Favorites widget (for calls/messages) has gone with iOS 14?!

[qap]

This one:

it was useful!

 

[chriscl]

They expect you now to create shortcuts for call/messages. You can of course do that, and add the shortcut to a widget, but that takes up more room than the old „Favourites“ widget did (which I also used frequently).

 

[qap]

Oh thanks, now I created a lot of FaceTime contacts with shortcut, added the shortcuts to a folder, added the folder to the widget and added the widget to a stack in order to take less space.

But it was way better and useful the “old favorites” widget🙄

 

[pacorob]

For the favorites widget as an alternative there is also the third party alternative from e.g. Launcher (by Cromulent Labs) that really works well too on the Notification Center area.

 

[RecentlyConverted]

For the favorites widget as an alternative there is also the third party alternative from e.g. Launcher (by Cromulent Labs) that really works well too on the Notification Center area.

Can it be set so you can call someone when the phone is locked (like the old Apple favorites)?

 

[pacorob]

Can it be set so you can call someone when the phone is locked (like the old Apple favorites)?

You can see the widget if you are unlocked but as soon as you try to e.g. call someone it does ask for Touch ID. Maybe Apple's own Shortcuts widget is allowed without unlocking in the Notification Center.

 

[jacg]

Maybe a favourites widget would not work since they crippled widgets by removing all interactivity.

 

[pacorob]

Maybe a favourites widget would not work since they crippled widgets by removing all interactivity.

That is not completely true. The classic Notification Center widgets (iOS8-13 and still supported in iOS14) had quite a lot of interactivity options think of the options that Music Launcher by Cromulent Labs and Launcher have with actual buttons in the small widgets e.g. to control music or switch location in weather widgets but also select a contact and then a new list of ways to contact that person slides open and then you can e.g. FaceTime someone by pressing that icon without leaving the widget.

The iOS14 homescreen and NC widgets are indeed alot more limited in interactivity but the middle and bigger types of widgets do actually offer interactivity support (although limited). The smaller widget type is indeed a bit more crippled as far as interactivity is concerned. See also Apple's developer page on widgets.

It bugs me more that the updating of the widget is a lot more limited although the developers page seems to suggest the app developer has a lot of options there but apparently in the end Apple decides how frequently a widget actually updates for what I've read from developers.