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- Everyone's iPhone lock screen looks exactly the same.
- Apple could make the iPhone lock screen way more personal — and useful — by taking a page from the Apple Watch.
- Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories.
With the exception of wallpapers, every iPhone lock screen looks exactly the same.
You have the time and date in the top-center of the phone, some information like battery life and signal strength at the very top, and a couple of quick-access controls for the flashlight and camera at the bottom.
This is fine, but wouldn't it be nice if you could actually customize your iPhone's lock screen, so it could look and feel the way you want it to?
Apple wouldn't have to look very far for inspiration here. Specifically, the Apple Watch has the right idea.
Let's break it down.
This is the current iPhone lock screen — mine, to be exact.Dave Smith/Business InsiderThis is an iPhone X running iOS 12.
You can see the time and date in the top center, information about the phone above that, and a couple of quick-access controls in the bottom corners.
Here's Steve Jobs demonstrating the very first iPhone lock screen. It doesn't look much different!YouTube/ Hisham Yousif
Watch the audience react to the first iPhone's "slide to unlock" gesture here.
By contrast, here's what I see when I lift my Apple Watch to my face.Dave Smith/Business Insider
You get all kinds of information and controls here!
Directly from my Apple Watch's main screen, I can:
- See the time and date
- Message or FaceTime my wife
- Check the weather forecast for the day
- Start a workout
- Glance at my activity for the day
I can customize watch face styles, and make as many as I want. If I swipe left or right from my main "lock screen," I can see an entirely different style!Dave Smith/Business Insider
This watch face looks similar to my previous one, but has quick-access messaging and FaceTime controls for the rest of my family, and shows the weather forecast in a different way.
I can also opt for a style that's more minimalist.Dave Smith/Business Insider
Because sometimes you only really need your watch to tell you the time, you know?
See the rest of the story at Business Insider
See Also:
- How to backup an Apple Watch and restore its data after you unpair it from an iPhone
- 'Why won't my iPhone update?': How to fix any iPhone updating issue, from low storage space to confusing error messages
- I've been using Apple products exclusively for 12 years — here are 9 things I realized after giving them up for one week
SEE ALSO: The 20 best iPhone tips and tricks to make your life easier
