In recent versions of iOS, Apple has made some dramatic changes to the Home Screen of iPhone. In particular, it has introduced the concept of ‌Home Screen‌ widgets, which are similar to the widgets available on Android phones.

widgets
Previously, use of widgets was limited to the Today View, which can be accessed by swiping from left to right on the ‌Home Screen‌. In ‌‌iOS 14‌‌, however, widgets got a design and functionality overhaul, allowing any widget that's available in the Today View to be added to the ‌Home Screen‌ alongside your apps. Then in iOS 17, Apple made widgets fully interactive, meaning you can perform actions with them without opening the associated app.

How to Add Widgets to the Home Screen

There a couple of ways you can add widgets to the ‌Home Screen‌. If you long press on a widget in the Today View, you'll see an Edit Home Screen option in the popup menu. Tapping this enters jiggle mode, and from there you can drag widgets out of the Today View and place them anywhere on the ‌Home Screen‌.

widgets
When in jiggle mode, notice the plus (+) button in the top-left corner of the screen. You'll find the same button appear if you long press on a blank area of the ‌Home Screen‌ or any additional page of apps. Tapping this button opens the Widget Gallery, where you can add and customize widgets.

widgets
In the Widget Gallery, you can search for a specific widget or scroll through the available options. Tapping on a widget in the list lets you see the size and content options that are available for the widget. To add a widget to the Today View or the ‌Home Screen‌, select it, choose a size (small, medium, or large), and then tap the Add Widget button.

Widget Sizes and Other Functions

When you customize a new widget, you'll notice that the larger the size of the widget, the more content it can display. In the Weather widget, for example, the smallest widget shows the current conditions, while the largest displays the forecast for the next few days.

Bear in mind that bigger widgets take up more space on your ‌Home Screen‌. A small widget takes up the space of four apps in a square shape, but a medium widget takes up the space of eight apps in a rectangle shape, and a large widget takes up the space of 16 apps in a square shape.

ios14widgetsizes
Some apps also have different widget options based on function. In the ‌Apple News‌ widget, for example, you can choose to see relevant news from the day or get stories about a specific topic of interest. You can change this function on an existing ‌Apple News‌ widget anytime. Just long press on the widget and then select Edit "News."

widgets
When you've got some widgets on your ‌Home Screen‌, you can move them around, just like apps. Simply long press on the screen to enter jiggle mode and then drag a widget around with your finger.

Additionally, don't forget that many widgets made since ‌iOS 17‌ was released are fully interactive, so you can tap buttons and items within these widgets to perform actions without leaving the ‌Home Screen‌.

Siri Suggestions Widget

In the Widget Gallery, if you scroll down to the list section you'll see a Siri Suggestions widget. This dynamic widget displays app suggestions based on your ‌‌iPhone‌‌ usage habits, similar to what shows up under ‌Siri‌ Suggestions when you use an ‌‌iPhone‌‌'s search function.

widgets

Widget Stacks

With widget stacks, you can stack multiple widgets on top of one another, so you can put all of your favorites together and then swap between them with an upward or downward swipe of the finger.

Apple has also added a special "Smart Stack," which is a widget stack that uses ‌Siri‌ Intelligence to surface the most relevant and useful widget based on your ‌iPhone‌ usage habits.

Top Rated Comments

MrGuder Avatar
48 months ago
I don’t know but is it me...those iOS 14 screen shots just look like a convoluted mess just so busy with widgets and icons. Just doesn’t look clean.
Score: 8 Votes (Like | Disagree)
C DM Avatar
48 months ago

'Does anyone else miss the days when the interface wasn’t so confusing that you didn’t need extensive instructions to walk you through steps and hidden interface elements to figure out how to do stuff?'
Even in those supposed days there were still manuals and how-tos available for all kinds of things, especially something newer.
Score: 7 Votes (Like | Disagree)
jozeppy26 Avatar
48 months ago
I can’t figure out how to organize things. It’s frustrating that the App Library doesn’t give you the ability to rearrange and rename folders. So far, I regret altering my Home Screen with widgets.
Score: 6 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Morgenland Avatar
48 months ago
Does anyone else miss the days when the interface wasn’t so confusing that you didn’t need extensive instructions to walk you through steps and hidden interface elements to figure out how to do stuff?
Apple learned Android and Windows Phone OS.
Score: 4 Votes (Like | Disagree)
JNGold Avatar
48 months ago
Geez, what's with all the whining? If you don't want to use a home screen widget, then guess what? Don't. Your iOS device will work just fine with your existing home screens and folders. Heck, you can even hide some of those graveyard home screens 2,3,4 or more pages away. Sounds like a win/win there.
Score: 3 Votes (Like | Disagree)
C DM Avatar
48 months ago

I can’t figure out how to organize things. It’s frustrating that the App Library doesn’t give you the ability to rearrange and rename folders. So far, I regret altering my Home Screen with widgets.
You can create your own folders and organize things as you want, like before, right?
Score: 3 Votes (Like | Disagree)

Popular Stories

reset password request iphone

Warning: Apple Users Targeted in Phishing Attack Involving Rapid Password Reset Requests

Tuesday March 26, 2024 4:34 pm PDT by
Phishing attacks taking advantage of Apple's password reset feature have become increasingly common, according to a report from KrebsOnSecurity. Multiple Apple users have been targeted in an attack that bombards them with an endless stream of notifications or multi-factor authentication (MFA) messages in an attempt to cause panic so they'll respond favorably to social engineering. An...
iPhone Home Screen Gradient Blank Spaces 1

Sources: iOS 18 Lets Apps Be Placed Anywhere on Home Screen Grid

Sunday March 24, 2024 1:33 pm PDT by
iOS 18 will give iPhone users greater control over Home Screen app icon arrangement, according to sources familiar with the matter. While app icons will likely remain locked to an invisible grid system on the Home Screen, to ensure there is some uniformity, our sources say that users will be able to arrange icons more freely on iOS 18. For example, we expect that the update will introduce...
iPad Pro 2024 Landscape Camera Feature

New iPad Pro Again Rumored to Feature Landscape Front-Facing Camera

Monday March 25, 2024 5:43 am PDT by
The next-generation iPad Pro will feature a landscape-oriented front-facing camera for the first time, according to the Apple leaker known as "Instant Digital." Instant Digital reiterated the design change earlier today on Weibo with a simple accompanying 2D image. The post reveals that the entire TrueDepth camera array will move to the right side of the device, while the microphone will...
sonoma desktop wwdc

Apple Releases macOS Sonoma 14.4.1 With Fix for USB Hub Bug

Monday March 25, 2024 10:10 am PDT by
Apple today released macOS Sonoma 14.4.1, a minor update for the macOS Sonoma operating system that launched last September. macOS Sonoma 14.4.1 comes three weeks after macOS Sonoma 14.4. The ‌‌‌‌macOS Sonoma‌‌ 14.4‌.1 update can be downloaded for free on all eligible Macs using the Software Update section of System Settings. There's also a macOS 13.6.6 release for those who...
Generic iOS 18 Feature Purple

iOS 18 Will Finally Bring This Android Feature to iPhone

Monday March 25, 2024 6:42 am PDT by
iOS 18 will allow iPhone users to place app icons anywhere on the Home Screen grid, according to sources familiar with development of the software update. This basic feature has long been available on Android smartphones. While app icons will likely remain locked to an invisible grid system on the Home Screen, our sources said that users will be able to arrange icons more freely on iOS 18....
maxresdefault

Apple Announces WWDC 2024 Event for June 10 to 14

Tuesday March 26, 2024 10:02 am PDT by
Apple today announced that its 35th annual Worldwide Developers Conference is set to take place from Monday, June 10 to Friday, June 14. As with WWDC events since 2020, WWDC 2024 will be an online event that is open to all developers at no cost. Subscribe to the MacRumors YouTube channel for more videos. WWDC 2024 will include online sessions and labs so that developers can learn about new...
apple maps 3d feature

Apple Maps May Gain Custom Routes With iOS 18

Tuesday March 26, 2024 3:10 pm PDT by
Apple may be planning to add support for "custom routes" in Apple Maps in iOS 18, according to code reviewed by MacRumors. Apple Maps does not currently offer a way to input self-selected routes, with Maps users limited to Apple's pre-selected options, but that may change in iOS 18. Apple has pushed an iOS 18 file to its maps backend labeled "CustomRouteCreation." While not much is revealed...
iphone reasons to upgrade

Apple Outlines 'Reasons to Upgrade' Your iPhone on New Website

Monday March 25, 2024 12:53 pm PDT by
Apple today added a "Why Upgrade" section to its website, which is aimed at encouraging customers with older iPhones to upgrade to a newer model. The website allows customers to compare the iPhone 11, 11 Pro, 11 Pro Max, 12, 12 mini, 12 Pro, and 12 Pro Max to the iPhone 15, iPhone 15 Plus, iPhone 15 Pro, or iPhone 15 Pro Max. Each comparison shows what new features someone with an older...