One of the biggest changes brought by iOS 26 is the addition of an animated artwork view on the lock screen whenever playing a song via Apple Music. The good thing is that it will not be exclusive to the platform.
Instead, third-party music streaming apps that rival Apple Music will also get a chance to adopt the technology and offer a similar view to users who wish to enjoy the experience.
Instead of making this feature exclusive, Apple has made it available for everyone to try out, particularly for developers who are part of the latest beta version of the iOS platform.
iOS 26’s Animated Artwork Is Also Coming to Other Apps
A report by 9to5Mac emphasizes one of the new features of iOS 26 that is coming soon to iPhones, explaining that it will soon be available for other apps and not only for Apple Music. The specific feature centers on the animated artwork that would be seen on the lock screen and cover the entirety of the iPhone’s screen.
This latest experience from Apple is called the MPMediaItemAnimatedArtwork, and it is now available to test in the developer SDK as an application programming interface (API) that third parties could take advantage of.
It is available under a beta release, meaning that it is still under development by Apple, but this gives developers a chance to use its features and apply them to their apps.
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As of press time, it remains unknown if Apple Music rivals like Spotify, YouTube Music, Prime Music, Deezer, Tidal, and more would adopt the feature to their apps on iOS, but this API makes it possible for this feature to arrive on other music streaming platforms.
Apple’s Iconic Features Introduced for iOS 26
WWDC 2025 gave the world a new look at all of Apple’s operating systems across different devices, with the company prioritizing the new Liquid Glass user interface for its entire tech ecosystem. The iPhone’s iOS 26 has a massive feature with the new Liquid Glass UI, particularly as there have been many revamped experiences on the iPhone that now offer translucent windows.
In the latest showcase, Apple also gave emphasis on iOS 26’s upgrades for the Lock Screen, particularly as the Liquid Glass UI also takes effect here and brings more customization experiences for all. Some of the features include a new Dynamic Clock, a 3D, parallax-like effect on images, as well as the Now Playing widget that gets a live animation for the album artwork.
Apple has also focused on improving the different experiences on the built-in apps on the platform, with the likes of Messages, Phone, Safari, and more receiving significant upgrades to its capabilities. Not only that, Apple has also promised that generative AI upgrades are expected with the latest iOS 26, with Apple Intelligence getting more capabilities and integrations across the iPhone experience.
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