iOS 14 Could Offer Home Screen Widgets, Wallpaper Customizations

[jpn]

the Today view in iOS 13 is the most used screen by me.

i have even contacted several app developers to help them either develop a Today view Widget or to improve their current one.

Widget-izing an app's main info functions is the best way for me to review all the latest data i need, in a matter seconds, across all the apps i want the info from.

whether or not putting the info from Today view's widgets onto the Home Screen in some kind of widget is useful or not will depend on how much info i can see immediately. i don't want to press anything. i don't want a home screen "widget" to be the size of an app icon with just one number or data point. i want an equivalent amount of space as Today view's space provides, with its built in function of being able to expand it to double the size of the info window.

i of course don't mind an app's icon to provide Background App Refresh info. that's ok.
i just want to be able to continue to have a Today view's widget equivalent to get a lot more info that can be instantly understood.

reference the Windy app's widget. free.
reference the built in apple app Stock widget.
reference the many news apps widgets.

i am opening iPhone's apps themselves less and less. the less the better!
more importantly, i am now frequently choosing apps based on two factors:
1 how good their Today screen widget implementation is
2 if an iPhone app has an equivalent Watch app as well, and how good its Watch complications implementation is
if the app i downloaded doesnt have a real good Today view widget, i frequently just delete it.

background refreshed. location tracking on. notifications able to be tuned to a granular level of exactly what info i want immediately and constantly.
this is what a mobile device needs to provide.

 

[pweicks]

This is something I’ve been thinking they should do since I owned my first iPod touch. Of course they’re way behind android on this. What would be really cool is if they made it so you can adjust the size of widgets for different apps. Sizes based on how many app icons worth of space you want it to take up on your home screen. Then let developers adjust how much info they want displayed on their apps’ widgets. For example a weather app could show the whole ten day forecast if you expand the widget to take up a 4x2 icon space, or you can have it take up just a 1x2 icon space to show just the current temp. I think that would be super cool. Would really make the DATED iPhone home screen look a million times better and much more functional too.

 

[mi7chy]

How many more years to be able to personalize and declutter the home screen to show only most often used apps and be able to place them towards the bottom edge where they're more accessible? Hate wading through a wall of apps everytime.

Also, stop dumbing it down. Background multitasking time limit used to be 7 minutes with iOS <=6, down to 3 minutes for iOS 7 thru 12 and now 30 seconds for iOS 13.

And, allow changing default apps, unbundle Safari from OS updates and allow it to be updatable through app store, stop restricting apps like emulators, Kodi, torrent clients, etc. I own the devices, I'm not leasing them.

 

[JosephAW]

They'll probably change all the gestures again. Maybe swipe to open will return.

 

[pweicks]

If we could get Live Tiles like we had on Windows 10 Mobile (or the Win10 Start screen) I would be very, very happy.

I totally agree! Talked about it in the comment I just mentioned. My windows phone definitely had the coolest home screen of all my phones. And I loved how you could adjust how big the tiles were to change how much info you wanted each app to show. If you used an app a lot, you could make it bigger to show more info. If ya don’t use it much, you can make it tiny to take up less space. I also still think windows phone had the best swipe keyboard still to date. I hardly ever had to correct words from my swipes. I can’t write a single sentence though on my iPhone without having to backspace at least one word. Don’t know what it is but iPhones keyboard has gotten worse and worse since iOS 11. It’s like they’re trying to predict where you’re tapping way more than they should. I tap on one letter and it keeps trying to type the letter right next to it. The other cool thing about my windows phone (kinda quirky, but still cool) was that I could adjust the sensitivity of the touch screen. I use to work at a job where I was wearing gloves a lot and it was super nice to be able to set the screen to high sensitivity and use it even with thick leather gloves on. Then you could shut it back off when it’s in your pocket to keep from your leg unlocking it through your pocket. Man windows phone had so many cool things on it. I mean, Microsoft is lame, yeah haha but that OS definitely had it’s unique strengths that no other OS could match in my opinion. If only their App Store could have made it off the ground...

 

[FightTheFuture]

Sigh. And your point? The more Apple gives us “features Android had since forever,” the less reason to own an Android device. At this point, Android users are running out of reasons to not own an iPhone. Every year that list gets smaller & smaller.

That list is pretty miniscule and you don't see the other side. The strength of the iPad. Non-compelling Android Wear products. W1/H1. iMessage. But ok - I guess I'm supposed to be jealous of a widget.

 

[JosephAW]

Is that Touch ID under glass?

 

[maj71303]

How many more years to be able to personalize and declutter the home screen to show only most often used apps and be able to place them towards the bottom edge where they're more accessible? Hate wading through a wall of apps everytime.

Also, stop dumbing it down. Background multitasking time limit used to be 7 minutes with iOS <=6, down to 3 minutes for iOS 7 thru 12 and now 30 seconds for iOS 13.

And, allow changing default apps, unbundle Safari from OS updates and allow it to be updatable through app store, stop restricting apps like emulators, Kodi, torrent clients, etc. I own the devices, I'm not leasing them.

Alot of what yo voice is the reason i left apple here on March 30. 5 years and i couldn't take it anymore, all those synergies and connected device ecosystem that provides hardly any customization and device freedom.

 

[rocketman80]

INCOMING VIDEO/AUDIO CALL AS A NOTIFICATION BANNER PLEASE!!!

 

[Stridr69]

Sigh. And your point? The more Apple gives us “features Android had since forever,” the less reason to own an Android device. At this point, Android users are running out of reasons to not own an iPhone. Every year that list gets smaller & smaller.

Except I picked up a Pixel 4 2 months ago for $435...and it has NightSight. How much is that 11 Pro going for?
[automerge]1586046743[/automerge]

 

[drinkingtea]

This is something I’ve been thinking they should do since I owned my first iPod touch. Of course they’re way behind android on this. What would be really cool is if they made it so you can adjust the size of widgets for different apps. Sizes based on how many app icons worth of space you want it to take up on your home screen. Then let developers adjust how much info they want displayed on their apps’ widgets. For example a weather app could show the whole ten day forecast if you expand the widget to take up a 4x2 icon space, or you can have it take up just a 1x2 icon space to show just the current temp. I think that would be super cool. Would really make the DATED iPhone home screen look a million times better and much more functional too.

I like this idea!

 

[maj71303]

INCOMING VIDEO/AUDIO CALL AS A NOTIFICATION BANNER PLEASE!!!

This was something that I always hated. Incoming video / audio call and it fills up the whole screen interrupting what you were doing. The short background app refresh times bite you when you get done with said call and go back to the app you were in.

 

[nfl46]

Except I picked up a Pixel 4 2 months ago for $435...and it has NightSight. How much is that 11 Pro going for?
[automerge]1586046743[/automerge]

Don't make it seem like you can't find a good deal on an iPhone 11. A mint condition unlocked iPhone 11 recently sold for $515. Or did you forget the iPhone 11 has night mode?

iPhone 11 for sale

Buy used and refurbished Apple iPhone 11 on Swappa

swappa.com

 

[JosephAW]

It would be nice to be able to adjust the size of the home screen icons without using the zoom display setting.

 

[lunarworks]

Almost like that feature Android had since forever?

I can't wait for my dad to get angry that his iPhone is now "different".

That's the reality Apple has to wrestle against.

 

[maj71303]

Don't make it seem like you can't find a good deal on an iPhone 11. A mint condition unlocked iPhone 11 recently sold for $515. Or did you forget the iPhone 11 has night mode?

iPhone 11 for sale

Buy used and refurbished Apple iPhone 11 on Swappa

swappa.com

He still got a better price for the pixel 4 though so to speak. As far as cameras the iPhone 11 is not in the same tier as the 11 pro duo or the Pixel 4 duo.

 

[mi7chy]

This was something that I always hated. Incoming video / audio call and it fills up the whole screen interrupting what you were doing. The short background app refresh times bite you when you get done with said call and go back to the app you were in.

Exactly this! Sometimes I'm on the throne so it's inappropriate to answer but also rude to hang up and there's no way to swipe away the full screen call notification to let it time out to voicemail that takes up precious on-throne game time. Grrrrr...

 

[69Mustang]

Yeah, right.

Two of the biggest complaints I see from Android users as to why they haven’t switched to iOS is because of 1) cannot set default apps 2) customization

There’s a whole thread in the Alternative section about this.

100%. Those are my #1 and #2 reasons for not using an iPhone. A distant 3rd is lack of widgets (customizable and sizable). Doesn't matter so much on iPad because it's just a consumption device for me.

Would be nice if iPhones increased user choice. My kids would definitely appreciated it.

 

[Stridr69]

Don't make it seem like you can't find a good deal on an iPhone 11. A mint condition unlocked iPhone 11 recently sold for $515. Or did you forget the iPhone 11 has night mode?

iPhone 11 for sale

Buy used and refurbished Apple iPhone 11 on Swappa

swappa.com

I already have a XS Max. And $515 USED vs $435 NEW, well do the math. Ever try Android? You should. In fact, ALL IPhone users should try Android sometime. I've owned both style phones for 10 years. My take is this: Nova Prime on iOS 14. Think of it...

 

[nfl46]

He still got a better price for the pixel 4 though so to speak. As far as cameras the iPhone 11 is not in the same tier as the 11 pro duo or the Pixel 4 duo.

He specifically mentioned NighSight as if that was a driving factor in his decision, so I responded with an iPhone device that had a similar feature and price for what he got his Pixel 4 for.

 

[maj71303]

He specifically mentioned NighSight as if that was a driving factor in his decision, so I responded with an iPhone device that had a similar feature and price for what he got his Pixel 4 for.

I see what you meant but he responded that was for a new Pixel 4. Your not getting a new iPhone 11 for that price. That's just being realistic.

 

[nordique]

finally**** this comes natively to iOS

Hope it makes the final cut

 

[sfwalter]

If this does happen then brace yourself for a rocky beta cycle.

 

[nfl46]

I see what you meant but he responded that was for a new Pixel 4. Your not getting a new iPhone 11 for that price. That's just being realistic.

His original statement did not say it was for a new Pixel 4.

 

[nfl46]

I already have a XS Max. And $515 USED vs $435 NEW, well do the math. Ever try Android? You should. In fact, ALL IPhone users should try Android sometime. I've owned both style phones for 10 years. My take is this: Nova Prime on iOS 14. Think of it...

At the end of the day, no one would care if its new vs used. Both of the devices have nightsight/night mode.

Have I ever tried Android? I have a Pixel 3XL, as well as a Max. I'm one of the few people on here that switches from Android to iOS on a daily basis; however iOS is my preference.

Where did you find a brand new Pixel 4 for $435? Was it on contract? Traded in a device? Purchased it from a 3rd party reseller?