To show text messages on your iPhone 11 Lock Screen, open Settings > Notifications > Messages, make sure Allow Notifications is on and Lock Screen is checked under Alerts, then tap Show Previews and choose Always. New texts then appear on the Lock Screen with the sender’s name and the message text, before you unlock the phone.
These steps are written for iOS 26 and iOS 27, and they work the same way on the iPhone 11 and every newer iPhone. The iPhone 11 can run iOS 27, so it sees the same menus as a new model. Apple describes these settings in its article on using notifications on iPhone.
Why Message Text Is Hidden on Face ID iPhones
On an iPhone 11 or any other iPhone with Face ID, Show Previews is set to When Unlocked by default. A new text arrives on the Lock Screen as just “Messages” and the sender’s name, and the text only appears once Face ID recognizes you. If someone else picks up the phone, they see that you got a message but not what it says.
That’s why many people think their Lock Screen messages have stopped working. They haven’t. Face ID reveals the preview the moment you look at the phone. If you want the text visible without looking, or you want to see it on a phone sitting on a desk, change the preview setting.
Show Message Previews on the Lock Screen
- Open the Settings app.
- Tap Notifications.
- Scroll down to the app list under Notification Style and tap Messages.
- Make sure Allow Notifications is turned on. The switch is green when it’s on.
- Under Alerts, make sure Lock Screen has a check mark. You can leave Notification Center and Banners checked too.
- Scroll down to Lock Screen Appearance and tap Show Previews.
- Choose Always.
Send yourself a test, or wait for the next text, while the iPhone is locked and you aren’t looking at it. The notification should now show the message itself, not just the sender.
This setting only affects Messages. Every other app keeps its own preview setting.
Show Previews for Every App Instead
If you want all apps, including Mail, WhatsApp, and Calendar, to show their content on the Lock Screen, change the main setting.
- Open Settings and tap Notifications.
- Tap Show Previews at the top of the screen.
- Choose Always.
Here’s what each choice does:
- Always: Notification text is visible on the Lock Screen to anyone who can see the screen.
- When Unlocked: You see who the alert is from, and the text appears after Face ID or your passcode unlocks the phone.
- Never: The text stays hidden even after you unlock.
The app-level setting from the previous section overrides this one. For example, you can set all apps to When Unlocked and set only Messages to Always. Some apps don’t support previews at all, so they behave the same whichever option you choose.
Choose How Messages Look on the Lock Screen
Under Settings > Notifications, the Display As setting controls how alerts pile up at the bottom of the Lock Screen:
- Count shows only the number of waiting notifications. Tap the number to see them.
- Stack groups them into a stack, with the newest on top.
- List shows each notification separately.
If you choose Count, it can look as if your messages aren’t on the Lock Screen at all. Switch to List to see every text at a glance. You can also pinch the notifications on the Lock Screen to switch between these layouts.
If Messages Still Don’t Show on the Lock Screen
- A Focus is on. Do Not Disturb, Sleep, and other Focus modes silence notifications and can hide them from the Lock Screen. Swipe down from the top-right corner to open Control Center and turn off the Focus, or add the people you want to hear from to its allowed list in Settings > Focus. See our guide on fixing notifications silenced on iPhone for more detail.
- The conversation is muted. A crossed-out bell next to a conversation means Hide Alerts is on. Texts from that person still arrive but don’t create notifications. Swipe left on the conversation in Messages and tap the bell to unmute it. Our guide to muting a text conversation covers both directions.
- Scheduled Summary holds them. If Messages is part of a Scheduled Summary in Settings > Notifications, alerts wait for the summary time. Remove Messages from the summary.
- Older alerts are hidden. On the Lock Screen, swipe up from the middle of the screen to see earlier notifications in Notification Center.
- Notification Center is blocked while locked. If swiping up shows nothing, go to Settings > Face ID & Passcode, enter your passcode, and turn on Notification Center under Allow Access When Locked.
- Filter Unknown Senders is on. Texts from people who aren’t in your contacts can go to a separate list and may not notify you. Check the filter list in Messages.
Keep Your Messages Private Instead
To go the other way, follow the same steps and choose When Unlocked or Never in Show Previews. To hide Messages from the Lock Screen entirely, uncheck Lock Screen under Alerts. You still get banners while using the phone, and the alerts still collect in Notification Center.
For extra privacy, turn off Reply with Message under Allow Access When Locked so nobody can answer a text from the Lock Screen.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why does my iPhone 11 only show “Messages” on the Lock Screen?
Show Previews is set to When Unlocked, which is the default on Face ID iPhones. Look at the phone to reveal the text, or set Show Previews to Always in Settings > Notifications > Messages.
Does showing previews work for iMessage and SMS texts?
Yes. Both blue iMessages and green SMS or RCS texts come through the Messages app, so they follow the same notification settings.
Can I see messages in StandBy?
Yes. On iOS 17 and later, notifications appear in StandBy mode while the iPhone is charging on its side. Your preview setting still controls whether the text is shown.
Can I show previews only for certain people?
Not directly. Show Previews applies to the whole Messages app. You can use a Focus to let only certain people’s notifications through, or mute conversations you don’t want to see.
Is there an iPad version of these steps?
Yes, iPad uses the same Notifications settings. Our guide to showing text messages on the iPad Lock Screen walks through it.
Matthew Burleigh is the founder, head writer, and editor of Solve Your Tech, which he launched in 2012. He has written technology tutorials since 2008 and worked in IT since 2003, including small-business support, IT management, and consulting. He holds Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees in Computer Science from Arizona State University.
Matthew writes practical guides for Windows, iPhone and iPad, Microsoft Office, Outlook, Google apps, and Android. Solve Your Tech’s guides are checked step by step against the device or app maker’s own documentation and tested on his own devices whenever he has the hardware or software, with clear steps, sources, and update dates.
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