lock screen

noun

plural lock screens

: a graphical user interface displayed by a device (such as a computer or smartphone) that prevents access to most functions of the device until a certain action (such as swiping one's finger across the screen or entering a predetermined code) is performed

Speaking of locking your phone, Android typically shows notifications on your lock screen by default—which means the contents of messages you receive might be visible to anyone who looks at your device, even if they can't unlock it.

—JR Raphael

Examples of lock screen in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

According to a July 2026 survey of more than 1,500 Americans by data-removal service Incogni, even the most privacy-indifferent users draw a hard line at their own lock screens. — Neil J. Rubenking, PC Magazine, 10 Sep. 2026

The exhibit is comprised of 50 smartphones, each displaying the lock screen photo of a child whose life was cut short, stemming from the harmful effects of social media. — Meredith Kile, PEOPLE, 10 Sep. 2026

That might mean taping your mantra to your computer monitor, writing it on the bathroom mirror, turning it into your phone lock screen, or putting it on the front of your journal. — Angela Haupt, Time, 26 Aug. 2026

Outdated details are not only a safety problem but can also expose former employers, partners or addresses from your lock screen. — Expert Panel®, Forbes.com, 20 Aug. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1991, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for lock screen

• agin
• alkene
• allene
• ameen
• amin
• arene
• athene
• baleen
• beeline
• benzene
• between
• bromine