iOS Tip 156 - Hide Widgets & Notifications

With iOS 10 came the removal of Slide to Unlock, which now if the slide right gesture is repeated sends you to the Today view Widgets screen complete with weather, calendar events, tabloids and news, Siri app suggestions, stocks, maps, and whatever optional widgets you have enabled on the iPhone or iPad. This Widget screen is accessible from the lock screen by default on any iOS 10 device.

If you don’t want widgets available on the lock screen - you’d prefer to maintain more privacy and not reveal anything about the device itself let alone the calendar or app suggestions, or notifications. For any reason, you can disable and hide the widget section of the lock screen completely

This works to disable the Today view, widgets, and Notification view with any iPhone or iPad running iOS 10 or newer:

1. Open the “Settings” app on iPhone or iPad and then go to ‘Touch ID & Passcode’
2. Under the “Allow Access When Locked” section, toggle the switches next to “Today View” and “Notifications View” to the OFF position
3 . Exit out of Settings and lock the device again, swiping over will now do nothing

Note that you will still have access to widgets, Today view, and notifications from an unlocked iPhone or iPad, just not from the lock screen.

iOS Tip 142 - Customize Today View

Customizing the Today View in Notification Center

Although there is not an option directly in theSettings app, you can edit and customize the Today View in Notification Center by using small extensions ofapps called widgets. First, pull from the very top of the device’s screen in a downward motion to access Notification Center. Click on the Today tab, scroll all the way down, and select edit. If there are any applications installed that offer a widget, tap on the "+" to add them to yourToday tab. Tapthe red “-” buttontoselect delete.

iPad Tip 34 - Control Notifications

By going to Settings > Notifications, you can decide which apps can pop up alerts, which have notifications at the top of the screen, and which appear in Notification Center. This means you can make sure that noisy apps don't clog things up for you, and you notice the important things. Turning them off will also help to preserve battery life.