Samsung Galaxy S9 Lock Screen Icons: On/Off Guide

Updated 7 November 2026 · Standard formula, shown below

This guide shows you how to show or hide the icons that appear on your Samsung Galaxy S9’s lock screen, such as the notification icons, clock, and other status indicators. You can customize which icons appear for a cleaner look or to see important alerts at a glance. No special tools are needed—just your phone’s Settings app.

What You’ll Need

A Samsung Galaxy S9 running Android 9 (Pie) or later (the steps are similar on earlier versions).
Your phone unlocked and ready to access Settings.

Step-by-Step

Open Settings: Swipe down from the top of the screen to open the notification panel, then tap the gear icon (⚙️) in the top-right corner. Alternatively, find and tap the Settings app in your app drawer.
Go to Lock Screen: Scroll down in Settings and tap Lock screen.
Access FaceWidgets and Notifications: Under the Lock screen menu, you’ll see options like FaceWidgets, Clock style, and Notifications. Tap Notifications to control which notification icons appear on the lock screen.
Choose Notification Display: In the Notifications settings, you’ll see options like Icons only, Details, or Hide. Select Icons only to show just the app icons without content, or Hide to remove notification icons entirely. If you choose Details, you’ll see full notification content.
Customize App Icons (Optional): If you want to hide icons from specific apps, tap App icons (or Notifications on some versions) and toggle off the apps you don’t want to see on the lock screen. You can also choose to show icons for all apps or only selected ones.
Adjust Other Lock Screen Icons: Back in the Lock screen settings, you can also toggle other icons like the Clock (under Clock style) or the Camera shortcut (under Shortcuts). For the clock, tap Clock style and choose a style that shows or hides the clock as you prefer.
Check Your Work: Press the power button to turn off the screen, then turn it back on to see the lock screen. Verify that the icons appear or disappear as you intended.

Common Mistakes

Confusing “Notifications” with “App icons”: On some versions, the Notifications menu has a submenu for App icons. Toggling the main notification switch off will hide all notifications, but you might want to keep some. Use the app-level toggles for finer control.
Forgetting to check the Always On Display: If you have Always On Display enabled, the icons shown there are controlled separately. Go to Lock screen → Always On Display to adjust its icons independently.
Assuming the clock cannot be hidden: The clock can be hidden by choosing a “None” style in Clock style, but this option may not be available on all firmware versions.

Tips

Use “Icons only” for privacy: If you want to see that you have notifications but not the content, choose Icons only to avoid showing message previews on the lock screen.
Prioritize important apps: In the App icons section, you can select “Show only selected apps” to limit the lock screen to just your most important notifications (e.g., calls, messages).
Speed up access: If you hide the camera shortcut, you can still open the camera by swiping left on the lock screen—this gesture works even when the icon is hidden.
Use “Details” sparingly: While seeing full notification content is convenient, it can clutter the lock screen. Consider using it only for apps you trust.

Troubleshooting

Icons don’t change after toggling: Make sure you’re editing the correct lock screen settings. Some settings may be overridden by your current lock screen type (e.g., if you use a secure lock like PIN, some options may be limited). Try restarting your phone after making changes.
Can’t find the “Notifications” option: On some Android versions, the path is Settings → Apps → Notifications → Lock screen notifications. If you don’t see it under Lock screen, check there.
Clock won’t hide: The clock can only be hidden if you select a clock style that has no clock face (like “None”). If that option isn’t available, your firmware may not support hiding the clock entirely.
Icons appear but are too small: The size of lock screen icons is tied to the system font size. Go to Settings → Display → Font size and style and increase the font size to make icons larger.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I hide the lock screen clock completely?

Yes, on most Galaxy S9 units running Android 9 or later, you can go to Lock screen → Clock style and select a style that doesn’t show a clock (like “None”). If that option is missing, your carrier or firmware may have disabled it.

How do I show notification icons for only certain apps?

Go to Lock screen → Notifications → App icons and choose “Show only selected apps.” Then check the apps you want to appear on the lock screen.

Why are my notification icons not showing even though I enabled them?

Check if the app’s notifications are disabled in Settings → Apps → [App] → Notifications. Also, ensure that the lock screen notification setting isn’t set to “Hide” globally.

Can I change the icons that appear on the Always On Display?

Yes, the Always On Display has its own settings. Go to Settings → Lock screen → Always On Display and toggle which icons (clock, notifications, battery) you want to see.

Will hiding icons affect my phone’s performance?

No, hiding icons only changes the display on the lock screen. It doesn’t affect battery life or performance significantly.

How do I reset lock screen icons to default?

Go to Settings → Lock screen → Notifications and set it to “Details” (or “Icons only” if you prefer). For the clock, choose the default style (usually “Clock” with the date).

Method: the standard formula for this calculation, rounded as each result states. See how the calculators work or report an error.