Decorate the Android phone’s lock screen with the things you find useful, such as a clock, shortcut keys, or contact information.
The lock screen
The lock screen is the first thing you see when you turn on your phone. When you pick up the phone, first press the unlock button on the side of the phone. After this, the lock screen will appear, if you have set it up. From here you need to swipe up or login first. There are several locking options. You can learn how to set the lock screen and a login option in the “Set up lock screen on Android device” article. Did you do that? Then you can further organize it to taste with the tips below.
Adjust settings
Customize the lock screen through the device settings. We describe the steps of a Samsung device, on other Android devices it works about the same.
- Swipe up or down on the screen to open the overview of all apps.
- Tap on Institutions.
- Tap on lock screen.
The next steps always start from this menu.
Clock style
The size and shape of the clock can be adjusted. For example, there is a larger clock or you can choose a color that clearly stands out against the background.
- Tap on Clock style.
- Tap on Type.
- The different options are listed next to each other on a bar. Drag the bar to the left to see more options.
- Tap the option that appeals to you.
- Tap on Colour.
- Choose a color that appeals to you. Tap the last color option to see more colors.
- Tap on Ready to save the changes.
Shortcut keys
If there is a nice photo opportunity, it is nice to have the camera app quickly at hand. On the lock screen, you can set two hotkeys, for example, the camera, flashlight or WhatsApp.
- Tap on Shortcut keys.
- Tap the slider to turn the option on or off.
- Under ‘Layout’, choose ‘Bottom corners’ or ‘Floating button’.
- Tap on Left shortcut.
- Tap the app you want as a shortcut on the screen.
- Tap on Shortcut right.
- Tap the app you want as a shortcut on the screen.
How to use the keyboard shortcuts:
- Press the unlock button on the side of the phone.
- Hold your finger on the hotkey app you want to use.
- Swipe up and release.
notifications
You can also see notifications on the lock screen. Decide for yourself how much information is visible.
- Tap on notifications.
- Tap on Show style.
- You get two options:
- Tap on Icons only to see only the app icons, e.g. just an email icon.
- Tap on Show style > Details to see an icon and name of the app, for example an email icon and the text ‘Mail’.
- Tap on Hide content if you don’t want to show any further content. If you don’t hide the content, the lock screen will also show a preview of the notification, such as the sender or email subject.
Face widgets (Samsung phones)
FaceWidgets allow you to display useful information on the lock screen.
- Tap on FaceWidgets.
- Tap the sliders behind the parts to turn them on and off.
- With ‘Next alarm’ you can see when your next alarm will go off.
- With ‘Today’s agenda item’ you will see the next agenda item.
- With ‘Music’ you can see information about the music track that is playing on the phone.
- With ‘Weather’ you can see the weather forecast.
Contact details
The ‘Add contact details’ option allows you to add a phone number or email address. Handy if you lose your phone. The person who finds the phone can reach you in this way. Do think about your security and privacy, for example do not enter your address.
- Tap on Contact details.
- Enter the desired text, such as a family member’s phone number or your email address.
- Tap on Ready.