iOS 15 Lets Developers Hide Sensitive Information in Widgets on the Lock Screen Until iPhone Is Unlocked

On iOS and iPadOS 15, Apple is adding new functionality to WidgetKit, introduced last year, that will allow developers to classify information deemed as sensitive in their widgets, meaning that specific information will only become viewable on the lock screen when the user unlocks their device.

3rd party widgets feature 1
iOS 14 introduced completely redesigned widgets for the lock screen and Home Screen. While there are no major changes to WidgetKit this year, the new password-protected feature may be welcomed by apps that feature widgets with sensitive information, such as health and banking information. Widgets are accessible on the lock screen by swiping left to Today View.

Related to widgets on iOS 15 is new functionality for Smart Stacks. Smart Stacks allows users to stack different widgets on top of each other and allowing iOS to determine which widget is most relevant to be shown depending on factors such as time of day, location, and more.

On iOS 15, the system can now automatically add widgets to Smart Stacks that it believes are relevant. The feature called Widget Suggestions is a new way for users to discover widgets they may not have known existed. Developers interested in learning more about the changes in iOS 15 can check out this WWDC session.

Related Forum: iOS 15

Popular Stories

Generic iOS 19 Feature Mock Light

iOS 19 Leak Reveals All-New Design

Friday January 17, 2025 2:42 pm PST by
iOS 19 is still around six months away from being announced, but a new leak has allegedly revealed a completely redesigned Camera app. Based on footage it obtained, YouTube channel Front Page Tech shared a video showing what the new Camera app will apparently look like, with the key change being translucent menus for camera controls. Overall, the design of these menus looks similar to...
2024 App Store Awards

Apple Explains Why It Removed TikTok From the App Store in the U.S.

Sunday January 19, 2025 6:58 am PST by
Apple on late Saturday removed TikTok from the App Store in the U.S., and it has now explained why it was required to take this action. Last year, the U.S. passed a law that required Chinese company ByteDance to divest its ownership of TikTok due to potential national security risks, or else the platform would be banned. That law went into effect today, and companies like Apple and Google...
2024 iPhone Boxes Feature

Apple Changes Trade-In Values for iPhones, iPads, Macs, and More

Thursday January 16, 2025 6:45 am PST by
Apple today adjusted estimated trade-in values for select iPhone, iPad, Mac, and Apple Watch models in the U.S., according to its website. Some values increased, while others decreased. The changes were not too significant, with most values rising or dropping by $5 to $50. We have outlined some examples below: Device New Value Old Value iPhone 15 Pro Max Up to $630 U ...
Generic iOS 18

Everything New in iOS 18.3 Beta 3

Thursday January 16, 2025 12:39 pm PST by
Apple provided the third beta of iOS 18.3 to developers today, and while the betas have so far been light on new features, the third beta makes some major changes to Notification Summaries and also tweaks a few other features. Notification Summary Changes Apple made multiple changes to Notification Summaries in response to complaints about inaccurate summaries of news headlines. For...
iOS 19 Roundup Feature

iOS 19 Rumored to Be Compatible With These iPhones

Saturday January 18, 2025 10:28 am PST by
iOS 19 will not drop support for any iPhone models, according to French website iPhoneSoft.fr. The report cited a source who said iOS 19 will be compatible with any iPhone that can run iOS 18, which would mean the following models: iPhone 16 iPhone 16 Plus iPhone 16 Pro iPhone 16 Pro Max iPhone 15 iPhone 15 Plus iPhone 15 Pro iPhone 15 Pro Max iPhone 14 iPhon...
iPhone SE Dynamic Island Majin Bu

iPhone SE 4 Leak Shows Dynamic Island, Casts Doubt on Rumored 'iPhone 16E' Name

Monday January 20, 2025 9:01 am PST by
A new iPhone SE is widely rumored to launch this year, and the device has potentially been confirmed today by known leaker Evan Blass. In a private social media post, Blass shared an image of what appears to be source code mentioning an iPhone SE (4th Gen), which casts doubt on the alternative "iPhone 16E" name rumored for the device. However, the name in the source code could be a...
airtag 4 pack blue

AirTag 2 Launching This Year With These 3 New Features

Sunday January 19, 2025 8:11 am PST by
After a four-year wait, a new AirTag is finally expected to launch in 2025. Below, we recap rumored upgrades for the accessory. A few months ago, Bloomberg's Mark Gurman said Apple was aiming to release the AirTag 2 around the middle of 2025. While he did not offer a more specific timeframe, that means the AirTag 2 could be announced by the end of June. The original AirTag was announced...
iPad Pro vs iPhone 17 Air Feature

Here's How Thin the iPhone 17 Air Might Be

Friday January 17, 2025 3:38 pm PST by
For the last several months, we've been hearing rumors about a redesigned version of the iPhone 17 that Apple might call the iPhone 17 "Air," or something along those lines. It's going to replace the iPhone 17 Plus as Apple's fourth iPhone option, and it will be offered alongside the iPhone 17, iPhone 17 Pro, and iPhone 17 Pro Max. We know the iPhone 17 Air is going to be super slim, but...

Top Rated Comments

TheYayAreaLiving ?️ Avatar
47 months ago
Privacy to the fullest!


That’s Apple ?

Attachment Image
Score: 2 Votes (Like | Disagree)
drinkingtea Avatar
47 months ago
Widgets on the Lock Screen? Is this something coming to iPhone 13/AOD…?

Edit: Never mind. I forgot that widgets are also accessible via the Today View.
Score: 2 Votes (Like | Disagree)
TheYayAreaLiving ?️ Avatar
47 months ago

Widgets on the Lock Screen? Is this something coming to iPhone 13/AOD…?

Edit: Never mind. I forgot that widgets are also accessible via the Today View.
Maybe for always on display for the new iPhone?
Score: 2 Votes (Like | Disagree)
PhireWare Avatar
47 months ago

Unrelated: The White Noise/Grey Noise widget....Anyone know what App that is?
Looks like the Dark Noise ('https://darknoise.app/') app.
Score: 2 Votes (Like | Disagree)
bchery21 Avatar
47 months ago

I’m going to sound old and get off my lawn-y but I don’t see a lot of uses personality for widgets and I haven’t found a site that explains why I would want them. To me they seem to be containers. My photos Widget seems to randomly select what album to display and it is usually a rather old one. This may be a setting that can be changed, but the last time I looked I couldn’t find anything about it.
For me, when I swipe to the right on the lock screen to access the Today View, quickly seeing my weather widget, stocks widget and/or the Flipboard widget to see if there's any articles worth reading is convenient and makes sense to have certain widgets available.
Score: 2 Votes (Like | Disagree)
ChrisMoBro Avatar
47 months ago

Privacy to the fullest!


That’s Apple ?
Unless you live in China. Then Apple doesn't care about human rights.
Score: 1 Votes (Like | Disagree)