All three work. They differ in how much fits, which phones support them, and how much friction they add.
Best for most people
Generate an image with your to-do list and set it as your lock screen wallpaper. Works on every iPhone and Android phone, fits a full list, no app install, zero battery. The only downside: you re-generate it when priorities change.
Best for one live item
On iOS 16+ you can add small widgets below the clock. They are capped at a few slots and one or two words each, so they suit a single next task or a habit streak, not a real list. Many Android skins removed lock screen widgets entirely.
Best for time-based nags
Apps like Apple Reminders can pin a notification to the lock screen. It works, but notifications are designed to be dismissed — and they mix your priorities in with every other alert competing for attention.
Four steps, under a minute, no App Store or Play Store involved.
Open the generator in any browser. Type your to-do items, or connect Notion with read-only OAuth to pull today's list automatically.
Pick a template, font style, and background. Keep tasks in the lower two-thirds so the clock never covers them.
On desktop, scan the QR code to open the wallpaper on your phone. Long-press the image and save it to Photos or your gallery.
iPhone: long-press the lock screen > Customize, or Settings > Wallpaper. Android: open the image > Set as wallpaper > Lock screen. Done.
Yes. The simplest way that works on any phone is a custom task wallpaper: type your tasks (or sync them from Notion), generate the image, and set it as your lock screen wallpaper. No app install, no special permissions, and it works on both iPhone and Android.
Yes. Lockscreen Todo lets you create and download a basic to-do list wallpaper for free with no account. A Pro plan adds Notion sync, premium backgrounds, and advanced styling.
Not yet. iOS and Android do not let websites change the lock screen for you, so you regenerate the wallpaper when priorities change and re-set it — under a minute. We are exploring iOS Shortcuts integration for automatic rotation.
Anything on your lock screen is visible to anyone holding your phone, so avoid passwords or sensitive details. On our side, tasks you type stay on your device, and Notion sync is read-only — we never store your task data.
Widgets show one or two words in a fixed slot and are great for live data like weather. A wallpaper uses the whole screen, fits a real list, and works identically on every phone. See our full widget vs wallpaper comparison.