Lock Screen Reminder Hacks for iPhone That Actually Stick

A normal reminder shows up as a notification, you swipe it off to deal with something else, and it is gone. Nothing on screen tells you it is still undone. The hacks below make your iPhone lock screen carry the reminder for longer, using tools Apple already ships, with one optional add-on for the cases they don't cover.

The lock screen is the first thing you see every time you pick up the phone, before any app. A reminder there costs no taps, no unlock and no menu navigation. Apple's own support article, Create a custom iPhone Lock Screen, describes it as something you can personalise with widgets, several separate Lock Screens, and a link to a Focus.

By default the lock screen may collapse notifications into a count or stacks. Apple's Change notification settings on iPhone article lists the options: in Settings > Notifications you can choose Count, Stack or List for how notifications appear on the Lock Screen. List keeps each reminder readable at a glance instead of tucked away.

Lock Screen widgets arrived in iOS 16. Touch and hold the lock screen, tap Customize, tap the widget area, and pick the Reminders widget (Apple's steps are in Create a custom iPhone Lock Screen). It shows upcoming reminders without you opening the app. Space is limited, so it suits two or three short items, not a full list.

Apple's Set up a Focus on iPhone and Create a custom iPhone Lock Screen articles describe linking a Focus to a Lock Screen, so a Lock Screen appears whenever that Focus is on and switching Lock Screens also switches the Focus. For example, you could set up a Work Lock Screen with a task widget and a Personal one with a chores widget. Focus can also turn on automatically at a set time, location or while using a certain app (Settings > Focus > pick a Focus > Add Schedule). Note that this changes which Lock Screen and notifications you see; it doesn't attach individual reminders to a Focus.

StandBy (iOS 17 and later) turns the iPhone into a glanceable display when it is charging and on its side; Apple covers it in Use StandBy. Put a Reminders widget in the stack and it becomes a morning checklist next to the bed or a task list on your desk. On models without an always-on display the screen may dim or turn off, so check how yours behaves.

The Shortcuts app can run a personal automation when you arrive somewhere, at a time of day, when a Focus turns on, or when you open an app. A simple one is a "Show Notification" action with your gym checklist that fires when you arrive at the gym. Reminders itself also supports location-based reminders ("when I arrive" or "when I leave"). Both rely on Location Services, which is an iOS setting you control, and some automations ask you to confirm before they run, so test yours once. For more on this, see our guide to Apple Shortcuts for daily reminders.

Where these hacks fall short: they all work through notifications and widgets, which can be dismissed, collapsed or squeezed into a small space. If your problem is that reminders get swiped away and forgotten, a note that is part of the wallpaper behaves differently. NoteWall does that: you type your own notes and it renders them into a lock-screen wallpaper. As of October 8, 2026 its App Store listing ("Lock Screen Notes: NoteWall", iPhone only) shows 4.4 out of 5 from 109 ratings on the US App Store. Because iOS doesn't let apps change the wallpaper directly, a Shortcut named "Set NoteWall Wallpaper" applies it. First-time setup takes about 2 minutes by the app's own FAQ, and the Shortcut step trips some people up. After that, tapping "Update Wallpaper" re-applies your notes in about 5 seconds.

Plain text on the wallpaper is a different tool from a widget. It has no alerts, no sync with Reminders and no due times, so it suits the few things you must not lose track of, such as a goal, a habit or a to-do for the day, not a calendar. Typically 3 to 8 notes fit depending on length, and a setting shifts them so they don't overlap lock screen widgets. If you want to compare approaches in depth, see Lock Screen Widgets vs. Wallpaper Notes.

Keep Reading: If you found this helpful, check out these related guides:

External memory aids for ADHD

Lock screen customization tips

Lock screen to-do lists: widget or wallpaper?

For a comprehensive overview, visit our Lock Screen Productivity Guide.