How do I show what song is playing on my lock screen?
Introduce the Topic
Smartphone lock screens allow you to view basic phone information like notifications and the time without unlocking your device. Many lock screens also include music playback controls that let you manage your music without leaving the lock screen.
Lock screen music controls display information about the currently playing song, such as the artist, track name, and album art. They also include playback buttons to play/pause, skip tracks, adjust volume, and launch the music app.
This useful feature allows you to quickly control your music playback without having to fully wake and unlock your phone. However, lock screen music controls may not work properly on all devices and apps. This guide will cover how to enable and customize lock screen music controls on both iOS and Android smartphones.
Check Your Phone Model
Showing what song is playing on your lock screen will require different steps depending on if you have an iPhone or an Android phone. Here’s a quick overview of the options:
On iPhone, you can enable media controls on your lock screen through Settings > Music. This will show the album artwork and basic music controls for whatever is currently playing. Starting in iOS 16, you can further customize the lock screen music widget to show the song title, artist, album etc. There are also third party apps like Lock Launcher that provide more customization.
For Android phones, most models have built-in lock screen music controls that can be enabled through Settings. You can usually customize details like showing the song title and artist name. There are also third party lock screen and music apps that offer additional customization options. Some options mentioned on Reddit include Lock Screen Widgets and Podcast Addict.
So in summary, newer iPhone and Android models generally have built-in options to display music info on the lock screen. But you may need a third party app to get more granular customization of exactly what details are shown.
Enable Lock Screen Music Controls
To enable music controls on your lock screen, the first step is to check your phone’s settings. The exact steps may vary slightly depending on your device model and Android version:
On a Samsung Galaxy, go to Settings > Lock Screen > FaceWidgets and toggle on the Music option. This will enable basic music playback controls on your lock screen.
On a Google Pixel phone, go to Settings > Sound & vibration > Media and toggle on See media artwork and Show media playback controls. This enables album artwork and playback controls on the lock screen.
On phones running Android 12 or newer, open Settings > Lock Screen and toggle on Show media player. For older Android versions, look for Media cover art or Now Playing under Lock Screen settings.
You can also check your specific music app’s settings. Apps like Spotify, YouTube Music, Pandora, and others have options to enable lock screen controls. Just dive into the app’s settings to find this.
Lastly, if you don’t see an obvious toggle, try updating your music and lock screen apps to the latest version. Lock screen music controls are standard in newer Android builds.
Customize Lock Screen Music Info
You can customize the music player on your iPhone lock screen to show more details like album artwork, artist names, and playback controls. Here’s how:
On iPhone models running iOS 16 or later, open the Settings app and tap on “Face ID & Passcode.” Scroll down and tap on “Customize.” Under “Music,” you can toggle on options like “Album Art,” “Artist Name,” and “Song Name” to have them appear on your lock screen when music is playing.
Enabling the “Full Screen Album Art” option will make the album artwork take up the entire lock screen background while music plays. You can also toggle on “Playback Controls” to show pause, skip, replay buttons on your lock screen music player.
According to this ScreenRant article, the full screen music player only works when your iPhone is unlocked. If your phone is locked, it will just show basic music info. But you can still customize what basic info appears using the steps above.
So in summary, use the Customize menu in Face ID & Passcode settings to pick what music details you want visible on your lock screen, like album art, song titles, and playback controls. Just toggle them on to enable a more robust music experience directly from your iPhone lock screen.
Third Party Apps
There are several third party apps available on the Google Play Store and Apple App Store that can enhance the music display on your lock screen. One popular app is Musixmatch, which displays song lyrics synced to the music playing from your chosen music app [1]. Musixmatch integrates with streaming apps like Spotify, YouTube Music, Apple Music, and Deezer to pull song information and scroll lyrics on your lock screen in real-time.
Another option is Music Lock, which lets you customize your lock screen with album artwork, visualized audio waves, and music information from your preferred music player [2]. You can choose different lock screen themes and layouts to match your musical tastes.
For iPhone users, Lock Music provides full screen album art and music controls on your lock screen and integrates with Apple Music, Spotify, Pandora, YouTube, and other apps [3]. These third party lock screen music apps offer customizable designs and added features beyond the native options.
Change Lock Screen Music App
The music app that shows up on your lock screen by default depends on your phone model and operating system. On Android phones, the default is usually the native Google Play Music or YouTube Music app. On iPhones, it’s typically the Apple Music app. However, you may want to customize this and change it to a different music app like Spotify, Pandora, or Tidal.
On Android, you can change the default music app by going to Settings > Apps & notifications > Default apps > Music player. Select your preferred music app from the list. Google Support provides instructions for various Android models.
For iPhones, open Settings > Music and select your preferred app under “Play Media With.” You can set Spotify, Pandora, Amazon Music, or other installed music apps as the default. See AppleInsider for detailed steps.
Changing the default music app will make that app’s info and controls show up on your lock screen and allow you to easily control playback without unlocking your phone.
Troubleshooting Issues
If the music controls aren’t showing up on your lock screen, there are a few troubleshooting steps you can take:
First, make sure your music app and your phone’s software are fully up to date. Older versions can sometimes cause issues with the lock screen music player. Go to your device’s app store and ensure you have the latest version of Spotify, Apple Music, etc. Also check for any available system software updates and install them (source).
Next, try restarting both your music app and your phone. This refreshes the app and clears any glitches that may be preventing the music controls from appearing. Simply close the app entirely, restart your device, and reopen the music player (source).
You can also go into your phone’s settings and toggle the lock screen music controls off and back on. This essentially re-enables the feature and forces your device to redraw the lock screen. Just disable “show music player on lock screen” and re-enable it in your settings app.
If the issue persists, check that you don’t have any Bluetooth audio devices connected. Streaming to external speakers or headphones can sometimes disrupt the lock screen controls. Disconnect any paired devices and see if that fixes it (source).
As a last resort, uninstall and reinstall your music app. This gives the app a fresh start and often resolves persistent issues. Just be sure to backup any offline music downloads first.
Automation Options
You can use automation apps like Shortcuts to automatically change your lock screen background based on the music you’re listening to. This allows the album artwork or visualizers to match the song playing without having to manually change it each time. Some useful shortcuts include:
Create a personal shortcut to change the lock screen wallpaper to the current song’s album artwork. This can be triggered automatically using an automation based on the app playback or Siri suggestions. Refer to this guide for details on setting this up.
Use a shortcut to toggle between a fullscreen visualizer and simple music controls on your lock screen. Set it to run using an automation like connecting to a car Bluetooth or headphones. This lets you customize based on context.
Install a dedicated automation app like Lock Screen Music to automatically apply visualizers, lyrics and colors based on your now playing song. These provide more lock screen personalization without building your own shortcuts.
Automating your lock screen music experience saves time and effort while allowing more customization. Just be awareapps will need permission to access your music library and change lock screen settings.
Custom Lock Screens
If you want to fully customize your lock screen with unique themes, widgets, and visuals to match the currently playing music, using a dedicated app is the way to go. Some popular options include:
KLWP Live Wallpaper (https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=org.kustom.wallpaper): This powerful live wallpaper app lets you customize your entire home screen and lock screen. You can add music widgets, visualizers, album artwork, and more. It has a learning curve but amazing possibilities.
Zedge (https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=net.zedge.android): Browse thousands of custom lock screen wallpapers and themes. Many options have built-in music playback support and scrolling lyrics.
Tapet (https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.sharpregion.tapet): Automatically generates colorful, unique abstract wallpapers for your lock screen. Integrates with your music library to change the patterns and colors based on the song.
With these apps, you can truly customize the look of your lock screen to match your music perfectly. Just be sure to test different options to find one that works smoothly with your device’s lock screen functionality.
Conclusion
Showing what song is playing on your lock screen is easy to do on most modern smartphones. The key is enabling and customizing lock screen media controls in your device settings. This allows you to see information like the album art, artist name, song title, and playback controls directly on your lock screen whenever music is playing.
A few final tips: check for lock screen widget options if you don’t see a music player, try using a different default music app if controls don’t show up, and consider third party lock screen customization apps for more personalization. With the right settings enabled, you’ll be able to quickly see song information and control playback right from your lock screen.
