Apple recently rolled out its latest iOS14. It comes with various features that improve the user experience and makes it more simplistic. There are a couple of new features like the App Library, the long-awaited picture-in-picture mode; the core operating system remains similar to previous versions. However, there is a lot of buzz about a particular feature – Home Screen Widgets.
What Are Widgets?
For those of you who have used Android devices in the past, you are already familiar with Widgets. Essentially, Widgets are in-display windows in your smartphone that present to you some information, do a task for you (give you weather updates or book a cab), or play your music – all from the home screen. In simpler words, they are shortcuts to the applications in your smartphone. The New iOS14 widgets would let you do it all.
Customise Your iPhone Like Never Before!
The new update gives iPhone users the power to customise their home screen with widgets. You can decide what widget you want on which screen, you can play around with their sizes, and even place them in the Today section. Although this feature has been in the Android ecosystem for a long time now, Apple users finally get it. It seems like Apple is learning some stuff from Android.
Just like you select wallpapers from the gallery, you would be able to choose a widget from the Widget Gallery. Out of the box, your iPhone would come with basic widgets like those of a clock, iTunes, Weather, Calendar, Battery, and Apple News.
Basically, these would be widgets of the system applications. With the addition of new applications as you use your iPhone, you would get the option to set up more widgets (if the application supports an iOS14 widget).
Smart Stack Is What Makes The New iOS14 Widgets Even More Useful
Another very intuitive add-on is the Smart Stack. Being Apple’s unique widget, it basically combines the iOS14 widgets you use the most into a single-window space on your screen. It is smart; it learns from the way you use your iPhone and includes widgets that would help you the most.
It stacks all the primary widgets in one place. Even cooler is the fact that these Smart Stack would keep on changing the widgets according to the time in a day.
It Is Very Simple To Add A Widget In iOS14
- Click and hold to any blank area on your home screen.
- All the applications would go in the “jiggle mode”, which means the home screen is ready for customisation.
- Click on the plus sign at the top left of your screen.
- There you go, you have all the available widgets in front of you. Select the one you want and select the size of the widget.
- That is all. Drag and drop the widget wherever you want to on your home screen. You are good to go.
Apart from the customisation iOS14 widgets, an App Library is what you would find at the rightmost home screen. It is like an app drawer that organises your applications based on their utilities and use. For instance, all your social media applications like Instagram, Facebook, Snapchat, and iMessage would appear in a single folder.
In addition, if you don’t want an application tile to show up on the primary home screen, you can hide it. It won’t appear on any of your primary, secondary, or tertiary home screens, but would still be there in the App Library.
Usually, Apple announces the latest version of iOS alongside the new iPhones. However, due to the ongoing pandemic and international politics, there is a delay in the release of the new iPhone lineup.
The event held on 16 September called “Time Flies” did launch the new iPads, Apple Watch 6 and SE, but there was no sign of the upcoming iPhone 12. If that upsets you, wait for the upcoming event that might happen anytime in October 2020!
>> Check out our summary of all iOS14 features
>> See the full list of hardware announced alongside iOS14 release at the Apple Time Flies event.
One of the Editors for Tech on the Go, I love covering mobile tech and social media. I also manage the reviews we cover so all the writers stay on my good side!
