To see what you can spend today without unlocking, add 6pm’s widget to your Lock Screen: touch and hold the Lock Screen, tap Customize, choose Lock Screen, tap the space under the clock, then pick 6pm as a ring or a card. It’s free and updates as you spend, so the number is always today’s.
Why the number belongs on your Lock Screen
You pick up your phone dozens of times a day, mostly to check the time or a notification. Each of those is a free glance at your Safe to spend today number, with zero extra effort.
That’s the difference between an app you have to remember to open and a number that’s simply in front of you. Standing at the register at Target, you don’t open anything or do mental math. You just look: $31 left. The $12 candle can wait, or it can’t. Your call, with real information.
Where the number comes from
Safe to spend today is your pay, minus bills, minus what you set aside for Future you and your pots, spread evenly over the days until payday. Every spend 6pm catches during the day (Apple Pay, receipt photos, card alert emails, voice, the keypad) comes off immediately, even before you confirm it at your evening close. So the widget shows the honest number right now, not this morning’s. For the full method, see how much can I spend per day?
Add 6pm to your Lock Screen
- Touch and hold the Lock Screen, then tap Customize.
- Choose Lock Screen, then tap the space under the clock.
- Tap 6pm, then pick the ring or the card.
- Tap outside the panel to close it, then tap Done.
Two styles:
- Ring: compact, shows what’s left today. Good if you already have weather or battery widgets there.
- Card: wider and easier to read. Good if you want the number to be the first thing you see.
Add a widget to your Home Screen
If you live on your Home Screen instead:
- Touch and hold an empty spot until the apps jiggle.
- Tap Edit in the top corner, then Add Widget.
- Search for 6pm, swipe to the size you want, then tap Add Widget.
| Size | What it shows |
|---|---|
| Small | Your safe number for today |
| Medium | The number, with Scan QR and Quick add beside it |
| Large | What’s left, and today’s newest spends |
The medium widget is worth a look: one tap opens Quick add for the $8 cash you just handed the food truck.
Log a spend without finding the app
Control Center (iOS 18 or later)
- Swipe down from the top-right corner of the screen.
- Touch and hold an empty space, then tap Add a Control.
- Search for 6pm and pick Scan QR or Quick add.
The same two controls can take the place of the flashlight or camera at the bottom of your Lock Screen. Swap the flashlight for Quick add and you can log cash without unlocking.
Action button (iPhone 15 Pro and later)
- Open Settings, then Action Button.
- Swipe to Controls, then tap the control’s name under it.
- Search for 6pm and pick Scan QR or Quick add.
Now one press on the side of your phone opens it. Prefer talking? Tell Siri “Log in 6pm,” then the amount.
Live Activities: a waiting payment on your Lock Screen
Nothing to set up here. When you scan a payment QR code with 6pm and pay in your bank app (common in Vietnam and across Southeast Asia), the payment waits on your Lock Screen and in the Dynamic Island as a Live Activity. Tap Paid once the money has gone, and it closes by itself. A Live Activity also shows while you travel with Travel mode, a 6pm Max feature.
Not showing? In Settings, open 6pm and turn on Live Activities.
Free or Max?
Every widget and control above is free, drawn in the Golden Hour look. With 6pm Max ($4.99/month or $34.99/year, 7-day free trial), widgets wear whichever look you’ve picked. The number is the same either way.
Small tweaks that make it stick
- Put the ring right next to the clock, where your eyes land first.
- Use a work Focus Lock Screen (iOS lets you keep several) and give it the 6pm card.
- Swap the flashlight for Quick add if you pay cash often.
- Don’t overcrowd. One clear number beats five widgets elbowing each other.
FAQ
How do I see my budget without opening the app?
Add the 6pm widget to your Lock Screen (ring or card) or Home Screen. Safe to spend today updates as new spends come in.
Is the 6pm Lock Screen widget free?
Yes. Widgets and controls are free in the Golden Hour look. 6pm Max only adds widgets drawn in the look you choose.
Can I log a spend from the Lock Screen?
On iOS 18 or later, yes: replace the flashlight or camera button at the bottom of the Lock Screen with 6pm’s Quick add or Scan QR control. On iPhone 15 Pro and later you can also put it on the Action button.
Does the widget show my bank balance?
No. 6pm never connects to your bank. The widget shows what you can spend today under your own plan, not an account balance.
Can people see my spending on my Lock Screen?
The widget shows only today’s number, never a list of spends. If you’d rather nobody sees even that, skip the Lock Screen and use a Home Screen widget, which only shows once your phone is unlocked.
Try 6pm
6pm arrives on the App Store on Friday 6 November 2026 at 18:00 Vietnam time (6:00 a.m. Eastern), with the close and every way to capture free. Want it now? Join the public TestFlight beta: testflight.apple.com/join/a8UrvT5P. More at at6pm.app.