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How to Link an iPhone Lock Screen to a Focus Mode

Link a custom iPhone Lock Screen to a Focus to have it appear when that Focus is on. Learn the setup steps, what switching screens changes, and which options depend on your wallpaper and iOS version.
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You can link an iPhone Lock Screen to a Focus so that the screen appears when that Focus is on. The link works in the other direction too: switching away from a Lock Screen linked to a specific Focus also switches the Focus. You can create several screens, customize their appearance, and leave others unlinked for manual selection.

What linking a Lock Screen to Focus does

A linked Lock Screen is associated with one Focus, such as Do Not Disturb, Personal, Sleep, or Work. When that Focus is on, its linked Lock Screen appears. Apple also documents that if you switch from a Lock Screen linked to a specific Focus to another Lock Screen, the Focus switches as well. This is linked behavior—not a requirement that every Focus have its own wallpaper. Apple’s custom Lock Screen guide explains the association.

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Focus can do more than change what you see. Depending on its settings, it can control which people and apps may notify you, how silenced notifications appear on the Lock Screen, whether the Lock Screen is darkened, and which Home Screen page is shown. Focuses can also be scheduled and can use filters. Apple’s Focus setup guide describes those controls.

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Create or customize a Lock Screen

  1. Press the side button to wake the iPhone. Touch and hold the Lock Screen to open the wallpaper gallery.
  2. To make a new screen, tap the add wallpaper control. To change one you already have, swipe to it in the gallery and tap Customize.
  3. Choose a wallpaper. Adjust the clock appearance or add widgets if those controls are available for that wallpaper.
  4. Tap Add or Done. Choose Set as Wallpaper Pair to use the wallpaper on both the Lock Screen and Home Screen, or choose Customize Home Screen to set the Home Screen separately.

The available editing options depend on the selected wallpaper and iOS version. Apple also provides a route through Settings > Wallpaper > Add New Wallpaper. See Apple’s wallpaper guide.

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Link the Lock Screen to a Focus

  1. Set up the Focus you want to use, if you have not already done so.
  2. Touch and hold the Lock Screen to open the gallery, then swipe to the screen you want to associate with the Focus.
  3. Tap Focus near the bottom of the wallpaper, choose the Focus, and close the picker.

To review a Focus’s settings, open Settings > Focus and choose that Focus. From there, you can adjust its permitted notifications and other available options, including a Home Screen page, schedule, or filters. Apple notes that Focus filters do not sync across devices, even when Share Across Devices is enabled. See Apple’s Focus guide for details.

Choose the setup that fits your routine

Use a wallpaper pair

Choose Set as Wallpaper Pair when you want the same wallpaper treatment on the Lock Screen and Home Screen. The Lock Screen still has its own clock and widget customization options where supported.

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Customize the Home Screen separately

Choose Customize Home Screen if you want a different Home Screen look rather than carrying over the Lock Screen wallpaper. Focus settings can also select a Home Screen page, which is a separate control from choosing a wallpaper pair.

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Keep a screen unlinked for manual use

You can make multiple customized Lock Screens and switch between them from the gallery. Link only the screens you want tied to a Focus; selecting another screen manually can also change an active linked Focus, as Apple documents.

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What varies by iPhone, iOS, and wallpaper

Not every wallpaper offers the same clock, widget, or visual-effect controls. Apple’s compatibility guidance says certain spatial photo wallpapers require an iPhone 12 or later with iOS 26, and the photo itself must be eligible. That requirement applies to those spatial photo effects, not to ordinary Focus linking. Check Apple’s wallpaper compatibility information and the iPhone User Guide for the relevant version and device details.

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