How to put a book quote on your iPhone lock screen

If you want a literary quote on your iPhone lock screen that updates automatically, the fastest way to do it is with Canto’s lock-screen widget. Here is how to set it up.

What you need

• An iPhone running iOS 16 or later (lock-screen widgets require iOS 16+)
• Canto installed from the App Store (free to download)
• A Canto Pro subscription for the lock-screen widget (7-day free trial, no charge if you cancel)

Step 1: Download Canto

Download Canto from the App Store. It is free. Open it, pick your genre, and swipe through a few quotes to get a feel for the library.

Step 2: Upgrade to Canto Pro (or start the free trial)

The lock-screen widget is a Canto Pro feature. From inside the app, tap the profile icon and choose “Upgrade to Pro.” The 7-day free trial starts immediately — no charge until the trial ends, and you can cancel any time from your iPhone’s Settings → Apple ID → Subscriptions.

Step 3: Customize your theme

Before setting up the widget, choose your theme inside Canto. The lock-screen widget inherits the theme’s color palette, so the visual on your lock screen will match the one you picked. Themes include Winter Fireside (burgundy and ember), Spring Bloom (sage and blossom), Autumn Literary (amber and brown), and several others.

Step 4: Add the widget to your lock screen

1. On your iPhone, press and hold the lock screen until the “Customize” button appears at the bottom.
2. Tap “Customize,” then tap your lock screen.
3. Tap the area below the clock where widgets live (or the area above, depending on your layout).
4. Find Canto in the widget list and add the lock-screen widget.
5. Tap “Done” in the top right corner.

Your lock screen now shows a literary quote from Canto’s library. It updates on the schedule you set in the app — daily at a time you choose, or every time you wake your phone.

What the quotes look like

Each quote appears as a line of text in the font and color of your chosen theme. It is minimal — just the passage and the author’s name. The full book title lives in the app.

Changing which genre your lock-screen quotes come from

Inside Canto, go to Settings → Widget and choose which genre feeds your lock screen. You can set the same genre as your main feed or a different one — some readers use romance in the app and poetry on the lock screen.

A note on the home-screen widget

Canto also has a home-screen widget for iPhone home screens. It is larger, shows the book cover accent color, and updates on the same schedule. You add it the same way: long-press your home screen, tap the ”+” icon in the top left, and search for Canto.