How To Resize and Customize the Lock Screen Clock on iOS 26

So, iOS 26 dropped, and with it, a bunch of new customization options, including the ability to mess with the lock screen clock. If you’ve noticed that the clock feels way too small or giant, or maybe you just wanna match it better to your wallpaper, it’s kinda weird because Apple doesn’t exactly make this super obvious. The whole process isn’t exactly a one-click affair, and sometimes it feels like you’re bouncing around trying to find the right menu. That said, if you want to tweak the size or style, here’s what’s worked on a couple of setups. No promises, but it’s worth trying. You’ll get a more personalized lock screen that actually looks good rather than just vanilla.

How to Resize Lock Screen Clock on iOS 26

Access the Lock Screen Customization Menu

Getting into the customization menu is the first step, but it’s kinda behind the scenes. Here’s how to do it:

Tap and hold anywhere on the lock screen until the screen “puffs” and you see options appear. Or, you can also press and hold on the lock screen itself.
Tap on Customize at the bottom of the screen — not directly on the notification area or the clock, but on the lock screen background.
This should bring up the editing mode with options to change the wallpaper, resize widgets, etc.

Note: You might need to unlock your phone, but keep it on the lock screen to see the options pop up. On some setups, the menu pops differently or is less obvious, so keep an eye out.

Resizing the Clock — the Hidden Trick

Here’s the catch: Apple doesn’t exactly give you a dedicated slider or button for resizing that big clock in the lock screen. Instead, it’s more about pimping the overall style, font, and sometimes positioning. The main thing that can help — and this caught me off guard — is using the Control Center while customizing.

While still in the lock screen editing mode, swipe down from the top right corner to bring up Control Center.
Press and hold the brightness slider or an empty space to activate options for customizing fonts and size.
If you’re lucky, you’ll see an option to change the font style and thickness, which can make the clock look bigger or bolder, but not super scalable.

Honestly, the real size tweak for the clock in iOS 26 is pretty limited. What you *can* do is change the font and style in Settings > Wallpaper > Lock Screen > Font & Style if available. That may not increase the size directly but can make the clock more visible or prominent.

Using Third-Party Apps or Shortcuts

If you really want to push the size boundary, some people have stumbled onto third-party apps or jailbreak tweaks, but — and this is important — that’s risking stability and security. Apple’s not exactly making it easy to resize the lock screen clock, because, of course, they want a consistent aesthetic. If your device is jailbroken, a tweak like Winhance from GitHub might do the trick, but for most, the built-in options are what you’re stuck with for now.

Final Touches: Adjust Colors and Style

Once you’ve got the font/style sorted, head back into the Lock Screen Customize menu. From here, you can change colors, text styles, and sometimes even positioning (depending on iOS 26’s features). Not everyone gets the same options, so it’s a bit of trial and error. If your clock isn’t resizing how you’d like, toggling the entire lock screen customization or rebooting often helps reset things into place. Sometimes the offending bug is just a minor glitch — a reboot might clear it up.

Extra Tips & Common Issues

Make sure your iPhone is running the latest beta or update of iOS 26, because some resizing bugs are fixed in subsequent patches.
If the clock doesn’t resize at all, try resetting your lock screen customizations or turning off and back on the custom font settings.
On some devices, the font resizing only takes effect after a restart or lock/unlock cycle. So don’t panic if it’s not perfect right away.

Summary

Access lock screen editing by holding the lock screen and choosing Customize.
Use Control Center to try adjusting font/style for better visibility.
Change the font or style in Settings > Wallpaper > Lock Screen > Font & Style.
Third-party tweaks or jailbreaking can give more size options but come with risks.
Sometimes, a reboot or toggling options helps to see the changes.

Wrap-up

Not gonna lie, resizing the lock screen clock in iOS 26 feels kind of limited right now. Apple’s approach seems more about style choices than true sizing control. Still, with some fiddling — and a bit of luck — it’s possible to make it a little more prominent. Expect some trial and error, especially if you want the clock to really pop. Fingers crossed this helps someone get their lock screen looking just right. At least it’s not as locked down as before, so give those settings a shot.