The best iPhone apps you can use without unlocking your phone

Flickr/Kenny Louie

iPhone apps can display helpful information right on your lock screen through widgets.

We've collected the 10 best apps that use widgets creatively to keep you up to date and entertained — all from your iPhone's lock screen.

From alerting you to when you've only reached your data cap to showing you the best headlines from The New York Times, these widgets pack some power.

See the best of the New York Times with NYT Now.

Every day, the editors at The New York Times send their favorite stories to the NYT Now app, along with important articles from other sources. The app's widget shows you the most recent headlines so you can jump right into an article or just skim the day's news.

Price: Free

Create time-saving shortcuts with Launcher.

Launcher lets you create customized iPhone widgets that you can access from your lock screen to save time. You can open apps, get Google Maps directions home, call your mom, or create a button for quickly messaging your best friend.

Price: Free

DataMan keeps you informed about how much data you have left.

If you're always worried about going over your data cap for the month, you should definitely try DataMan. The nifty little app keeps track of how much data you have left, and the app's widget makes checking your usage lightning-fast.

Price: $1.99