How to Add Widgets to the iPhone Home Screen
While widgets still live in the Today View screen that can be accessed by swiping right on the Home screen and the lock screen, you can now add widgets to the Home screen as well. These widgets need to be designed specifically for iOS 14 or newer, and they behave differently from the widgets you’re used to.
RELATED: How iPhone Home Screen Widgets Work in iOS 14
They are built using a new WidgetKit framework, which gives them a new polished design. But it does limit the interaction. The new widgets introduced in iOS 14 are designed for glancing instead of interacting.
Apple has also created a new process for adding widgets, right from the Home screen.
To get started, press and hold any empty part of your iPhone’s Home screen to enter the editing mode. Tap the “+” icon in the top-left corner of the screen.
You’ll now see a widget picker card slide up from the bottom. Here, you’ll find featured widgets at the top. You can scroll down to see a list of all the apps with supported widgets. From the top of the list, you can also search for a specific app widget.
Select an app to see all available widgets.
Swipe left or right to see all available sizes and versions of the widget. You’ll usually find small-, medium-, and large-size widgets.
Tap the “Add Widget” button to instantly add the widget to the page you’re currently viewing on your iPhone.
You can also tap and hold the widget preview to pick it up. Then, you’ll be able to drag the widget to any page (or part of a page) that you want. Other icons and widgets will move automatically to make space for the new widget.
Tap the “Done” button to exit the Home screen editing mode.
You can also create a Widget Stack with multiple widgets. Just drag and drop one widget on top of another (just like you do with apps to create a folder). You can then flip through them.
How to Customize Widgets on the iPhone Home Screen
One of the features of the widgets in iOS 14 and beyond is that they are customizable. To do this, all you have to do is press and hold a widget and select the “Edit Widget” option.
If you’re already in the Home screen editing mode, select a widget to see the options.
The widget will turn around, and you’ll see all available options. These options are different depending on the widget. For example, for the Reminders widget, you’ll see an option to switch to a different list.
Once you’re done customizing the widget, simply swipe up from the Home screen or tap in the area outside the widget to go back.
How to Remove Widgets on the iPhone Home Screen
With the redesign, you can remove widgets right from the Home screen. There’s no need to scroll to the bottom of the Today View screen.
Tap and hold on a widget to reveal the options. Here, select the “Remove Widget” button.
If you’re in the Home screen editing mode, tap the “-” icon from the top-left corner of a widget.
From there, choose the “Remove” option to delete the widget from your Home screen.
There’s a lot more to the Home screen changes than the new widgets. Here’s how iOS 14 transforms your iPhone Home screen.
RELATED: How iOS 14 Is About to Transform Your iPhone’s Home Screen
