Make lock screen time digits smaller in ios 26

I upgraded my phone to iOS 26 this morning and have watched videos as well as using AI to search for how to make the time digits on the lock screen smaller. Everywhere they talk about being able to either "pinch" or select a location on the digits themselves and this would allow on to "drag" the digits to make them longer or shorter. I have an iPhone 11 and one of two possibilities seems reasonable. Either that feature is not available for the iPhone 11, or Apple left that feature out of the initial release of iOS 26.


If anyone has a better description of how to change the clock digits size I'm all ears, as what I've been trying now is not working. Thank you.

iPhone 11, iOS 26

Posted on Sep 16, 2025 11:56 AM

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Posted on Sep 16, 2025 12:04 PM

You can enlarge them. You can make them more narrow. You can't make them smaller.


The options are as follows:


Tap your iPhone to open the lock screen and press on the lock screen.

Tap Customize, then tap the box which appears around the time.

You can drag that box from the bottom right hand corner to make the numbers bigger.

You can use the slider below to make them narrower.

But you can't make them take up less space on the lock screen.

19 replies

Oct 19, 2025 5:44 PM in response to lobsterghost1

lobsterghost1 wrote:


LD150 wrote:


Phil0124 wrote:

Do note, the clock size change requires you to make a new custom lock screen.

It does not work on existing lock screens you may have, as the handle on the clock does not appear on those.

With that said, as lobster ghost mentioned the clock cannot be made smaller than the base size.

FWIW My wifes lock screen clock worked straight away on existing wallpaper. You simply need to use the left most font of the available set.
I had not issue adjusting my existing wallpaper either.


I get no handle on existing wallpapers:


New ones will offer the handle.



[Edited by Moderator]

Make lock screen time digits smaller in ios 26

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