iOS 26 May Bring Full-Screen Animated Lock Screen Album Artwork

Apple Music could get more visual flair in iOS 26 with full-screen animated artwork coming to the Lock Screen, according to 9to5Mac.

apple music lock screen
The rumored feature would expand on recent changes to the Lock Screen's Now Playing view. Currently, maximized album artwork from the Now Playing widget tints the entire interface, creating a more immersive experience when controlling music playback.

iOS 26 appears set to take that concept further by introducing animated artwork that fills the entire Lock Screen, making album covers and other visuals more dynamic and engaging.

The new iOS 26 features are expected to be unveiled at the WWDC keynote event on Monday, June 9. It starts at 10:00 a.m. and while Apple will livestream it, if you can't watch, you can follow along here on MacRumors.com or on our MacRumorsLive X account. For everything else we're anticipating, check out our iOS 26 roundup.

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iOS 26

6 New Things Your iPhone Can Do in iOS 26.1

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iOS 26.1 Brings Back 2007 Feature in New Way

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iOS 26.1 Coming Soon: New Features for Your iPhone and Release Date

Monday October 27, 2025 7:55 am PDT by
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Waiting for New Macs? Apple Just Shared Bad News

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8 Reasons to Wait for Next Year's iPhone 18 Pro

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Apple TV 4K Could Still Launch Before 2025 Ends: All the Rumored Features

Monday October 27, 2025 4:51 pm PDT by
Apple is designing an updated version of the Apple TV 4K, and rumors suggest that it could come out sometime in the next couple of months. We're not expecting a major overhaul with design changes, but even a simple chip upgrade will bring major improvements to Apple's set-top box. Subscribe to the MacRumors YouTube channel for more videos. We've rounded up all the latest Apple TV rumors. ...
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OLED iPad Mini: Release Date, Pricing, and What to Expect

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Leaker Outlines Potential New Colors for iPhone 18 Pro

Friday October 31, 2025 8:28 am PDT by
Apple's iPhone 18 Pro models could be available in new rich and warm color option, according to a known leaker. The Weibo user known as "Instant Digital" today suggested that next-year's iPhone 18 Pro models will be available in at least one of the following color options: Coffee, purple, and burgundy. The iPhone XR, iPhone 11, iPhone 12, iPhone 14, and iPhone 14 Pro were all available in ...
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Apple Launched Its Big New Vision for TV 10 Years Ago Today

Thursday October 30, 2025 8:58 am PDT by
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Top Rated Comments

pdaholic Avatar
21 weeks ago
Fleetwood Mac Rumours album…well played, MacRumors!
Score: 33 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Johnny907 Avatar
21 weeks ago
… why?
Who wants something like this? Let me customize the Lock Screen more myself, literally all I am asking here.
Score: 20 Votes (Like | Disagree)
PBG4 Dude Avatar
21 weeks ago
Wish they’d bring back Coverflow to browse albums in music.
Score: 16 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Chazak Avatar
21 weeks ago
Toggle off. Useless except for draining your battery.
Score: 12 Votes (Like | Disagree)
adonis72 Avatar
21 weeks ago
I like it. Make things fun again, anyone who complains about battery can turn it off. Can we get cover flow back too?
Score: 8 Votes (Like | Disagree)
neuropsychguy Avatar
21 weeks ago

… why?
Who wants something like this? Let me customize the Lock Screen more myself, literally all I am asking here.
I think it's cool and would like it. It's not a must-have feature, but I'll use and appreciate it.
Score: 7 Votes (Like | Disagree)