iOS 14 Widgets Offer iPhone Users Creative Home Screen Ideas

[unfunfionn]

I don't get why most people seem to think, that widgets on the home screen is better or more useful than the widgets left from the homescreen. Aside from the two reasons I mentioned earlier, of course.

Exactly for the reasons I gave. The home screen is the first place you see when you unlock your phone. The most important information should be in the first place you land. For many, that is information other than only a grid of icons. The page to the left of the home screen is not the first place any user lands. I practically never even used that page. Quickly available information and frequently used apps should be in the same place because it does save time. Many Android users I know only have widgets on the home screen, because that information is most frequently needed, and use the app drawer or search for launching apps. I think we'll see plenty of that on iOS as well.

 

[jpsalazar]

Shocked that it took this long for widgets to appear on the home screen but a very welcomed update.

 

[miric]

Android finally came here. 🤦‍♂️

 

[Kentoch Mervel]

I totally understand that an existing app can create a widget for display some information. What i don't get is these apps like Widgetsmith, Color Widgets or whatever, they are not "apps", their only purpose is widgets, that shouln't be allowed on AppStore. Clicking these widgets don't lead to anything but their customisation. That's gross.

 

[deuxani]

Why do so many people have the App Store on the home screen? How often are these people using the App Store? What a waste of space…

To update apps! Auto-update doesn't seem to work for many people, so manually updating apps is something I personally do on a daily basis. I actually enjoy getting updates and knowing what new features an app got. If you never look in the App Store and just wait till after days / weeks / months updates come through, you miss out on what cool new functionality has been added.

 

[zz_nosa_r]

USD19.99 a year for a widget... thats a bit expensive... in Australia its like $40AUD.... 😵😵😵

 

[ke-iron]

This is probably the best thing ever!

I don’t think the customization showcased at the top of the article looks nice at all, but everyone’s taste is different so oh well.

 

[JonGarrett]

This is probably the best thing ever!

Now imagine what it's like to have had this 10 years ago.

 

[unfunfionn]

I don’t think the customization showcased at the top of the article looks nice at all, but everyone’s taste is different so oh well.

That user is most likely a bot. The entire post history is fairly generic, overly flattering praise.

 

[psac]

Is it just me, or are you not able to add widgets to the home screen on the iPad Mini? I have a mini5, and I can't seem to get the widgets on the home screen.

 

[lkalliance]

I tried just one and stopped. I don’t need any widgets unless I can trigger specific views at specific time. Tried during Android days decade ago. We should be able to see specific widgets at specific time. Such as weather at 8, stock at 10/12/2/4. Music at 1 etc. otherwise it’s useless and takes screen real estate.

I think Widgetsmith does this. I haven't played a lot with it, but I believe with it you can create widgets that change content based on a time schedule.

 

[HylianKnight]

Meh, just another distraction and battery eater. I tend to keep just one page of apps. thanks but not for me

For me, having a a few select widgets instead of a page full of apps is much more focusing imho. As for battery, the widgets are “static” and are unlikely to use any more battery than a page of apps.

 

[HylianKnight]

Is it just me, or are you not able to add widgets to the home screen on the iPad Mini? I have a mini5, and I can't seem to get the widgets on the home screen.

In Apple’s infinite wisdom, they limited widgets to being placed in the “today view” on iPad. 🧎🙏🏻🍎

 

[GlenK]

I just want a stock widget that shows more than 6 stocks. Or one with a "show more" feature like the old one. Now it just opens the Stock app when you touch it.

 

[HylianKnight]

I tried just one and stopped. I don’t need any widgets unless I can trigger specific views at specific time. Tried during Android days decade ago. We should be able to see specific widgets at specific time. Such as weather at 8, stock at 10/12/2/4. Music at 1 etc. otherwise it’s useless and takes screen real estate.

Using a Smart Stack of several selected widgets and putting Siri suggestions widget below this does a decent job of accomplishing this. I imagine it will only improve overtime.

 

[lkalliance]

What I'd really like is the ability to do a "blank" widget that essentially allows me to take up spaces on the grid to move icons around on the screen. That's purely aesthetic, of course, and it's a kludge for having true control of the placement of icons, but given the current limitations it would be swell.

For example, I have a home screen that has just the couple of apps on it I would use when I do a bike ride, nothing else. I hide this screen normally, but I would make it visible and hide everything else when I ride. I would love to be able to have these apps in the very center of the screen instead of up top. I could do that with a "blank" widget!

(That's not OCD, it's CDO. It's the same as OCD but the letters are in alphabetical order like they should be.)

Widgetsmith KIND OF gets there, if I want to put a spacer over a solid color, thought it leaves a "Widgetsmith" text label there. In the past I've used http://makeovr.io, which is a very kludgy way to do it. Would be neat to be able to do this more cleanly and easily.

 

[arn]

https://twitter.com/x/status/1308049164425555970

cute

 

[Just sayin...]

If you use the free version of Widgetsmith to create a single widget, then delete the app, your widget disappears. The created widget does not persist. I’d assume the same is true with their subscriptions - if your subscription lapses and Widegetsmith reverts back to the restricted, free version, maybe your enhanced widgets disappear as well?

*edited to correct spelling

 

[mjaco002]

I don't see any widgets for the apps that are listed in the article...example coinbase does not have a widget.

 

[arn]

I don't see any widgets for the apps that are listed in the article...example coinbase does not have a widget.

It does for me. You have to launch the app at least once after software update w/ widget support for it to appear in the widget list. And be on iOS 14, of course.

 

[DeepIn2U]

Clever use of shortcuts there. My OCD zeroed straight in on that person with 84,000+ unread emails 😮

I didn’t even notice until I read your post about this.

there seems to be an unread post count issue with folders inside of Apple’s Mail app in iOS 14.

some interesting app suggestions in this article like ... like ... WTH?! Ok I have App Library enabled. I just downloaded a new app closed App Store and forgotten the name of the app. It’s not in my Recently Added nor in Finance automated folder and it’s for tracking your budget. Lmao. Great.

I don’t see myself customizing app icons unless it’s like a native feature within iOS or themes become a reality (which for some like my GF) have already begun doing.

Update: great it was 2 apps I downloaded “Debit & Credit” as well as “FitBod” neither show up in the App Library automated categories yet a search will find them. Wth is going on with iOS?

 

[Lukeyy19]

Why do so many people have the App Store on the home screen? How often are these people using the App Store? What a waste of space…

That's just where it's always been for over 10 years, it's just where it belongs, I can't change it now.

 

[tegranjeet]

For me, having a a few select widgets instead of a page full of apps is much more focusing imho. As for battery, the widgets are “static” and are unlikely to use any more battery than a page of apps.

Nice, glad you can find use for this feature.

In the end, the phone is a complex tool. Unlike a hammer, which only has two functions. So we get to use the tool in complex ways. If the widgets help, more power to you!

For me, if I am doing something, I would rather just launch the app and have the full screen available with anything unrelated off the screen. Widgets just ooze "multitasking" which is really just rapid attention switching. Gives me anxiety.

 

[dynAdZ]

Why do so many people have the App Store on the home screen? How often are these people using the App Store? What a waste of space…

I use it two or three times a day (at least) to check for app updates

 

[4jasontv]

Unlike a hammer, which only has two functions.

Poor hammers. No one appreciates everything they do.

1. Drive
2. Flatten
3. Bend
4. Pull
5. Crush