Quick Answer
The simplest lock screen to-do list is a short list (3 to 5 items) that you can read without unlocking. On iPhone you can get there with a Reminders widget, a screenshot of a note set as your wallpaper, or an app that renders your notes into the wallpaper for you. The first two cost nothing but need manual upkeep; the third trades a one-time setup for faster updates.
If you already know you want the third route: NoteWall (App Store name "Lock Screen Notes: NoteWall", iPhone only) turns the notes you type into a lock screen wallpaper. A subscription is required; the App Store shows the plans and terms before you pay. See it on the App Store.
Why the lock screen suits a short to-do list
You see your lock screen every time you pick up your phone, which makes it the one place a list gets read without any effort on your part. The catch is space: the clock and any widgets cover the top of the screen, and a long list turns into noise. That is why a lock screen list works best as a "today only" list rather than a master backlog.
How you word the items matters as much as where they sit. In a 2011 paper in the Journal of Personality and Social Psychology ("Consider it done!"), E.J. Masicampo and Roy Baumeister found that unfinished goals kept intruding on people's thoughts during unrelated tasks, and that writing a specific plan for those goals made the intrusions go away. A list item that says what and when is a small plan; one that just names a worry is not. So "Call the dentist at 2pm" beats "Health stuff."
Two manual ways to try it today
Both of these use only what is already on your iPhone, so they are the right place to start if you are not sure a lock screen list will stick.
Reminders widget. Touch and hold your Lock Screen, tap Customize, then Add Widgets (the steps are in Apple's "Create a custom iPhone Lock Screen" article in the iPhone User Guide). Add the Reminders widget and pick the list it should show. Upside: it stays in sync with Apple Reminders. Downside: lock screen widgets are small, so you will see only a few short items.
Screenshot wallpaper. Write your list in Apple Notes, screenshot it, and set the screenshot as your wallpaper. Upside: any text, any length, readable at full size. Downside: every change means a new screenshot, and the top third of the image sits behind the clock, so type your list lower down.
The friction with the screenshot method is the upkeep: tick off one item and the wallpaper is already out of date. If that is what makes you quit, NoteWall exists for that one problem. You type the list in the app and it renders the wallpaper; updating is tapping "Update Wallpaper", which takes about 5 seconds according to the site FAQ. Download NoteWall.
How the NoteWall setup actually goes
iOS does not let apps change your wallpaper directly, so NoteWall uses an Apple Shortcut named "Set NoteWall Wallpaper" to apply it. First-time setup takes about 2 minutes according to the FAQ, and the Shortcut step is the one to take slowly, because that is where some people get stuck.
- 1
Install the "Set NoteWall Wallpaper" Shortcut when the app prompts you.
- 2
Add your notes. Typically 3 to 8 fit on the wallpaper, depending on length.
- 3
Pick a background: a black or gray preset, a gradient, or your own photo.
- 4
Allow Photos access when asked. If you tapped Don't Allow, go to Settings → Privacy & Security → Photos → Lock Screen Notes: NoteWall and choose Full Access.
- 5
Apply the wallpaper. From then on, edit your notes and tap "Update Wallpaper" to refresh it.
There is a setting that shifts the notes so they do not overlap lock screen widgets, and you can swipe a note to mark it done (it shows as strikethrough) or drag notes to reorder them. What it does not do: it will not sync a list from Apple Reminders, and nothing on the lock screen is tappable, because it is a wallpaper.
Writing a list worth glancing at
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Cap it at 3 to 5 items. If you cannot read it in two seconds, it is too long.
- •
Start with a verb. "Send invoice" is a task; "invoice" is a worry.
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Add the when. "Gym 6pm" or "Call mum after lunch" turns an item into a plan.
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Order by what comes first. Put the item you will do next at the top.
- •
Reset every morning. A list that carries last week's leftovers stops getting read.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I put a to-do list on my iPhone lock screen without an app?
Yes. Add the Reminders widget through Customize on your Lock Screen, or screenshot a note and set it as wallpaper. Both use only built-in iPhone features, but both have limits: the widget is small, and the screenshot has to be redone whenever the list changes.
How many tasks should a lock screen to-do list have?
Three to five. The clock and widgets take up the top of the screen, and a longer list is harder to read at a glance. With NoteWall, typically 3 to 8 notes fit depending on how long each is.
Is the NoteWall setup difficult?
First-time setup is about 2 minutes according to the site FAQ, but the Shortcut step trips some people up. After that, updating takes about 5 seconds: tap Update Wallpaper and the Shortcut applies it.
Does NoteWall cost anything?
Yes. A subscription is required to use NoteWall, and the App Store shows the plans and terms before you pay. The two manual methods in this guide, the Reminders widget and a screenshot wallpaper, use only built-in iPhone features and cost nothing extra.
Keep Reading: If you found this helpful, check out these related guides:
Lock screen to-do lists: widget or wallpaper?
Custom wallpapers with your notes
The zero-unlock strategy against doom scrolling
For a comprehensive overview, visit our Lock Screen Productivity Guide.
Tired of re-taking screenshots every time your list changes?
NoteWall renders the notes you type into your lock screen wallpaper, and an update takes about 5 seconds after the one-time setup. A subscription is required; the App Store shows the plans and terms before you pay.
Download NoteWall
Founder of NoteWall. Building tools that turn your lock screen into a productivity system. About →
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