Report: iOS 17 to Offer Smart Display Mode for Locked iPhones

Apple’s upcoming iOS 17 update will reportedly include a new feature that can turn locked iPhones into smart displays. According to Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman, Apple has designed the new lock screen view to show up when a locked iPhone is positioned horizontally. The display will then be able to show information about the weather, calendar appointments, and more.

“The Apple feature will use a dark background with bright text to make it easier to read, according to the people, who asked not to be identified because the work isn’t yet public. It will build on the company’s launch of lock screen widgets last year as part of iOS 16, which lets users see small snippets of information — like stock tickers, news and temperature — below the time on their screen vertically,” the report reads.

Gurman drew some comparisons with a similar yet more limited feature that was introduced on Android back in 2019. Amazon’s Android-based Fire tablets also offer a lock screen interface that can display useful information throughout the day, just like Amazon’s own line of Echo Show smart displays.

According to the report, Apple is working on similar improvements for the iPadOS lock screen, though it could take more time. iPadOS has yet to receive the lock screen widgets that Apple introduced on iOS 16 last year. iPad users also had to wait a year before the iOS 14 home screen widgets made their way to iPadOS 15 back in 2021.

With the iPhone still accounting for over half of Apple’s revenue, it’s not surprising to see iOS continuing to receive more attention than iPadOS. Gurman also reported that iOS 17 should bring improvements to the Wallet app, location services, and the SharePlay and AirPlay features. Apple is expected to officially announce iOS 17, iPadOS 17, and more at its WWDC conference on June 5.