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
60 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
60 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
60 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
60 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
60 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
60 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

iOS 18

iOS 18.4 Coming Next Week With These New Features for Your iPhone

Friday February 14, 2025 6:18 am PST by
The first iOS 18.4 beta for iPhones should be just around the corner, and the update is expected to include many new features and changes. Bloomberg's Mark Gurman expects the iOS 18.4 beta to be released by next week. Below, we outline what to expect from iOS 18.4 so far. Apple Intelligence for Siri Siri is expected to get several enhancements powered by Apple Intelligence on iOS...
iPhone 17 Roundup Feature 2

iPhone Design to Change 'Significantly' This Year

Monday February 17, 2025 7:09 am PST by
Apple is set to "significantly change" the iPhone's design language later this year, according to a Weibo leaker. In a new post, the user known "Digital Chat Station" said that the iPhone's design is "starting to change significantly" this year. The "iPhone 17 Air" reportedly features a "horizontal, bar-shaped" design on the rear, likely referring to an elongated camera bump. On the other...
Apple Maps 2024

Apple Maps Might Start Showing Ads

Sunday February 16, 2025 7:22 am PST by
Apple is "exploring" the idea of showing search ads in the Apple Maps app, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman. Back in 2022, Gurman said software engineering was "already underway" to display ads in the Apple Maps app, but Apple did not move forward with the idea at the time. Today, he said Apple is "giving this notion more thought" again. This time around, he said Apple has yet to...
apple launch feb 2025 alt

What to Expect From the 'Apple Launch' Next Week

Thursday February 13, 2025 11:48 am PST by
Apple has yet to announce any new devices this year, but that could change starting next week. Apple CEO Tim Cook today said to "get ready" for a "launch" on Wednesday, February 19. "Get ready to meet the newest member of the family," said Cook, in a social media post. The post includes an #AppleLaunch hashtag, along with a short video featuring an animated Apple logo inside of a circle....
m2 pro mac mini

Apple is Now Selling a Refurbished Mac Mini for Just $319 (!)

Saturday February 15, 2025 9:58 am PST by
A few days ago, we reported that Apple's refurbished Mac mini pricing had a problem, and it appears that Apple has taken note. Apple was offering a refurbished Mac mini with the M2 chip, 16GB of RAM, and 256GB of storage for $559, which was $50 more than a refurbished Mac mini with the M4 chip, 16GB of RAM, and 256GB of storage. All other key specifications were equal. That's no longer...
iPhone 17 Pro Render Front Page Tech

iPhone 17 Pro With All-New Camera Bar Design Allegedly Revealed

Thursday February 13, 2025 5:49 pm PST by
Apple's next-generation iPhone 17 Pro will feature three rear cameras arranged in a familiar triangular layout, but the cameras will be housed in an all-new rectangular camera bar with rounded corners, according to YouTube channel Front Page Tech. iPhone 17 Pro camera design render created by Asher for Front Page Tech In a video uploaded today, Front Page Tech host Jon Prosser said the camera ...
Tim Cook Apple Park

10+ Announcements Apple Could Have Rolled Into a February Event

Saturday February 15, 2025 8:00 am PST by
Apple appears to have enough upcoming product announcements to justify a full event this month, yet all signs indicate these reveals will be handled through a series of press releases instead. There are a multitude of rumors from reliable sources about specific announcements in the coming weeks, so here's everything that Apple could have feasibly included in a hypothetical February event: ...
iPhone SE 4 Thumb 1

Apple's Next iPhone SE Launching on Wednesday - Here's What We Know

Friday February 14, 2025 4:04 pm PST by
Apple CEO Tim Cook teased an Apple announcement that's coming on Wednesday, February 19, and it's looking like that mystery announcement will be the next-generation iPhone SE. We've been hearing about the iPhone SE 4 for quite some time now, and we essentially know everything to expect. If you want a sneak peek at what's coming, read on. Naming Apple first introduced the iPhone SE in...