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How to Put a To‑Do List on Your iPhone Lock Screen

You look at your Lock Screen dozens of times a day — it’s the best real estate on your phone for the things you must not forget. Here’s every way to get your to‑do list there, from Apple’s built‑in options to the wallpaper method that keeps tasks visible all day.

Option 1: A Reminders widget under the clock

Since iOS 16, you can add small widgets to the strip below the Lock Screen clock:

1. Touch and hold your Lock Screen, then tap Customize → Lock Screen.
2. Tap the widget area below the clock.
3. Add the Reminders widget (or a widget from apps like Todoist).
4. Tap Done.

The catch: the widget strip is tiny. You get one or two truncated lines — usually just your next reminder’s title — and tapping it requires unlocking. If your goal is to see your whole day, a fingernail‑sized strip won’t do it. (More on this in our guide to Lock Screen to‑do lists without widgets.)

Option 2: Persistent reminder notifications

Timed reminders from Apple’s Reminders app stay in Notification Center until completed. You can strengthen this by setting Settings → Notifications → Reminders → Banner Style → Persistent.

The catch: one swipe and the task is gone — not just the banner, but usually your memory of it too. Notifications also pile up with everything else fighting for your attention. If your reminders keep vanishing, our guide to keeping reminders on the Lock Screen covers every fix.

Option 3: Live Activities

Some task apps show your current task as a Live Activity at the bottom of the Lock Screen. It’s bigger than a widget, but Live Activities are designed for short‑lived things — iOS ends them after a while, and they occupy the same space as your music player and timers.

Option 4: Make your to‑do list the wallpaper itself ✅

The most reliable method is also the most obvious one: don’t decorate the Lock Screen with your tasks — make your tasks the Lock Screen. When your list is rendered into the wallpaper image:

• It can’t be swiped away — it isn’t a notification.
• It never expires — it isn’t a Live Activity.
• It uses the whole screen — up to 8 full tasks, not one truncated line.
• It’s there before Face ID — visible on every raise‑to‑wake and tap.

You could do this manually — type your list into an image editor and set it as wallpaper every morning (our to‑do list wallpaper guide compares the manual routes). But a list you have to re‑export every time it changes is a list you’ll stop updating by Thursday.

Setting it up with Daylist (2 minutes)

1. Add today’s tasks in Daylist — three to five is the sweet spot.
2. Install the shared Shortcut with one tap; Daylist walks you through it.
3. Enable one automation (App Close) following the in‑app video guide.
4. Done. From now on, your Lock Screen always shows the current state of your day.