iPhone widgets to use
If you want to keep track of important information from your iPhone's lock screen, select Today View Widgets. And if you want to make your home screen more interactive, home screen widgets are for you.
Launcher is one of the most customizable and powerful widgets you can get for your iPhone. Yes, you read that right. The widget app is fully customizable and lets you quickly launch your favorite apps.
What's more, you can also set it up for calls, messages, emails, and even to start FaceTime video calls. Not only that, you can also use it to quickly access your favorite websites.
Notably, if you often listen to music on your iPhone with some of the best music apps , the widget app lets you play your favorite music with your preferred music app using music launchers, and even change app icons, labels, and stack widgets.
Keep in mind that only the premium version of Launcher can let you unlock all the goodies.
All things considered, this is one of the most useful iPhone widgets right now.
Install: ( Free in-app purchases)
2. Widgetsmith
With a solid collection of widgets, Widgetsmith is one of the all-time favorite iPhone home screen widgets. Since the widgets are fully customizable, you can customize them according to your preference.
For example, you can dynamically schedule your custom widgets to display weather information in the morning, a calendar during the workday, and a super handy activity ring (requires Apple Watch) in the evening.
Keep in mind that if you want to unlock all the cool features like tide and weather data access in this feature rich iOS home screen widget app, you'll need to upgrade to the premium widget app.
Installation: (Free, $ 1.99 per month)
3. Photo widget: simple
While the Apple Photos app widget is quite useful, it doesn't offer much customization. The stock photography widget app collects featured images on its own, which can be annoying at times, especially if you don't want those images to appear on your home screen.
Of course, you can remove images from featured images in the stock photos widget , but it's annoying anyway. And this is where a rather nice third-party photo widget for iPhone comes into play. Using Photo Widget: Simple, you can create an album of images and set the desired refresh interval.
T ak that they will automatically be held. And if you ever want to hide specific ones, you can do so without worry. With these important features in mind, Photo Widget: Simple deserves to be ranked as one of the best free iOS home screen widgets.
Install: ( Free )
4. Smart Stack
There's a lot to like about Smart Stack. Probably the best thing about this is the ability to display information depending on how you use your iPhone . For example, the widget will display podcasts when you like to follow your podcasts, and show reminders when you prefer to check what's lined up for you.
Interestingly, it is a combination of several app widgets including photos, music, reminders, weather, calendar. Oh yes, it also includes Siri Suggestions . You can scroll through the widgets to see important information right from the home screen.
Depending on your needs, you can even customize the Smart Stack to suit your needs. For example, you can change the order of widgets and even remove unnecessary ones.
Supplied pre-installed
5. Apollo for Reddit
Widely recognized as the best Reddit app , Apollo is designed for people who want to keep track of their subreddits as easily as possible. Apollo iPhone home screen widget features a simple and lightweight design. Interestingly, it comes in several different sizes and designs to better suit your needs.
I found the "Post Grid Widget" quite impressive as it displays multiple posts in a grid from a feed of your choice. If you love following trending subreddit images, Apollo Wallpaper Widget should win you over right away.
Installation: ( Free , $ 0.99 / month for the premium version)
6. ScreenKit
ScreenKit is more than just a widget app. If you're looking for a complete iPhone home screen customization app, be sure to give it a try.
With over 5,000 beautifully designed icons, over 500 stunning themes and widgets, the app can let you create your iPhone home screen to your liking . Widgets are available in several different categories, including clock, countdown, battery, date, calendar, and more.
So, you have the option to decorate your home screen with a variety of widgets. Moreover, it also has a handy icon changer to create custom app icons for your iOS device .
Installation: ( Free , $ 2.49 for ScreenKit + with VIP)
7. Weather
Another very useful widget that I've always liked is the weather widget, which quickly shows me the current weather information.
Yes, you no longer have to dig into the weather app just to keep track of important weather information like temperature or air quality index.
And if you have an iPad and don't use third-party iPad weather apps , a weather widget is the best way to access weather information.
However, while the built-in weather widget is more than capable of meeting the challenge, third-party weather apps for the iPhone like Carrot Weather ( $ 4.99 ) and Hey Weather ( free ) are more user-friendly. In addition, they also provide more customization options so that you can choose the pop-up information you want.
Supplied pre-installed
8. Soor Music Player
Soor is an elegant app and reliable music player for iPhone designed to enhance your Apple Music listening experience . The app is integrated with Apple's music streaming service so you can play, add and publish songs from a huge library of over 75 million songs.
As for the user interface, it is completely customizable, so you can customize it to your liking. Moreover, you also have light, dark and black themes to customize the interface according to your preferences.
As for the Soor music player widgets, they are bright. You can use widgets to easily keep track of your top playlists, recently played tracks, and your favorite artists. Although the Soor music player is quite expensive at $ 7, it has features to match the high price tag.
Install: ( $ 6.99 )
9. Batteries
Simply put, Batteries is one of the best iPhone widgets that makes it pretty easy to keep track of iPhone battery life as well as connected Bluetooth devices such as AirPods or AirPods 2 .
So, if you want to track your devices' battery life right from the widget panel , you shouldn't miss this. What's more, it's pre-installed so you don't need to install any third-party app or even spend money to get started.
Supplied pre-installed
10. Advanced battery widget and usage monitor
Just in case, if you want to keep track of important information like battery, memory, screen brightness, memory and storage , you should use the battery widget and usage monitor. The widget is fully customizable and makes it easy to track hardware information.
In addition, you can also use this widget to track network information such as Wi-Fi network and cellular data connection status.
The developer promised that analytical data and information about the operating system will soon appear. Please be aware that the free version of the widget is limited. And if you want to unlock all features, you will need to upgrade.
Install: ( Free in-app purchases)
11. Spark Mail
When it comes to efficiently handling a constantly loaded inbox, Spark Mail stands out as the best in the business.
Readdle email client is different in that it keeps your inbox cluttered so you can focus on the things that matter to you. With Spark, you can connect all your accounts and track emails right from one place.
If you like this popular email client, I'm sure you would love to try its handy widget. Notably, the widget comes in several different designs, so you can choose the perfect email tracking design right from your iPhone's home screen.
Install: ( Free )
12. Calendar and reminders
One of my favorite iOS widgets is the calendar widget as it allows me to quickly view my upcoming events .
Aside from the built-in iOS calendar app, most other good third-party calendar apps, including Fantastical ( free in-app purchases), BusyCal ( $ 4.99 ), and others, offer widgets.
If you want a simple calendar / reminder widget, a standard widget might be appropriate for the task. However, if you want more customization, third-party offerings are a good option.
Supplied pre-installed
13. Files
How about quick access to all recently opened files ? Well, if you want to have instant access to all recently used / open files, you shouldn't miss out on the standard file manager widget .
As someone who relies heavily on the standard file manager to manage files on iOS, I find this widget very useful. This saves a lot of time as the latest files are always at hand. And I'm sure you can find it just as useful as well.
Supplied pre-installed
14. Color widgets
For people who like to have a wide range of colorful and fully customizable widgets on their iOS home screen , color widgets seem to be the best choice.
The widget app comes with a variety of widget designs including analog clock, reminder, countdown, calendar, step count and more so you can choose the right one for your iPhone home screen.
To ensure you always have a choice of many attractive widgets, the app frequently updates the catalog with completely new widgets.
What's more, you can also create your own home screen widgets using your photos, fonts, and color scheme for a more personalized experience.
Installation: ( Free pro version starts at $ 1.99)
15. Fitness
Well, this one is for the fitness fanatic or anyone who puts health and fitness at the top of their priority list. And if you are one of them, save this iOS widget to keep track of your activity.
Since it's built in, you can expect it to work reliably on your iOS device showing your progress. This way, you don't have to dive into the Health app to figure out how well you are doing in the gym and how much more effort you need to put in to reach your goal.
Supplied pre-installed
16. Fantastic
Fantastical has long been a powerful calendar and task manager app. So, if you're looking for life outside of Apple's calendar app, it's worth giving it a try.
As far as the Fantastical widget is concerned, it is well thought out and works quite efficiently, allowing you to keep track of the things that are important to you.
What's more, it also provides an advanced 10-day weather forecast to help you keep track of the weather and plan your trip wisely so you don't get caught in bad weather.
Fantastical also offers some impressive widget designs, so you can choose the one that suits your taste. Depending on your needs, you can choose an event list + calendar widget, an event list + date widget, or choose a fairly compact quick action widget for a minimalistic look.
Installation : (Free, premium version starts at $ 4.99 / month)
17. Google News
Do you like to keep abreast of the latest events to keep abreast of everything that matters to you? If so, why not add one of the best news apps on iPhone to Today View to keep track of all the latest news as easily as possible .
With a diverse set of reputable publishers , it's a platform of sorts where you can read stories on a variety of topics including technology, politics, sports, entertainment, business, and more. What's more, it is available for free and supports multiple languages.
Install: ( Free )
18. Find my widget
Find My app is really helpful. You get location updates from people in Find My , and you can use it to keep track of your items.
Unfortunately, Find My didn't have a home screen widget in iOS 14. However, now that Apple sells AirTags, the Find My app is getting its own widget as well.
With the Find My Widget, you can track your locations, as well as the people who share their location with you, right from your iPhone's home screen.
The widget is available in two sizes and types. You can use the Find My People widget to keep track of people who share their location with you, or you can use the Find My Items widget to track your AirTags and other compatible third-party item trackers. Both of these widgets are available in 2x2 and 2x4 sizes.
Supplied pre-installed
19. WhatsApp
Since most of us use WhatsApp as our default messaging app to keep in touch with friends and family, I thought it would be a good idea to mention its widget. What I really like about the WhatsApp widget for iPhone is that it provides quick access to my favorite contacts .
So, just in case you often have to chat with certain people, you can use the widget to immerse yourself in the conversation right from your device's lock screen.
To get started, all you have to do is go to the widget library (swipe right to access the widget panel -> Edit button at the bottom -> Customize . Then click the + button to the left of the WhatsApp widget.) and add it.
Install: ( Free )
20. Labels
You probably know that on the iPhone, you can launch applications with a back tap. Also, with the Shortcuts app, you can download Instagram videos or post tweets. If you do this, chances are very high that you would like to have a Shortcuts widget.
With the Shortcuts widget, you can launch your favorite shortcut with one touch and even quickly access the Shortcuts folder . This is much better than using the regular route to add launch shortcuts or access some of the more common hacks. So don't forget to add it to your dedicated collection of useful iPhone widgets.
Supplied pre-installed
21. Notes widget
One of my favorite widgets is the sticky notes widget as it makes it easy to keep track of important notes. If you also like the idea of keeping track of your notes quickly , Sticky Widgets is for you.
With this widget, you can show stickers right on your device's home screen and even edit them whenever you want. It is quite lightweight and works as expected . More importantly, you don't need to spend money to write down the stickers.
Install: ( Free )
22. Screen Time
Ever wanted to track your screen time information a little faster, or for that matter, without having to dive into the Settings app on your iPhone? If yes, then the Screen Time widget is for you.
With the Screen Time widget, you can immediately follow the usage of your device. The standard widget shows device usage very well. Plus, it also comes in several sizes, so you can choose your preferred size depending on how much information you want to track.
Supplied pre-installed
23. Smart battery widget
While there is no shortage of useful iPhone battery widgets, Smart Battery Widget seemed more appealing to me. Besides the attractive design, this widget has a unique way to inform you how much juice is left in your iPhone's tank.
The widget offers four different real-time estimates such as talk time, game time, video playback, and audio playback .
As such, it becomes quite easy for you to figure out how long you can use your iPhone for a specific task like watching some of the best Netflix movies or playing your favorite iPhone multiplayer game .
In addition, it also provides estimates for device storage so that you can easily know about storage consumption.
Install: ( Free )
24. Contacts widget
One of the things I was missing about widgets on iOS 14 is the ability to call people right from the home screen. Well, in iOS 15, Apple added a Contacts widget that might help fix this problem.
Using the Contacts widget (available in 2 × 2, 2 × 4, and 4 × 4 formats), you can customize the contacts you want to display on your home screen. You can then simply tap on any contact to see their information, including the messages they sent you , their photos in your gallery, and other information. Plus, you have handy shortcuts to call them or FaceTime with them.
Supplied pre-installed
25. Shazam
If you love music, you need this widget. The Shazam widget does a very simple job. It allows you to identify the music playing in the background with one touch. Perfect for when you come across an unknown song and want to know more about it.
Plus, Apple has also integrated Shazam with iOS so you can quickly recognize songs right from your device's Control Center. If you want to try this brand new iOS feature, skip to this how-to guide .
Install: ( Free in-app purchases)
26. Copied Touch
Copied Touch is a great app that keeps your clipboard history so you never miss what you copied. The application allows you to sequentially copy several elements, while the last copied element does not overwrite the last. Its widget gives you quick access to the last couple of copied elements, so you can easily paste them wherever you want.
It's also a great place to store quickly copied notes without pasting them anywhere. I use copying on my iPhone almost daily, and its widget is something I can't live without.
Install: ( $ 0.99 )
27. Siri Suggestions
Siri offers several apps for you to launch with ease, depending on your use . For me, they work like a handy launcher for your favorite apps.
If you find Siri suggested apps user-friendly, you will appreciate the Siri Suggestions widget. Like other widgets, it also comes in a variety of sizes. I would advise you to choose a larger size if you want to have quick access to more applications.
Supplied pre-installed
28. Checkers.
Drafts is my favorite note-taking app in the iOS App Store, and I love the quick widgets that come with it. What I like most about Drafts is that it allows me to quickly jot down notes. Whether I want to quickly jot down written notes, paste something I've copied, or record a voice memo, the Drafts widget gives me quick access to all of these actions.
If you're a paid subscriber, Drafts allows you to use even more types of widgets that are specially designed to help you jump to your notes quickly. Even if you don't use Drafts, check if your note-taking app has a widget or not.
Notably, most of the popular note-taking apps, including Apple Notes, Evernote ( free ), and others, come with some pretty useful widgets.
Install: ( Free in-app purchases)
29. ESPN
This is for all sports lovers. The ESPN widget allows users to follow the standings of their favorite teams and follow their current matches in real time. I love the ESPN app and follow all of my favorite sports teams on it.
The widget is great as it allows me to take a quick look and see how my favorite teams are doing. Even if you don't use ESPN, chances are that your favorite sports app has a widget that you can use to track teams.
Install: ( Free in-app purchases)
30. Recommended Chrome Sites
Every time you want to access some of the coolest and most interesting sites on the Internet, you don't have to take the usual routes. You guessed! With the Recommended Sites iOS widget for Chrome out-of-the-box, you can quickly access some of the sites you visit frequently right from the Today View.
The web browser keeps a record of your browsing history and offers relevant suggestions, thereby making it incredibly easy to access certain sites. Considering how handy this widget is, I wouldn't be surprised if you lock it in your special collection of cool iOS widgets for iPhone and iPad.
Install: ( Free )
31. Game Center
The coronavirus pandemic has caused many changes in the way we communicate, and playing online with friends online is one of the few ways to relax and interact, albeit virtually, with friends. If you're using Apple Game Center to play with friends and track your trophies and more, the new Game Center widget might come in handy.
With this widget, you can continue to play the games you recently played. Or you can find out what games your friends are playing on their iPhones and start playing those games.
Supplied pre-installed
32. DataMan - data usage widget
If you can't keep track of your data usage over a limited bandwidth, it can often suddenly run out of steam - well before the deadline. While there are a number of data tracking applications, not all of them make it easy to track data consumption . But don't worry, DataMan has a role to play here.
The Data Usage Widget makes tracking data consumption on iOS a breeze. And that's right from your iPhone's home screen, too. So, the next time you want to check how much data is left in the tank before you start a long video streaming session or go to the advanced view, the home screen data usage widget will refresh you at a glance.
Moreover, the widget DataMan also sends a customized notification of use, to keep you informed about when you reach your data limit. If you are one of those with many useful iPhone shortcuts , the app also offers a Siri shortcut so you can get a forecast of data usage just by asking Siri.
Install: ( $ 0.99 )
33. Google Photos.
Without undermining Apple Photos, I would like to say that Google Photos remains the most popular photo and video storage platform across all platforms. So it's great to see Google Photos add Your Memories to iOS 15 home screen widgets.
With memory widgets, you can get a glimpse of recently selected snapshots and breathtaking moments. Notably, each widget shows the time a particular photo was taken, making you travel back in time in a delightful way.
To get a cool Your Memories widget from Google Photos, just tap and hold on a blank screen, tap the + button and select Google Photos . Then select the desired size and click the " Add Widget" button .
Install: ( Free )
34. Space above the head
Meditation is the best way to relieve stress and gain much needed peace of mind. And for that purpose, check out Headspace, one of the best meditation apps for iPhone.
The app has a growing library of guided meditations for everything from relaxing the mind to relieving stress to unlocking the secret to a happy life. So that you can find time to meditate even during a busy schedule, short sessions (1/3 minute) are provided here.
Interestingly, Headspace also offers soothing stories that you will enjoy listening to while you meditate. With Headspace widgets, you can get helpful tips and quickly start a calm meditation session.
Installation: ( Free , $ 12.99 / month for the premium version)
35. Google Assistant
Agree, Google Assistant does not work as efficiently on iOS as it does on Android due to the imposed restrictions.
That said, Google Virtual Assistant is still more than capable of challenging Siri, and there are many useful Google Assistant commands you can use.
By letting you check weather updates, keep track of the latest news, or tell jokes, a virtual assistant can do much more than you think.
So, if you want to get the most out of Google Assistant, be sure to add it to your lock screen. To use this useful iPhone widget, go to your lock screen widget library and add it.
Once it has been added to the widget panel, all you have to do to get into a conversation is simply press the tiny microphone button .
Install: ( Free )
36. Google Maps
Apple is great at doing many things. Unfortunately, Maps is not one of them. Google Maps is still much better than Apple Maps, especially if you live outside of the US. There are many useful Google Maps tricks. Plus, Google Maps gives you access to a number of useful widgets.
You can use a widget that shows the traffic in your area, or a widget that shows the time it takes to reach your destination, or any of the other three widgets.
I usually use the one that shows the travel time, as it helps me to leave on time. You can see all five widgets that Google Maps offers in the image below.
Install: ( Free )
37. widgetopia Widgets + Weather
Developed by the same team as WatchMaker (a great place to find personalized Apple Watch faces ), widgetopia probably has the largest collection of widgets .
With over 1000 widgets, the app ensures you have a wide variety of widgets to try out.
So, whether you want to prioritize the total number of steps or give the countdown more attention, or choose to sync with upcoming events by showing calendars / agenda , the app has everything you need.
What's more, widgetopia also comes with several design tools that you can use to create custom widgets for a personalized experience. Notably, it also has transparent widgets .
Install: ( Free )
38. Sleep widget
With iOS 15 and watchOS 8 , Apple Watch 's built-in sleep detection gets more powerful. You can now track your breathing rate while you sleep on your Apple Watch.
And if you want to keep an eye on your health with workout apps and more, the new sleep widget can be a useful addition.
As the name suggests, with this widget you can find out how much you slept last night. Alternatively, you can tap the widget to open the Sleep section in the Health app and view other metrics such as your breathing rate, blood oxygen levels, and more information about your sleep.
Supplied pre-installed
39. Mail application
It may not be the best email app, but the default Mail app on iPhone is pretty powerful and useful. And now it even has its own home screen widget, making it easier than ever to use.
With the Mail app widget, you can choose from two sizes (2x4, 4x4) and add them to your home screen. The widget can display your emails from the selected mailbox, and you can even tap on a specific email to open it directly in the Mail app. This is useful and takes a couple of steps from opening new emails in your mail app.
Supplied pre-installed
40. Spotify
Swedish music streaming giant Spotify (with over 365 million active users) remains one of the best music streaming apps out there . So, the recently released Spotify home screen widget for iOS is worth checking out.
Using the widget, you can access recently played playlists , artists, albums and podcasts right from your home screen. Hence, streaming recently played songs or your favorite podcasts would be pretty straightforward.
While the Spotify widget doesn't offer much customization at this time, I hope it adds some design tools for fun customization sooner rather than later.
Install: ( Free )
That concludes our list of the 40 best iOS widgets you can use to get the most out of your iPhone. I would recommend that you pick the top five widgets and stick with them as too many widgets goes against the goal of being simple and fast.
Check out the list and let us know your favorite iOS widgets by writing in the comment section below.
