10 best Android lock screen apps and lock screen replacement apps

The Android lock screen has evolved many times over the years. There have been various slide-to-unlock methods, and OEMs have always put their own spin on things. As it turns out, there are also a lot of lock screen apps in the Play Store that can do even more. These days, we usually recommend people just use a fingerprint scanner to bypass the lock screen altogether. It’s okay if you don’t want to do that, though. Here are the best lock screen apps for Android.

It’s important to note that lock screen apps are a bit of a dying breed. Most biometric unlock methods bypass the lock screen entirely, and a lot of people don’t even look at it anymore aside from maybe checking a notification or the time. Plus, nearly all Android phones come with always-on displays by default, a feature that used to require an app.

We don’t see a lot of new development in this space, and most of what’s available doesn’t have the same security as the stock lock screen. Therefore, we compiled this list of the few good lock screen apps that remain in active development and a few old favorites that may not see active development again.

The best Android lock screen apps

Wondershare Dr.Fone

If you’re determined to fully customize your device, including the lock screen, Wondershare Dr.Fone is a must-have app. Since many modern devices come with unchangeable, unremovable lock screens built-in, you’ll need to deactivate them before using your preferred lock screen.

Dr.Fone is the solution. With Dr.Fone, you can permanently deactivate existing lock screens in minutes, paving the way for you to customize your lock screen however you want!

But Dr.Fone does more than just switch off stubborn bloatware. This app is also a full toolkit to manage and maintain your Android or iOS device. Whether you’re looking to recover lost data, back up your smartphone, transfer to a new smartphone, or securely erase data from your device, Dr.Fone is right for you.

In addition to performing major system repair and maintenance tasks, Dr.Fone also acts as a general phone manager, providing you with quick and accessible insights into your current device health and storage situation. It’s the app that does all the things you never knew you needed.

Best of all? You can give Wondershare Dr.Fone a spin for free! Click the button below to check out the full details.

Lock Screen iOS 15

Price: Free

This app is perfect for Android users who love the lock screen of Apple devices. With this app, you’ll be able to get the same neat and minimalistic look as iOS 15. With this app, you can manage your notifications on display, manage alerts for specific apps, and even set up a passcode. It even has wallpapers, if you want them. It does take some time to start; there’s usually a two- to five-second delay every time you open your lock screen.

BitBible

Price: Free

If you love reading the Bible, then this app just might be for you. It’s one of the newer lock screen apps on our list. Basically, this app will replace your lock screen with a Bible, which will then display Bible verses every time you turn your screen on. When you read a verse, the next verse will appear automatically. It is available in many themes, including night, sunset, blue, mint, dark background, and beige. Other features include daily reflection, prayers, a bible quiz, information on bible books, biblical artwork, catechism, and more. You can also set up 15-minute reminders; the app will remind you every time you read your Bible. The app has ads. These can be removed for a small fee. The app does block several other apps, but it can be set up in a way to avoid this; check the settings.

DIY Locker

Price: Free

DIY Locker is a simple lock screen with some simple ideas. It lets you put things like a passcode or a pattern code on your lock screen. However, it adds the ability to customize those things with photos of people you like. It also comes with widget support for notifications, a music player, and an app quick start. It’s a bit of a crapshoot as to whether or not it’ll work for many users, but lock screen apps aren’t the robust industry they still were. It’ll work for some folks, though.

DIY Lock Screen

Price: Free

DIY Lock Screen is a developer on Google Play with a bunch of super simple, themed lock screen apps. Each one works in the same way. It puts a colorful lock screen up after you lock the phone. They don’t provide much security, but you can add things like a 4-digit passcode for a little bit of security. The big draw here is the various themes you can go with. Honestly, you can probably find wallpapers that work just as well for this, but some of the themes actually look pretty good. This isn’t our first choice, but it’s one of only a few fun ones left.

Floatify

Price: Free

Floatify is a popular, somewhat modern option for a lock screen replacement app. It looks like a stock lock screen. It’s a simple background with the time on the front. You can add things like weather, notifications, and other data. You can also customize the shortcuts at the bottom of the lock screen. It also has other modern features like turning the display on when you pick up your phone, themes, and chat head features similar to Facebook Messenger. It’s surprisingly good for a lock screen replacement. It hasn’t seen an update since late 2017, though, so we’re not sure this one is in active development anymore. Floatify doesn’t work on Android Oreo and Android Pie anymore.

KLCK Kustom Lock Screen Maker

Price: Free / In-app purchases ($5.99 per item)

KLCK is by the same developers of the popular KWGT Kustom Widgets and KLWP Live Wallpaper, one of the best live wallpaper apps. This app lets you concoct your own custom lock screen. It uses a simple editor with a bunch of features. You can add notifications, various shapes, your own graphics and backgrounds, and more. It also lets you add stuff like Google Fit data, weather, live maps, music player functions, and even an RSS feed. This thing even comes with Tasker support. It’s still in early beta. Thus, you can expect bugs. However, in 2018, if you want a custom lock screen, this is the one we would recommend.

Lockscreen Widgets

Price: $1.49

Lockscreen Widgets is one of the newer lock screen replacement apps. It just brings back an old Android feature where you can put widgets on your lock screen. The app lets you put one widget per page, and you can have multiple pages. This is excellent for people who want some extra info on the lock screen and those who miss the feature from Android 5.0 Lollipop. The app is in early release beta as of the time of this writing, but it worked pretty well in our testing. It runs for $1.49 with no in-app purchases or ads.

Solo Locker

Price: Free

Solo Locker is one of the better DIY lock screen apps. You get access to a bunch of customization features and lock screen elements. You can then construct your lock screen however you want. It comes with various lock methods, wallpapers, and even widgets. You can use these to make your lock screen. You won’t find a ridiculous amount of depth here, but there are enough options to make it fun. The base app is free, and you can buy additional stuff with in-app purchases.

Lock Screen by Highsecure

Price: Free / In-app purchases ($1.99 per item)

Lock Screen by Highsecure is your basic lock screen app; it has no other gimmicks. It replaces your default Android lock screen. It removes the emergency call feature. It lets you set up a 4-digit passcode, and you can choose a beautiful wallpaper for your screen.

Use your lock screen

Price: Free

Here’s the thing, folks. Google has locked down a lot of your lock screen’s functionality over the years with newer versions of Android. Third-party replacements don’t have the power they once did, and you no longer have neat things like lock screen widgets (and, by extension, DashClock Widget and similar apps). The stock lock screen can show you notifications, keep out intruders, and always be on if you need it to.

Unfortunately, with the lock screen minimized as much as it has been, that’s about all you can do, even with third-party replacements these days. We recommend sticking with the stock lock screen if you can because third-party options are quickly dropping out of fashion. In addition, with biometric solutions becoming more popular, many people pass right by the lock screen anyway with fingerprints. Personally, we think it’s better that way anyway.

If we missed any of the best lock screen apps and lock screen replacement apps for Android, tell us about them in the comments! You can also click here to check out our latest Android app and game lists.
Thank you for reading.