With iOS 16, the iPhone Lock Screen received a major revamp. Live Activities were also introduced as a part of this change in iOS 16. Among other things, the album art from the Now Playing widget expands into a full-screen view on the Lock Screen. It looks very good. Also, if you do not like it, you can even disable the full-screen album art with a single tap. Read along to learn how to enable (and disable) the full-screen music player on your iPhone’s Lock Screen.
Enable Full-Screen Album Art on Your iPhone Lock Screen
The full-screen album art on the Lock Screen in iOS 16 looks exceptionally well designed. The album cover image expands, the background changes into a gradient that matches it and the other elements on the screen also match the overall aesthetic.
However, it is one of those instances where the form is given more priority over function. Why? Because volume controls are no longer present in the Now Playing Lock Screen widget on iOS 16. You must reach out to the physical volume button or the Control Center to increase or decrease the volume.
- Open any music streaming app on your iPhone and play a song.
- Lock your iPhone.
- Wake your device by tapping on the screen or by pressing the Side button.
- Now, tap the small album art integrated into the Now Playing widget.
- The album art will expand and turn into a full-screen Music Player.
If you do not like how it looks, tap on the enlarged album art to revert the changes. Note that the full-screen album art is not enabled by default. However, your iPhone will display a full-screen music player if that was your previous choice. If not, it won’t expand the album art from the Now Playing widget.
Most Streaming Services Support Full Screen Album Art
In my experience so far, most of the third-party music streaming services like Spotify, YouTube Music, etc., support the full-screen music player. But with Apple Music plans beginning for as low as $4.99, I do not see a reason to opt for other music streaming platforms. Also, video streaming services like YouTube, Netflix, Disney+, etc., support the feature. You do not have to worry if your streaming platform of choice supports this feature or not, because most of them do.
FAQ’s
1. How to switch back from a full screen music player?
A. Tap on the album art on the Lock Screen and it will shrink back into the Now Playing widget.
