Galaxy Lock Screen: Every Setting You Can Change in One UI

Galaxy lock screen threads are full of good-looking setups, but they rarely explain where the changes were made - and on One UI those controls are spread across four different places. This is a map of everything you can actually change, so you can stop guessing which menu holds which option.

Wallpaper and style

• Lock screen wallpaper, set independently from the home screen.
• Clock style, size and position, including the fonts available on your build.
• Colour palettes applied to the interface, which also affect the lock screen.
• Whether the wallpaper applies to both screens or only one.

Widgets and shortcuts

• Lock screen widgets, added individually and arranged vertically.
• The two corner shortcuts, which can launch the camera, a phone call or an app.
• Music and media controls, including whether they appear on the lock screen.
• Notification style and how much of each notification is visible before you unlock.

Always-on display

• Whether the display stays on, appears on a schedule, or only when you tap the screen.
• What appears: clock, notifications, widgets, or a combination.
• Brightness and any auto-brightness behaviour for the dimmed state.
• This is the section with the largest battery impact of anything on this page.

Security and unlock

• Unlock method: PIN, pattern, password, fingerprint or face, and the combinations allowed.
• Whether the device can be unlocked by a trusted device, location or voice.
• Automatic factory reset behaviour after repeated failed attempts.
• Notification previews on the lock screen, which interact with everything above.

Finding each section on your device

1. Step 1 Start with wallpaper and style

   Long-press the home screen and open wallpaper and style. Lock screen wallpaper, clock treatments and palettes all live here.

2. Step 2 Add widgets and shortcuts from the same screen

   Widgets, corner shortcuts and media controls are configured alongside the wallpaper rather than in a separate app.

3. Step 3 Open display settings for always-on behaviour

   The always-on options sit in the display section, not with the lock screen styling, which is why people miss them.

4. Step 4 Open lock screen security for unlock and notification rules

   Unlock method, automatic reset behaviour and notification previews are grouped here.

5. Step 5 Re-check after any theme change or update

   A theme can override the lock screen layer, and a build change can reset your choices.

A sensible setup order

• Symptom: A setting you changed reverts after a restart. Likely reason: A theme or a launcher is controlling the lock screen layer. What to check: Reset to the default theme, then reapply your changes.
• Symptom: The clock is hidden behind notifications. Likely reason: Notification style and clock position competing for space. What to check: Reposition the clock or change the notification style.
• Symptom: Battery drains faster after customising. Likely reason: Always-on display plus refreshing widgets. What to check: Set the always-on behaviour first, then reduce widgets.
• Symptom: Lock screen text is hard to read outdoors. Likely reason: A busy wallpaper behind translucent elements. What to check: A simpler, darker wallpaper and higher contrast settings.

Can I have different wallpapers on each screen?

Yes. One UI lets you set the lock screen and home screen wallpapers separately.

Does the lock screen look change with a new phone?

The controls move between One UI versions. Search settings by purpose if the label differs from a guide you are following.