Apple Supposedly Considering Interactive Widgets for iOS 17

Earlier today, an anonymous source who shared accurate information in the past revealed potential new features coming to the iPhone with iOS 17, including improvements to Search, the Dynamic Island, Control Center, and more. In addition, the source indicated that Apple is internally testing interactive widgets for the Home Screen and Today View, but they are unclear if this feature will make the final cut.

iOS 17 Widgets
"Active widgets are in testing, but not confirmed by any means," the source said in a tweet. If made available to the public, the source said the interactive widgets would include one-tap buttons, sliders, and other dynamic content. The source shared additional alleged details about iOS 17 in a MacRumors Forums post.

Introduced with iOS 14, Home Screen widgets currently offer very limited functionality, as noted in Apple's developer documentation. "Widgets present read-only information and don’t support interactive elements such as scrolling elements or switches," says Apple. These limitations could be related to battery life considerations.

Last year, the same source leaked accurate details about the Dynamic Island on the iPhone 14 Pro before the device was announced. However, given the source has yet to establish a long-term track record with Apple rumors, it remains to be seen if all of the latest details they have shared prove to be accurate this time around.

Apple is expected to announce iOS 17 during the WWDC 2023 keynote on June 5, and as usual, the first beta version should be made available to developers for testing later that day. The first public beta will likely be released in July.

Related Forums: iOS 17, iPadOS 17

Popular Stories

Apple Shopping Event 2025

Apple Announces 2025 Black Friday Event, Here's What You Can Get

Thursday November 20, 2025 6:28 am PST by
Apple's annual four-day Black Friday through Cyber Monday shopping event is returning on Friday, November 28 through Monday, December 1 in many countries, including the United States, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, France, Germany, Italy, Spain, the United Kingdom, Belgium, the Netherlands, Sweden, Thailand, and others. During the shopping event, customers can get an Apple gift card with...
iOS 26

iOS 26.2 Adds These New Features to Your iPhone

Thursday November 20, 2025 10:50 am PST by
iOS 26.2 is currently in beta testing. The upcoming update includes a handful of new features and changes on the iPhone, including a new Liquid Glass slider for the Lock Screen's clock, offline lyrics for Apple Music, and more. In a recent press release, Apple confirmed that iOS 26.2 will be released to all users in December, but it did not provide a specific release date. Keep reading...
hikawa phone grip stand apple%402x

Apple Launches Second Limited-Edition iPhone Accessory in a Month

Friday November 21, 2025 3:53 am PST by
Apple has begun selling the Hikawa Phone Grip and Stand, a new limited-edition iPhone accessory designed with accessibility in mind. Designed by LA-based Bailey Hikawa to celebrate the 40th anniversary of accessibility at Apple, the grip uses magnets to securely snap onto any iPhone with MagSafe. Apple says it can be removed with ease, and doubles as a stand with two different viewing...
iPhone 17 Pro Cosmic Orange

10 Reasons to Wait for Next Year's iPhone 18 Pro

Wednesday November 19, 2025 4:00 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 at the same time, which is why we often get rumored features months ahead of launch. The iPhone 18 series is no different, and we already have a good idea of what to expect for the iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max. One thing worth...
ipad black friday 2025

The Best Early Black Friday iPad Deals

Thursday November 20, 2025 10:20 am PST by
Black Friday is just over a week away, and iPad deals have finally started to flood in at retailers like Amazon and Best Buy. Below we're tracking discounts on every current generation iPad, including lowest-ever prices on M3 iPad Air and M5 iPad Pro, plus steep markdowns on iPad and iPad mini. Note: MacRumors is an affiliate partner with some of these vendors. When you click a link and make a ...
ipad mini 7 feature red and blue

iPad Mini 8: Four Major New Features to Expect

Wednesday November 19, 2025 7:50 am PST by
Apple's eighth-generation iPad mini is highly likely to arrive next year, offering a significant refresh of the device with at least four major new features. OLED Display The next-generation version of the iPad mini could feature an OLED display, as part of Apple's plan to expand the display technology across many more of its devices. Apple's first OLED device was the Apple Watch in 2015, ...
watchos 26 workout app

Apple Watch Users Claim Workout App Is Now Worse in Every Way

Thursday November 20, 2025 7:01 am PST by
Apple Watch owners have been voicing their frustration online over changes to the Workout app that Apple introduced in watchOS 26, with many finding the redesigned interface makes starting exercises difficult and exasperating. When Apple launched watchOS 26 in September, the Workout app went from large, easily tapped workout tiles to a scrolling, corner-button interface. Instead of tapping a ...
apple wallet drivers license feature iPhone 15 pro

Two More U.S. States Commit to Offering iPhone Driver's Licenses in Apple Wallet App

Thursday November 20, 2025 8:21 am PST by
In select U.S. states, residents can add their driver's license or state ID to the Apple Wallet app on the iPhone and Apple Watch, and then use it to display proof of identity or age at select airports and businesses, and in select apps. Earlier this week, Illinois became the 13th state in the U.S. to offer the feature. Subsequently, we shared a list of additional states that are committed...
android iphone airdrop quickshare

iPhone Users Can Now AirDrop Files to Android Devices

Thursday November 20, 2025 9:47 am PST by
Google today announced a new cross-platform feature that allows for file sharing between iPhone and Android users. With AirDrop on the iPhone and QuickShare on Pixel 10 devices, there is a new file transfer function available. The file sharing option works on Apple devices that include iPhone, iPad, and Mac, along with the Pixel 10, Pixel 10 Pro, Pixel 10 Pro XL, and Pixel 10 Fold....

Top Rated Comments

tgwaste Avatar
34 months ago
Man I wish they would just finally let us adjust the grid size.
Score: 10 Votes (Like | Disagree)
RaceLover Avatar
34 months ago
Wish they'd let us arrange icons wherever !
Score: 10 Votes (Like | Disagree)
eicca Avatar
34 months ago
It would only be about eight years too late...
Score: 10 Votes (Like | Disagree)
CarAnalogy Avatar
34 months ago

Man I wish they would just finally let us adjust the grid size.
And just let me leave an icon where I put it instead of forcing me to play a sudoku puzzle to arrange my icons how I want them.
Score: 8 Votes (Like | Disagree)
redbeard331 Avatar
34 months ago
It’s about time, remember, the widgets used to be interactive, so this would just be returning functionality that we lost once you could put them on the Homescreen.
Score: 7 Votes (Like | Disagree)
t0rqx Avatar
34 months ago
Probably need the new 3nm A17 chipset for the interactive widgets to work on your iPhone.
Score: 6 Votes (Like | Disagree)