with the clock and widgets, while the old wallpapers were static images and not rendered in real-time.

Image source: José Adorno for BGR

Besides that, iOS 16.3 brings physical Security Keys for Apple ID. With that, users can strengthen the security of their accounts by requiring a physical security key as part of the Two Factor Authentication sign-in process on new devices. 

In addition, iOS 16.3 update brings new Unity wallpaper that honors Black history and culture in celebration of Black History Month. This operating system also enables support for HomePod 2

iOS 16.3 is crucial for the bugs it fixes and the new tweaks it brings. They include:

• Emergency SOS calls now require holding the side button with the up or down volume button and then releasing it to prevent inadvertent emergency calls;
• Fixes an issue in Freeform where some drawing strokes created with Apple Pencil or your finger may not appear on shared boards;
• Addresses an issue where the wallpaper may appear black on the Lock Screen;
• Fixes an issue where horizontal lines may temporarily appear while waking up iPhone 14 Pro Max;
• Fixes an issue where the Home Lock Screen widget does not accurately display the Home app status;
• Addresses an issue where Siri may not respond properly to music requests;
• Resolves issues where Siri requests in CarPlay may not be understood correctly.