Get these great widgets on your Lock screen with iOS 10!
With Apple's iOS 10 update, the iPhone's Lock screen got a whole lot more useful. Without unlocking your iPhone, you can view much more information and even interact with some data in the new widget view. Here are our favorites!
Fantastical 2
Apple may have added a cool widget to the Calendar app called Up Next, but I still prefer the way the Fantastical 2 widget looks on my Lock screen. It shows your next upcoming event or reminder, with the scheduled time, and also notes if there is anything else going on within a four-hour timeframe. If you have a reminder set, you can tap it to check it off your list right from the Lock screen, without having to open the app. If a reminder is overdue, you'll see a big, red "overdue" message in the widget, so you'll be haunted by it until you finish the task.
If you have a busy life, the Fantastical 2 widget is great for keeping you on-task and reminding you of events in your near future.
See on the App Store
Day One Journal
The best way to secure your memories forever is by taking a daily account of your activities and the Day One Journal app is the best for cross-platform, secure journaling. The iPhone and iPad widget features three different actions. You can quickly check in from any location without having to open the app. You can see pictures from previous entries (randomly displayed), and when you tap on one, you will be taken directly to that specific entry. You can also see usage stats, which provides you with information about how many words you've written per day over the past 50 days. These widgets are all separate, so you can have one or all three, right on your Lock screen.
If you actively keep a daily journal, use the Today One widget to help keep you on track and let you seen what you've done in the past.
See on the App Store
ESPN
Sports fans will love the new look of the ESPN Lock screen widget in iOS 10. When you save your favorite teams in the app, you'll get quick access to current scores without having to unlock your screen. So, if you're at a meeting, out to dinner, or trying to pay attention to the real world around you, even though you're dying to find out who is winning the World Series, you can take a peek at the score without missing a beat (that doesn't mean you should use it while driving, though).
Sports fans should definitely add the ESPN widget to their Lock screen, even if they don't have a subscription to the network. Quick access to the game's score is invaluable.
See on the App Store
Google Maps
I have to admit, I love Apple Maps' Transit, Destination, and Nearby Lock screen widgets, but I still believe that nothing compares to Google Maps. With iOS 10, Google gave us two widgets: one for transit and one for travel times for home and work. The transit widget will show you all nearby bus, train, tram, subway, or whatever public transportation is close and you can tap on a specific line to see where it is headed and how soon the next one leaves. The travel times widget will give you a quick view of how long it will take to get from your current location, wherever that is, to your house or your workplace. You can even switch between car travel and public transit.
If you prefer Google Maps to Apple Maps, well, the former's Lock screen widget is a no-brainer.
See on the App Store
Launcher
Before you decide to complain about how Launcher can't access settings actions anymore, let me just say that it is still a fantastic widget for launching apps, creating playlists, and visiting websites directly. When you add a launcher shortcut to the widget, you can jump directly to it from the Lock screen. My favorite? Being able to add specific types of communications to my contacts. I like to FaceTime with my mom, Skype with Rene, and use Facebook Messenger to chat with bandmates. Launcher lets you set up an individual communication for individual contacts, which you can quickly jump to by tapping it on the Lock screen. It's fast and easy to set up.
If you have a lot of apps on your device, but only open a handful of them on a regular basis, Launcher makes it easier to get where you need to go without having to flip through your multiple screens.
See on the App Store
Next Episode
If you're a TV junkie, you know how important it is to know when your favorite shows air next. What if you schedule a dinner date during the season premiere of Game of Thrones? The Next Episode widget will show you when all of your favorite shows will air next, even if they are nine months away. You can check on scheduled episodes that will air today and tomorrow, see what you missed yesterday, and check on the airdate of any shows you plan to watch next season.
If you've ever stayed home to watch an episode of a TV show instead of going out, you'll probably love the Next Episode Lock screen widget.
See on the App Store
Deliveries: a package tracker
In my line of work, I get a lot of packages shipped to me. Sometimes, I lose track of what's on its way, with Deliveries, I can always keep an eye on packages that are out for delivery. The Lock screen widget shows you when your package is scheduled for delivery, as well as where it is in the shipping process. You can quickly see if a package is on its way to your front door, so you will know whether you should take a shower or keep an eye out for the delivery guy instead.
Anyone who gets packages delivered should take advantage of the easy-to-use Deliveries.
See on the App Store
Dark Sky
When it comes to accuracy, Dark Sky is almost magical in its ability to forecast the weather. The Lock screen widget shows the day's highs and lows, plus the chance of rain and what the sky looks like for the next hour. It is perfect during the rainy (or snowy) season. If there is a chance of rain, you'll know before you leave the house. That way, you won't unnecessarily bring an umbrella or leave your raincoat behind when you need it the most.
If you live in a location where the weather changes multiple times per day, the Dark Sky widget will keep you from getting wet.
See on the App Store
eMail Widget 2
When it comes to clearing out your email, sometimes you just need to move junk out of your inbox. The eMail Widget 2 Lock screen widget lets you quickly triage your unread messages with just a tap. You can archive, star, mark as read, spam, or delete an email without having to unlock your iPhone.
You can add up to three email accounts and add them all in individual widgets that you can organize by priority on your screen.
If getting your inbox to zero is high on your daily productivity list, eMail Widget 2 will help clear out the junk without even opening your mail app.
See on the App Store
Microsoft OneNote
OneNote is Microsoft's note-taking app and it is great for keeping your notes organized. You can access it anywhere, as long as you are connected to the internet. The Lock screen widget displays your five most recent notes and also features a shortcut to create a new note, add a photo, or make a new list. It makes it super easy to get into the notes you access the most, and works great if you want to create a new note with just a tap.
If you take a lot of notes on your iPhone or iPad, use OneNote to store them and use the Lock screen widget to access them quickly.
See on the App Store
Workflow
Workflow is a robust formula (or recipe) app that lets you perform a series of tasks that are triggered by a specific activity. For example, you can upload screenshots to Dropbox with a single tap or search Google for the lyrics to a song you are currently listening to. The Lock screen widget makes it possible for you to quickly access your favorite Workflow recipes at a glance. You can use dictation to create a note, quickly destroy all clipboard copy data, and play your favorite playlist, all with a single tap.
To increase productivity for the activities you perform the most on your iPhone or iPad, get Workflow and set recipes (or formulas) as Lock screen widgets for easy access.
See on the App Store
Your favorites?
What Lock screen widgets can you not live without? Tell us all about them and why they are so cool in the comments below!