One of the biggest new features of iOS 14 is Home Screen widgets, which provide information from apps at a glance. The widgets can be pinned to the Home Screen in various spots and sizes, allowing for many different layouts.
When the iOS 14 beta was first released in June, widgets were limited to Apple's own apps like Calendar and Weather, but several third-party developers have begun to test the feature for their own apps. As shown in our screenshots below, this includes:
TestFlight slots are limited, so some apps may be full.
Keep in mind that Home Screen widgets are fairly limited in scope. This is because Apple only allows the widgets to present read-only information, with interactive elements such as scrolling elements or switches not allowed, presumably due to battery life considerations. Tapping on a widget opens the corresponding app.
Also be aware that, as of the fourth developer beta of iOS 14 and iPadOS 14, Apple says that all widgets must be rebuilt using the latest SDK and will not run on previous beta versions. This has temporarily broken some widgets, such as the Aviary widget, which is currently displaying new tweets on a very delayed basis.
Users interested in trying out these widgets can download Apple's free TestFlight app, tap on the TestFlight links above using an iPhone or iPad, and download a beta version of each app. Not all of the widgets are fully polished yet, so expect some glitches.
Following nearly two years of rumors about a fourth-generation iPhone SE, The Information today reported that Apple suppliers are finally planning to begin ramping up mass production of the device in October of this year. If accurate, that timeframe would mean that the next iPhone SE would not be announced alongside the iPhone 16 series in September, as expected. Instead, the report...
Key details about the overall specifications of the iPhone 17 lineup have been shared by the leaker known as "Ice Universe," clarifying several important aspects of next year's devices. Reports in recent months have converged in agreement that Apple will discontinue the "Plus" iPhone model in 2025 while introducing an all-new iPhone 17 "Slim" model as an even more high-end option sitting...
Wednesday July 24, 2024 9:06 am PDT by Joe Rossignol
Apple supply chain analyst Ming-Chi Kuo today shared alleged specifications for a new ultra-thin iPhone 17 model rumored to launch next year. Kuo expects the device to be equipped with a 6.6-inch display with a current-size Dynamic Island, a standard A19 chip rather than an A19 Pro chip, a single rear camera, and an Apple-designed 5G chip. He also expects the device to have a...
Thursday July 25, 2024 5:43 am PDT by Tim Hardwick
Apple typically releases its new iPhone series around mid-September, which means we are about two months out from the launch of the iPhone 16. Like the iPhone 15 series, this year's lineup is expected to stick with four models – iPhone 16, iPhone 16 Plus, iPhone 16 Pro, and iPhone 16 Pro Max – although there are plenty of design differences and new features to take into account. To bring ...
Apple’s iCloud Private Relay service is down for some users, according to Apple’s System Status page. Apple says that the iCloud Private Relay service may be slow or unavailable. The outage started at 2:34 p.m. Eastern Time, but it does not appear to be affecting all iCloud users. Some impacted users are unable to browse the web without turning iCloud Private Relay off, while others are...
Apple is planning to release at least one iPhone 17 model next year with mechanical aperture, according to a report published today by The Information. The mechanical system would allow users to adjust the size of the iPhone 17's aperture, which refers to the opening of the camera lens through which light enters. All existing iPhone camera lenses have fixed apertures, but some Android...
I use widgets for Streaks and Things, both of which are essentially useless under the new format. Checking off a quick To Do in a widget or marking a streak as completed, were the entire purpose of these widgets. If I want to open the app, I'll just hit the app icon.
Some widgets still make sense based on the real time information they provide but I can see the usefulness of a large segment of widgets being deprecated.
I've got the Parcel one (fantastic app), although the Widget isn't showing up for me. I assume it's meant to be listed in with the other Apple widgets?
Let’s just say that I am whelmed by these widgets. The only one I remotely find useful is the batteries widget, which sits on my secondary Home Screen all by itself.
Let’s just say that I am whelmed by these widgets. The only one I remotely find useful is the batteries widget, which sits on my secondary Home Screen all by itself.
I felt the same, although as I adjust how I use apps and as apps add these, I can see the users now. With my new job I'm using my calendar a lot more, and that widget is good. The activity one isn't bad for my fitness too. I can envision good ones for news apps, Slack, MyFitnessPal, Pintrest.
I think this will be like original apps. When the AppStore came along we were arsing about with silly drinking beer apps. It took a wee while for app makers to fully get to grips with what was possible. I think they'll eventually become useful with the third party developers.
Android still has Apple beat by a light year when it comes to widgets. I’m glad Apple is dipping their toe in the water here but lets be real, interactive widgets are fun and actually useful, especially ones with switches/toggles.
I still remember when I first powered on my EVO 4G and the HTC weather/clock widget activated. It had beautiful animations depending the conditions outside.
I know some toggles can be included in the Control Center now but if we’re going to have widgets it’d be nice to include the ability to have them on the home screen too. There are also some widgets that could act like mini versions of the app itself which is also neat...or would be if/when Apple allows it.