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How to use the new iOS 14 widgets

By Iskra Petrova

Published: Sep 18, 2020, 5:58 AM

16comments

We’ve all been eagerly waiting for the new home screen widgets in the official version of iOS 14 and now they’re here to all supported iPhones! You might be wondering what you can do with this great and functional addition to your iPhone, so read on to see what you can do with the new widgets and how to use them in iOS 14.

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The new home screen widgets in iOS 14

Home screen widgets are now available with iOS 14 update

Okay, let’s start at the beginning, shall we? Swiping in the left of your home screen, you’re greeted with suggestions for the updated widgets in iOS 14, that show you at a glance the information you need. They come in three sizes: a square one, a rectangular one, and for some apps, a slightly larger square is available as well. Of course, not all apps have widgets, but more and more will start offering them as developers update their apps to benefit from the new iOS 14 features.

Adding and removing widgets in iOS 14

In order to do that, you have to get into edit mode. With a long press on any empty space on your iPhone home screen and then tapping the "+" sign gives you the possibility to look around and check out what is available, both for Apple apps and for third-party apps.

How to add a new home screen widget in iOS 14:

Tap and hold (long-press) on any empty space on your home screen (you can also long-press on an app icon and select “Edit home screen")
In the right-hand corner of your screen, tap on the “+”
You will see a list of all the available widgets in iOS 14
Scroll through the list or just search an app to see if it has a widget
Pick a widget, swiping right gives you different size options
After that, tap on “Add Widget”
Drag it around to best situate it on your home screen

Here’s how to remove a home screen widget in iOS 14:

Tap and hold (long-press) on the widget you want to remove
You have a red sign “Remove Widget”
You can also do that from “Edit Home Screen”: just click on the minus sign in the left-hand corner of the widget

Moving the new iOS 14 widgets

You can move these new widgets wherever you want on your home screen to better organize the look and feel of your iPhone.

Here’s how to move the new iOS 14 widgets:

Tap and hold the widget you want to move
Drag it wherever you want and position it the way you like it

Smart Stack widgets in iOS 14

A cool new feature of iOS 14 is the Smart Stack widget feature. The widgets in the Smart Stack will change turns automatically to show you the most relevant information throughout the day. You can also easily flip through them yourself as well.

Here’s how to add a Smart Stack widget:

Long-press on any empty space on your home screen
Tap the “+” in the right-hand corner of your screen
Scroll down until you reach Smart Stack
Tap on it and then tap on “Add Widget”
You can now move it around your screen

You can also create your own Smart Stack widget by piling up to 10 widgets of the same size on top of each other. Additionally, you can remove widgets from the Stack by long-pressing it and selecting "Edit Stack".

Tell us in the comments below which are your favorite widgets in the new iOS 14!

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Izzy, a tech enthusiast and a key part of the PhoneArena team, specializes in delivering the latest mobile tech news and finding the best tech deals. Her interests extend to cybersecurity, phone design innovations, and camera capabilities. Outside her professional life, Izzy, a literature master's degree holder, enjoys reading, painting, and learning languages. She's also a personal growth advocate, believing in the power of experience and gratitude. Whether it's walking her Chihuahua or singing her heart out, Izzy embraces life with passion and curiosity.