iOS 27 will let you swipe the Now Playing widget from the lock screen

In iOS 27Users will be able to delete the Now Playing widget on their lock screens, as well as notifications. Here are the details.

Swiping also hides Now Playing from Dynamic Island

For years, iPhone users have taken to forums to ask, “Is there a way to close the Now Playing widget on the lock screen?”, only to find that the answer was no.

However, with iOS 27Apple will allow users to swipe the Now Playing widget from the lock screen and Notification Center. Based on the first iOS 27 developer beta released today, doing so also hides Dynamic Island’s Now Playing widget.

At the moment, there doesn’t seem to be an easy way to get it back right away. The only solution seems to be to pause playback, wait several minutes, and then resume playback.

The behavior also appears to be application based. For example, if you’re listening to a podcast on Overcast, dismiss the Now Playing widget from your lock screen, and then start watching a video on YouTube, the Now Playing widget will reappear for YouTube.

But if you pause the YouTube video and resume playback in Overcast, iOS won’t necessarily bring back Overcast’s Now Playing widget, depending on how recently it was dismissed.

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Are you running iOS 27 developer beta 1? Have you tried closing the Now Playing widget? Let us know in the comments.

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