Apple Supposedly Considering Interactive Widgets for iOS 17

[MacRumors]

Earlier today, an anonymous source who shared accurate information in the past revealed potential new features coming to the iPhone with iOS 17, including improvements to Search, the Dynamic Island, Control Center, and more. In addition, the source indicated that Apple is internally testing interactive widgets for the Home Screen and Today View, but they are unclear if this feature will make the final cut.

"Active widgets are in testing, but not confirmed by any means," the source said in a tweet. If made available to the public, the source said the interactive widgets would include one-tap buttons, sliders, and other dynamic content. The source shared additional alleged details about iOS 17 in a MacRumors Forums post.

Introduced with iOS 14, Home Screen widgets currently offer very limited functionality, as noted in Apple's developer documentation. "Widgets present read-only information and don’t support interactive elements such as scrolling elements or switches," says Apple. These limitations could be related to battery life considerations.

Last year, the same source leaked accurate details about the Dynamic Island on the iPhone 14 Pro before the device was announced. However, given the source has yet to establish a long-term track record with Apple rumors, it remains to be seen if all of the latest details they have shared prove to be accurate this time around.

Apple is expected to announce iOS 17 during the WWDC 2023 keynote on June 5, and as usual, the first beta version should be made available to developers for testing later that day. The first public beta will likely be released in July.

Article Link: Apple Supposedly Considering Interactive Widgets for iOS 17

 

[Kylo83]

not gonna happen unfortunately, and do we really believe a guy on twitter that said iOS 16.5 is coming after WWDC

 

[johnnytravels]

I just downgraded my iPad Mini 6 to an iPad Mini 5 for the headphone jack and I am looking forward to not installing any firmware updates on any of my devices (including MBA M1 and iPhone 13 Mini) for the foreseeable future. I am so over this feature trickle and constantly buggy software…

 

[eicca]

It would only be about eight years too late...

 

[coolfactor]

Rearranging the Home Screen layout used to be much simpler, and now it's just awkward. As they continue adding new features, I suppose there are going to be some sacrifices to highly-refined behaviours.

 

[coolfactor]

Reading this, I just realized that I have no idea what's happening over in the Android world, and I don't care. hahaha

 

[zach-coleman]

The shortcuts widget already is, so I would hope they eventually allow everybody else the same privilege.

 

[redbeard331]

It’s about time, remember, the widgets used to be interactive, so this would just be returning functionality that we lost once you could put them on the Homescreen.

 

[tgwaste]

Man I wish they would just finally let us adjust the grid size.

 

[RaceLover]

Wish they'd let us arrange icons wherever !

 

[return2sendai]

I just downgraded my iPad Mini 6 to an iPad Mini 5 for the headphone jack and I am looking forward to not installing any firmware updates on any of my devices (including MBA M1 and iPhone 13 Mini) for the foreseeable future. I am so over this feature trickle and constantly buggy software…

Here here. Wait a decade and upgrade your software when you upgrade your hardware. Then the feature trickle might be a feature flood.

 

[IMPOSSIBLEMAN]

I'll leak this and feel free to quote me:

Interactive widgets with iOS 17 in 2023
Interactive widgets with iPadOS 18 in 2024

Why?! Tim & Craig

 

[t0rqx]

Probably need the new 3nm A17 chipset for the interactive widgets to work on your iPhone.

 

[t0rqx]

It’s about time, remember, the widgets used to be interactive, so this would just be returning functionality that we lost once you could put them on the Homescreen.

Isn't this a reoccurring theme every time. Remove features and re-introduce them for more sales? It is the reason they worsen the ANC on the Airpods Max, just to re-introduce it in the Airpods Max 2 claiming 100% improvement over the 1st gen, while it in fact was the same level during release of 1st gen.

By the time they have a full screen without cutouts and everything is under the screen. They will bring back 3D Touch when iPhone sales slump and claim it is revolutionary.

 

[sdwaltz]

What a concept.

/s

 

[antiprotest]

Rearranging the Home Screen layout used to be much simpler, and now it's just awkward. As they continue adding new features, I suppose there are going to be some sacrifices to highly-refined behaviours.

They will continue to pile on taps, holds, swipes, pinches, etc.

 

[Populus]

Hey source guy, you made my day.
If only you could ask your source guy to push Apple a bit to make interactive widgets a reality…

Now on a more serious note, this would be great, but I suspect that if iOS 17 comes to the A11 devices with just 2GB of RAM, it could be of difficult implementation. But for devices with more RAM shouldn’t be many problems.

 

[CarAnalogy]

Man I wish they would just finally let us adjust the grid size.

And just let me leave an icon where I put it instead of forcing me to play a sudoku puzzle to arrange my icons how I want them.

 

[dampfnudel]

Hey source guy, you made my day.
If only you could ask your source guy to push Apple a bit to make interactive widgets a reality…

Now on a more serious note, this would be great, but I suspect that if iOS 17 comes to the A11 devices with just 2GB of RAM, it could be of difficult implementation. But for devices with more RAM shouldn’t be many problems.

So the X may get it, but the 8/8 Plus won’t. I’m curious what Apple will do in the future with the multiple devices that use the A15 and have different configurations of RAM, amount of cores, binned A15, iPhones vs iPads that use it, etc. Will they keep it simple and drop all iPhones/iPads that use the A15 at the same time or based on what particular flavor of the A15/amount of RAM your device was blessed with.

 

[dampfnudel]

Interactive widgets is definitely something some of us have been wishing for. Of course once we get it, some of us may use it less than we thought we would. Time will tell.

 

[Populus]

So the X may get it, but the 8/8 Plus won’t. I’m curious what Apple will do in the future with the multiple devices that use the A15 and have different configurations of RAM, amount of cores, binned A15, iPhones vs iPads that use it, etc. Will they keep it simple and drop all iPhones/iPads that use the A15 at the same time or based on what particular flavor of the A15/amount of RAM your device was blessed with.

Regarding the A15 generations of iPhone, I think I know what Apple will do in the far future: The first ones to lose support will obviously be the regular 13 and 13 mini. The iPhone 13 Pro and iPhone 14 will enjoy at least one or two more iOS updates, because the difference between 4 and 6GB of RAM is a substantial change. Actually, I think there will be more difference regarding iOS support between the 13 and the 13Pro/14, than between those and the A16 devices. Because the A16 is almost a rebranded A15, there are little changes...

 

[anthogag]

Interactive widgets FTW 🕯️

 

[Aston441]

I haven't used Android since 2012, but the overall brilliance of the GUI (compared to dumbed down iOS GUI) I still miss. Doing anything on Android was so much faster, needing half, or even less as many boop boop boop boops around the screen, and far less finger travel, to get anyhing done. At least I can use the far superior Google keyboard thank the Lord.

HOW ABOUT JUST GIVE US A BACK BUTTON APPLE!!!!

 

[Canyda]

Apple can say that iOS 17 will have interactive widgets and then

1) it will take developers 15 months to update their apps and

2) developers will make interactive widgets exclusive to a subscription

 

[1284814]

I only need sideloading