iOS 15 and iPadOS 15 Gain New App Store, Find My, Contacts, Sleep, Game Center and Mail Widgets

The iOS and iPadOS 15 updates that were released today introduce several expanded widget options, which can be used on the Home Screen or in the Today section of the Notification Center on the iPhone and iPad.

app store widget
Apple has created several new widgets for Apple products and services, as listed below:

  • Find My - Track your friends and personal items from the ‌Home Screen‌.
  • Contacts - Includes options to call, Message, FaceTime, locate, or email contacts, and with Family Sharing, you can approve purchases or Screen Time requests from kids.
  • Game Center - The Continue Playing widget shows recently played Game Center games, and a Friends Are Playing widget shows the games your friends are playing.
  • App Store - The App Store widget displays stories, collections, and new in-app event options on the ‌Home Screen‌.
  • Sleep - Shows data about how you slept and lets you review your sleep schedule.
  • Mail - Shows your latest email at a glance and offers up access to one of your mailboxes.

In iPadOS 15, widgets on the ‌iPad‌ mirror widgets on the ‌iPhone‌ and can be placed anywhere on the ‌Home Screen‌ for the first time, rather than being limited to a specific widget block.

Apple has also added a new Default widgets feature that shows a default layout with widgets from the apps you use most arranged in Smart Stacks, plus there are new intelligent widget selections.

Suggested widgets from the apps that you use will appear in your Smart Stack at the right time based on past app usage activity, and you can now reorder your Smart Stacks.

Popular Stories

New Things Your iPhone Can Do in iOS 18

18 New Things Your iPhone Can Do in iOS 18.2

Wednesday November 27, 2024 5:05 am PST by
Apple is set to release iOS 18.2 in early December, bringing the second round of Apple Intelligence features to iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 16 models. This update brings several major advancements to Apple's AI integration, including completely new image generation tools and a range of Visual Intelligence-based enhancements. There are a handful of new non-AI related feature controls incoming as...
Whatsapp Feature

WhatsApp to Drop Support for These iPhones Starting May 2025

Monday December 2, 2024 2:57 am PST by
WhatsApp is set to end support for iOS versions older than iOS 15.1 from May next year, removing the chat platform's compatibility with several iPhone models in the process. From May 5, 2025, WhatsApp will no longer be compatible with iPhone 5s, iPhone 6, and iPhone 6 Plus models. Users with those devices won't be able to access the encrypted chat service after the specified date unless they ...
iphone 16 pro models 1

12 Reasons to Wait for Next Year's iPhone 17

Friday November 29, 2024 5:17 am PST by
Apple's iPhone development roadmap runs several years into the future and the company is continually working with suppliers on several successive iPhone models simultaneously, which is why we sometimes get rumored feature leaks so far ahead of launch. The iPhone 17 series is no different – already we have some idea of what to expect from Apple's 2025 smartphone lineup. If you plan to skip...
Apple AI Command Center Concept Mock 3

Apple Expected to Launch This All-New Device Next Year

Wednesday November 27, 2024 1:05 pm PST by
Apple is expected to kick off 2025 by launching an all-new smart home hub, also referred to as a "command center," as early as March. The hub is expected to feature around a six-inch display that can be attached to a tabletop base with a speaker, or mounted on a wall. The device is said to run a new "homeOS" operating system with a customizable widget-focused home screen, and it is expected...
airpods pro 2 gradient

AirPods Pro 3 Expected Next Year: Here's What We Know

Thursday November 28, 2024 3:30 am PST by
Despite being released over two years ago, Apple's AirPods Pro 2 continue to dominate the wireless earbud market. However, with the AirPods Pro 3 expected to launch sometime in 2025, anyone thinking of buying Apple's premium earbuds may be wondering if the next generation is worth holding out for. Apart from their audio and noise-canceling performance, which are generally regarded as...
Cyber Monday Deals Feature 2022

Apple Cyber Week Deals Available Now: AirPods, iPads, and More

Sunday December 1, 2024 7:52 am PST by
Although Black Friday has ended, Cyber Week is here and you can find great deals on numerous Apple devices right now. This includes big savings on AirPods, Apple Watch, MacBook Air, iPad, and more. Note: MacRumors is an affiliate partner with some of these vendors. When you click a link and make a purchase, we may receive a small payment, which helps us keep the site running. Specifically,...
iPhone 17 Pro Dual Tone Rectangle Feature 1

iPhone 17 Pro Already Rumored to Have These 8 New Features

Wednesday November 27, 2024 12:19 pm PST by
While the iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max are not expected to launch for 10 more months, there are already plenty of rumors about the devices. An imaginative iPhone 17 Pro concept based on rumors Below, we recap key changes rumored for the iPhone 17 Pro models so far: Aluminum frame: iPhone 17 Pro models are rumored to have an aluminum frame, whereas the iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 16 Pro ...
maxresdefault

The MacRumors Show: iPhone 17 Designs Revealed!

Friday November 29, 2024 9:34 am PST by
On this week's episode of The MacRumors Show, we discuss the recently leaked design of the iPhone 17 "Air" and iPhone 17 Pro. Subscribe to The MacRumors Show YouTube channel for more videos Earlier this week, a report from The Information's Wayne Ma revealed that the iPhone 17 Air will have a thickness of between 5mm and 6mm, which would make it the thinnest iPhone ever. In comparison, iPhone ...

Top Rated Comments

oneMadRssn Avatar
46 months ago

[HEADING=2]iOS 15 and iPadOS 15 Gain New App Store, Find My, Contacts, Sleep, Game Center and Mail Widgets[/HEADING]
This headline makes it seem like there is a new App Store, Find My, etc. A clearer headline should read "iOS 15 and iPadOS 15 Gain New Widgets for App Store, Find My, Contacts, Sleep, Game Center and Mail"
Score: 10 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Ansath Avatar
46 months ago

Isn't there a parcel tracking widget too? Or was that a demo of a 3rd party app?
https://parcel.app

[MEDIA=twitter]1401957670811144193[/MEDIA]
Score: 4 Votes (Like | Disagree)
NorthernSkyLights Avatar
46 months ago
So pretty much ios15 just minor updates it’s more like ios14. Feels like much of the rumors were a bit off on what they thought. Don’t get me wrong at least there some good stuff. Though a overhaul on icons would of been nice and so on.
Score: 4 Votes (Like | Disagree)
kirky29 Avatar
46 months ago
Without a doubt the most disappointing and boring release. Exif in photos is decent though.
Score: 3 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Kev0172 Avatar
46 months ago

Isn't there a parcel tracking widget too? Or was that a demo of a 3rd party app?
3rd party app called Parcel. The widget is already available.
Score: 3 Votes (Like | Disagree)
_Spinn_ Avatar
46 months ago
I can see the FindMy widget being useful. Glad to see Apple is creating more widgets.
Score: 2 Votes (Like | Disagree)