This repository is kept private to prevent malicious actors from hijacking the image URLs and potentially changing users' lock screens to inappropriate content. The automation methods and shortcuts are shared below for educational purposes, but the actual image data remains secure.
This project provides 564 Thrasher Magazine covers from 1981-2026 that can be automatically set as iPhone lock screens. Each cover includes:
- 📅 Date (month and year)
- 👤 Skater name
- 🛹 Trick description
- 📍 Location (when available)
The complete collection of 564 covers was built by scraping:
- Thrasher Magazine website - Current covers from 1981-present
- 4Ply Magazine archive - Metadata from 1981-2019
- Manual metadata extraction from cover filenames and descriptions
- Text overlay generation with skater names, tricks, and locations
- Tap this link on your iPhone: Download Thrasher Shortcut
- Tap "Get Shortcut" when prompted
- Test it by tapping the
▶️ button - Done! Your lock screen changes instantly
- Open Shortcuts app
- Tap your Thrasher shortcut
- Lock screen changes instantly
Important: You cannot use the shortcut's built-in automation for lock screen changes due to Apple's security policy. You must manually build the automation logic below.
Set up daily automation (e.g., 9 AM):
- Open Shortcuts app
- Tap Automation tab at bottom
- Tap + to create new automation
- Choose "Time of Day"
- Set to 9:00 AM and Daily
- Tap Next
- Tap Add Action
- Get Contents of URL: Add
https://raw.githubusercontent.com/kyleplathe/thrasher-lockscreen/main/shortcuts_text_overlay_covers.json - Get Random Item from List
- Get Value (to extract the URL from the random item)
- Get Contents of URL (to download the image)
- Set Wallpaper (set to Lock Screen)
- Tap Next
- Turn OFF "Ask Before Running" (crucial for automation!)
- Tap Done
- Your lock screen will now change automatically every morning!
- 564 covers spanning 46 years (1981-2026)
- Complete coverage - all 12 months for most years
- Perfect iPhone sizing - no cropping or stretching
- Rich metadata - know the skater, trick, and location
- High quality - optimized for crisp display
- Random selection - never see the same cover twice in a row
Edit text_overlay_config.json to move the date/skater text around on the image.
Adjust the font size in the same config file.
Choose which details to display (date, skater, trick, location).
Cover might show:
- December 2020 - Tony Hawk - Kickflip - Los Angeles, CA
- March 1995 - Rodney Mullen - 360 Flip - Tampa, FL
- August 2008 - Paul Rodriguez - Nollie Heelflip - San Francisco, CA
- Make sure you're connected to WiFi/cellular
- Check that the URL is copied exactly
- Try running the shortcut manually first
- All images are optimized for iPhone lock screens
- They should look crisp on any iPhone model
- The shortcut randomly picks from 564 options
- Run it multiple times to see different covers
- Make sure "Ask Before Running" is turned OFF
- Check that you're in the Automation tab, not Shortcuts tab
- Verify the time is set correctly
- GitHub Issues: Report problems or request features
- Questions: Open an issue with your question
- Improvements: Suggest ways to make it better
Open source - feel free to use and modify!
🎉 That's it! You're ready to rock a new Thrasher cover every day! 🛹
This repository is kept private to:
- Prevent URL hijacking of lock screen images
- Protect users from malicious content injection
- Maintain control over the image distribution
- Ensure only authorized users can access the automation tools
The automation methods and shortcuts are shared publicly for educational purposes, but the actual image URLs and data remain secure within this private repository.