What a widget is and where it lives on your phone
A widget is a small app window that shows you information or lets you do a quick task without opening the full app. On your iPhone, widgets live on your home screen — the main page you see when you unlock your phone — or on a separate "lock screen" that appears before you unlock it. A weather widget might show today's temperature and forecast. A notes widget might let you jot down a quick reminder. A calendar widget displays your next few events.
Widgets are different from app icons. An app icon opens the whole app when you tap it. A widget shows live information or a shortcut right there on your screen, and you can interact with some of them without leaving your home screen at all.
Not every app has a widget. Some apps — like Maps, Reminders, and Weather — come with widgets built in. Other apps you read may or may not offer one. You can check whether an app has a widget by trying to add it, which we'll cover in the next section.
Key Takeaways
- Widgets are small windows that show app information or let you perform quick tasks directly from your home screen without opening the full app.
- You add a widget by long-pressing an empty area of your home screen, tapping the plus button, finding the app, and selecting the widget size you want.
- Lock screen widgets are smaller and appear on the screen you see before you unlock your phone; home screen widgets are larger and sit on your main pages.
- You can remove a widget by long-pressing it and tapping "Remove Widget," and you can move it by dragging it to a new location.
Adding a widget to your home screen
Start by unlocking your iPhone and going to your home screen — the page with your app icons. Find an empty spot where you want the widget to appear. Long-press (hold your finger down) on that empty area for about a second until a menu appears at the bottom of the screen.
Tap the plus button (it looks like a + in a circle) in the bottom left corner. Your phone will show you a list of apps that have widgets available. Scroll down to find the app whose widget you want — for example, "Weather" or "Reminders." Tap the app name.
Your phone will now show you the different widget sizes that app offers. Some apps have one size; others have two or three. Tap the size you want. The widget will appear on your home screen in the spot where you long-pressed. If you don't like where it landed, you can drag it to a different location by long-pressing it and moving your finger.
Adding a widget to your lock screen
Lock screen widgets are smaller and appear on the screen you see before you unlock your phone. They're useful for information you want to check without fully unlocking your phone — like the current time, weather, or your next calendar event.
To add one, long-press your lock screen (the screen that appears when your phone is locked or when you're on the home screen and swipe up from the very bottom). A menu will appear. Tap "Customize" at the bottom. Your phone will show you a list of apps with lock screen widgets. Tap the app you want, choose the widget style, and tap "Add." The widget will appear on your lock screen.
Lock screen widgets are much smaller than home screen widgets because there's less space. Some apps offer multiple lock screen widget styles — for example, a weather widget might show just the temperature in one style and the temperature plus the forecast in another.
Moving and removing widgets
To move a widget on your home screen, long-press it until a menu appears. You'll see options including "Edit Widget" and "Remove Widget." Tap and hold the widget itself (not the menu), then drag it to a new location. Release your finger to drop it in place.
To remove a widget, long-press it and tap "Remove Widget" from the menu. The widget disappears, but the app stays on your phone — you're just removing the widget window, not the app itself.
You can also edit some widgets to change what they show. Long-press the widget and tap "Edit Widget." Not all widgets have editable settings, but common ones do — for example, a Notes widget might let you choose which note it displays, or a Calendar widget might let you show just your work calendar instead of all your calendars.
Widgets that come built in versus ones you read
Your iPhone comes with widgets for Apple's own apps: Weather, Calendar, Reminders, Clock, Stocks, Maps, News, and others. These are always available to add, even if you've never opened the app.
Apps you read from the App Store may or may not have widgets. Popular apps like Spotify, Gmail, and Slack offer widgets. Smaller or older apps might not. The only way to know is to try adding a widget from that app — if it doesn't appear in your widget list, the app doesn't have one.
If an app you use frequently doesn't have a widget, you can still use the app's icon to open it normally. Some app developers add widgets in later updates, so it's worth checking back occasionally if you're waiting for a widget from a specific app.
Troubleshooting widgets that don't work
If a widget shows outdated information or stops responding, the quickest fix is to remove it and add it again. Long-press the widget, tap "Remove Widget," then follow the steps above to add it fresh.
If a widget keeps showing an error or blank space, make sure the app is up to date. Open the App Store, tap your profile picture in the top right, scroll down to "Available Updates," and update any apps that need it. Then try adding the widget again.
Some widgets need permission to access your location, calendar, or other information. If a widget isn't working, long-press it and tap "Edit Widget" to see if there are permission settings you need to turn on. You can also check permissions in Settings: go to Settings, tap Privacy, and look for the app name to see what access it has.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I have multiple widgets from the same app?
Yes. You can add the same widget twice in different sizes, or add different widgets from the same app if the app offers more than one. For example, you could add a small weather widget and a large weather widget on the same home screen.
Do widgets use a lot of battery?
Widgets use very little battery because they update information in the background rather than running constantly. A weather widget, for example, checks the weather every few minutes but doesn't drain your battery noticeably. Widgets that update frequently — like a stock ticker — use slightly more power than static ones, but the difference is minimal.
What's the difference between a home screen widget and a lock screen widget?
Home screen widgets are larger and sit on your main app pages. Lock screen widgets are smaller and appear on the screen you see before you unlock your phone. Lock screen widgets are designed for quick information checks without unlocking, while home screen widgets can be more detailed and interactive.
Can I resize a widget after I add it?
Not directly. You remove the widget and add it again, then choose a different size from the available options. Some apps offer two or three size choices; others offer only one. If the size you want isn't available, that app doesn't support it.
Why does a widget show "No Data" or a blank screen?
This usually means the app hasn't loaded information yet, the app needs permission to access something (like your location), or the app is out of date. Try removing and re-adding the widget, updating the app, or checking the app's permission settings in Settings > Privacy.