Apple would seem to have responded to the concerns over lock screen navigation in the latest iOS 7 beta (beta 1-3 vs beta 4); however, there is something else missing.

I have a message on the lock screen of my iPhone that contains relevant contact info, which could be helpful in case my phone is taken misplaced. This may not be an official feature of iOS, but it should be.

For OS X v10.7 Lion and above, a lock screen message may be set on any Mac by navigating to System Preferences > Security & Privacy > “Show message when screen is locked” and checking the appropriate box. This allows a line of text to be displayed at the login window without any sort of hacking or manipulation of system files.

How did I accomplish this on the iPhone? It’s actually pretty straightforward: there’s an app for that. In our case, that app is called Contact Lockscreen Info (iTunes Link) and it does what it says on the tin. Don’t let the free download fool you though; there is an IAP (in-app-purchase) of $.99 that allows an assumed feature enables the use of custom backgrounds. I’m sure there are any number of alternative apps out there, but the method is going to be the same. The app takes your desired text and background image, lines everything up, and flattens them together into a new image you set as your background.

A lock screen message is exactly the sort of thoughtful solution that shouldn’t need extra steps or the purchase of a separate app – it should be a part of iOS natively.