How to Create and Add Widgets on an iPhone

Jul 21, 2021

1 minute

When Apple launched iOS 14, they released widgets as a new, convenient feature. What's lovely about widgets is that they simplify iPhone user's app usage, particularly with their favorite or most-used apps. Apple stated their goal was to provide iPhone users, and iOS users overall, an opportunity to view basic information from their most-used apps "at a glance."

This is extremely helpful when considering apps like the Weather app, the Calendar app, the Clock app, and other productivity applications. Being able to simply bring up your home screen and being able to see the temperature outside, the date and relevant events, and the time is incredibly intuitive and convenient.

This guide will show you how to create and use widgets on your iPhone, or other iOS and iPadOS products, home screen so that you can make your device use even more convenient.

Note: Once thing to consider about widgets is that they can contribute to daily battery life. These steps can be done on iOS and iPadOS products. iOS 14 or later is required since widgets didn't exist until iOS 14. These steps were done with iOS 14.6 and may change or vary slightly depending on your software version.

iPhone 11 (256GB + Green)

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Navigate to your home screen. Once there, press and hold the screen until the apps begin to jiggle and your home screen is able to be edited.

A plus sign "+" will appear in the upper left-hand corner. Click the plus sign to bring up the widgets and widget options.

Here, you will notice various widgets. You can scroll down to view all the widgets available to you, or you can type in an app name or type in the "search widgets" search bar to find the widget you want to add. There are tons of widgets from which to choose.

As time passes, more and more widgets are becoming available by third-party developers as well. The options available to you will be based on your iOS version, the built-in apps you have currently installed, and the third-party apps you have currently installed. Not all third-party apps have corresponding widgets.

Once you have found the widget you want, give it a click.

After selecting the widget you want, you will have various widget sizes to select from. Scroll left to right to find the widget size that you prefer. Once you find the widget size you like best, move to the next step.

Click "add widget" at the bottom of the screen.

You will be redirected to your home screen. Here, you will be able to see your new widget. You can drag and drop this widget wherever you prefer on your home screen just like you would if you were moving an app. Your apps will adjust as you drag and drop the widget.

When your widget is in place, click "done." That's it! You have a widget now, and you can use it every time you go to your homescreen!

As you can see, I can view the basics of the Calendar app right from my home screen without opening the app. Pretty convenient, right? Of course, if you don't love the widget, or never use it, you can move to the next step to remove the widget from your home screen.

If you decide to remove a widget, you will try the following steps:

Press and hold the home screen until the apps begin to shake.
Click the minus sign "-" in the upper left-hand corner of the widget.
Click "done" in the upper right-hand corner.

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How to Create and Add Widgets on an iPhone

Press and Hold

Click the Plus Sign

Choose a Widget

Swipe to Find Your Widget Size

Click Add Widget

Move Your Widget

Select "Done"

Remove Your Widget