How to Disable Lock Screen Notification Previews on iPhone and iPad - MacRumors
Skip to Content

How to Disable Lock Screen Notification Previews on iPhone and iPad

by

If you're concerned about people reading the contents of notifications that appear on the Lock screen of your iPhone or iPad when you're not around, you'll be happy to learn that Apple's mobile software provides a quick solution.
messages lock screen
In iOS, you can set your iPhone or ‌iPad‌ to never show notification previews, or to show them only when the device is unlocked. The following steps show you how it's done. Note that the setting applies to alerts from both native Apple apps and third-party apps.

  1. Launch the Settings app on your iPhone or ‌iPad‌.
  2. Tap Notifications.
  3. Tap Show Previews.
  4. Tap Never or When Unlocked.
    settings

With the When Unlocked setting turned on, every app that you have notifications enabled for will appear on the Lock Screen, but without the actual content of the notification displayed.

If your iOS device has Face ID, you can quickly make that content appear by glancing at your phone screen. Otherwise, place your finger on the Home Button to activate Touch ID and unlock your device.

If you choose Never in the Show Preview settings described above, notifications won't show their content even when your iPhone or ‌iPad‌ is unlocked. Note that on devices with ‌Face ID‌, the option to show previews when the iPhone is unlocked is the default option.

Popular Stories

Apple Event Logo

Apple's Next Era Begins September 1

Thursday May 7, 2026 10:36 am PDT by
Apple recently announced that Tim Cook will be stepping down as CEO later this year, after 15 years of leading the company. Effective September 1, Apple's hardware engineering chief John Ternus will become the company's next CEO, while Cook will become executive chairman of Apple's board of directors. In his new role, Apple said Cook will assist with "certain aspects" of the company,...
Instagram Feature 2

PSA: Instagram Encrypted Messaging Ends on Friday, May 8

Tuesday May 5, 2026 8:24 am PDT by
Instagram will remove end-to-end encryption for direct messages between users from May 8, 2026. When the date comes around, Meta will potentially be able to see the contents of all messages between users on the social media platform. Encrypting messages has been an optional feature in Instagram since 2023, but in March of this year the social media platform quietly updated a help page to say ...
Apple Event Logo

Apple Just Released a New Accessory

Monday May 4, 2026 8:13 am PDT by
Apple today released a new Pride Edition Sport Loop for the Apple Watch. The band features a rainbow design with 11 colors of woven nylon yarns. The new Pride Edition Sport Loop is available to order now on Apple.com and in the Apple Store app in 40mm, 42mm, and 46mm sizes, and it will be available at Apple Store locations starting later this week. In the U.S., the band costs $49. There...