Where to find and add widgets on macOS

On a Mac, widgets live in the Notification Center, which you open by clicking the date and time in the top-right corner of your screen. Once the Notification Center slides in from the right, scroll down to the bottom and click "Edit Widgets" (or the pencil icon, depending on your macOS version). From there, you can add widgets by clicking the plus sign next to any widget name, then choosing which size you want — small, medium, or large. The widget appears in your Notification Center when ready.

If you're running macOS Sonoma or newer, you can also add widgets directly to your desktop. Click and hold any empty space on your desktop, then select "Edit Widgets" from the menu that appears. This opens the same widget library, and you can add widgets that will sit on your desktop permanently rather than hidden in Notification Center. Desktop widgets update in real time and stay visible without you having to open anything.

Some apps come with their own widgets built in — Weather, Calendar, Reminders, Stocks, and News are pre-installed. Third-party apps like Slack, Spotify, or Fantastical may also offer widgets if their developers have built them. You'll only see widgets from apps you already have installed.

Key Takeaways

  • Widgets on Mac open through Notification Center (click the date and time in the top-right corner) or directly on your desktop if you're using macOS Sonoma or newer.
  • You add widgets by clicking the plus sign next to the widget name in the Edit Widgets menu, then selecting the size you want.
  • Desktop widgets update in real time and stay visible without opening an app, while Notification Center widgets only show when you open that panel.
  • Only widgets from apps you already have installed will appear in the widget library — you cannot add a widget for an app you haven't downloaded.

The difference between Notification Center widgets and desktop widgets

Notification Center widgets are hidden until you click the date and time in the top-right corner. They're useful for information you check occasionally — weather, calendar events, reminders, or news headlines. Because they're not always visible, they don't consume screen space or processing power when you're working on something else.

Desktop widgets (macOS Sonoma and later) sit on your desktop and update constantly. A weather widget shows the current temperature without you opening anything. A calendar widget displays your next meeting. A Stocks widget refreshes throughout the day. The trade-off is that desktop widgets use more battery power and memory because they're always running, even if you're not looking at them. If you add many desktop widgets, you may notice your Mac runs slightly slower or your battery drains faster, especially on older machines.

For security and privacy, the difference matters too. A widget only shows information from the app it comes from — a Weather widget only accesses weather data, not your contacts or files. But the widget still needs permission to run, and some widgets (like news apps or stock tickers) connect to the internet to update. If you're concerned about what data leaves your Mac, check which widgets you actually use and remove the ones you don't.

Removing widgets you no longer want

To remove a widget from Notification Center, open the Notification Center, scroll to the widget you want to remove, and click the minus sign next to its name. The widget disappears when ready and stops taking up space in the panel.

To remove a desktop widget (macOS Sonoma and later), right-click or Control-click directly on the widget, then select "Remove Widget" from the menu. You can also click and hold the widget until a menu appears, then choose the remove option. The widget vanishes from your desktop right away.

Removing a widget does not uninstall the app — the app stays on your Mac. You can add the widget back anytime by going back to Edit Widgets and clicking the plus sign again. Removing widgets you don't use regularly frees up memory and battery life, especially if those widgets were updating frequently in the background.

Organizing and resizing widgets

In Notification Center, you can reorder widgets by dragging them up or down while in Edit Widgets mode. Click and hold the three horizontal lines (the drag handle) next to a widget name, then drag it to a new position. The order you set here is the order they appear when you open Notification Center.

Desktop widgets (macOS Sonoma and later) can be resized by clicking and holding the widget, then dragging one of the corner handles to make it larger or smaller. Not all widgets support all sizes — some only come in small or medium. If a size option is grayed out, that widget doesn't support it. You can also drag desktop widgets around your desktop to position them where you want, though they'll snap to an invisible grid to keep your desktop organized.

If you have many widgets, consider which ones you actually look at regularly. A widget that updates every minute but you check once a week is wasting resources. Keep the ones that save you time — a calendar widget if you check your schedule often, a weather widget if you plan your day around the forecast — and remove the rest.

Widget permissions and what data they access

When you add a widget, it inherits the same permissions as the app it comes from. A Calendar widget can see your calendar events because the Calendar app has permission to access your calendar. A Weather widget can see your location because the Weather app has location permission. A Reminders widget can see your reminders because Reminders has that permission.

You can check and change widget permissions in System Settings. Go to System Settings > Privacy & Security, then look for the specific permission (Location, Calendar, Contacts, etc.). You'll see which apps have that permission. If a widget is accessing something you don't want it to, you can revoke the permission there — but that will also affect the app itself, not just the widget.

Some widgets connect to the internet to update — news widgets, stock tickers, weather apps. These widgets send requests to their company's servers every time they refresh. If you're on a metered internet connection or concerned about tracking, check which widgets are updating frequently and consider removing the ones you don't need. You can see which apps are using the internet by going to System Settings > General > About > System Report, then clicking Network, though this shows overall usage rather than per-widget data.

Troubleshooting widgets that don't appear or won't update

If a widget doesn't show up in the Edit Widgets menu, the app may not have a widget version available. Not every app on your Mac comes with a widget — only apps whose developers built one. Check the app's website or App Store page to see if a widget is offered. If it is, you may need to update the app to the latest version for the widget to appear.

If a widget appears in the menu but won't update, check your internet connection first — widgets that pull live data (weather, stocks, news) need internet to refresh. Then check that the app has the necessary permissions. Go to System Settings > Privacy & Security and verify that the app has permission for Location (if it's a weather or maps widget), Calendar (if it's a calendar widget), or Internet (if it's a news or stock widget). If permissions are blocked, the widget will show stale data or an error message.

If a desktop widget freezes or becomes unresponsive, try removing it and adding it back. Click and hold the widget, select Remove Widget, then go back to Edit Widgets and add it again. If the problem persists, restart your Mac — sometimes widgets get stuck in a background process and a restart clears it. If a widget consistently fails, the app may have a bug; check if an update is available in the App Store.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I add widgets from apps I don't have installed?

No. Widgets only appear in the Edit Widgets menu if the app is already on your Mac. If you want a widget for an app, you must read the app first from the App Store or the app's website. Once installed, the widget becomes available in the widget library.

Do widgets drain my Mac's battery faster?

Desktop widgets use more battery than Notification Center widgets because they update constantly and stay visible. Notification Center widgets only run when you open the panel. If battery life matters — for example, on a laptop during travel — use Notification Center widgets instead of desktop widgets, or remove widgets that update very frequently.

What happens if I remove a widget?

Removing a widget only removes it from your Notification Center or desktop. The app stays installed on your Mac. You can add the widget back anytime by going to Edit Widgets and clicking the plus sign. Removing a widget does not delete any data or settings from the app itself.

Can I move widgets between Notification Center and my desktop?

No, they are separate systems. A widget in Notification Center stays there. A widget on your desktop stays there. You can add the same widget to both places if you want — for example, a Calendar widget in Notification Center and another Calendar widget on your desktop — but you add them separately through their respective Edit Widgets menus.

Why is my widget showing old information?

Widgets update based on how often the app is designed to refresh — some update every minute, others every hour. If a widget shows old data, check your internet connection first. Then verify the app has permission to access what it needs (location for weather, calendar access for calendar widgets). If the problem continues, try removing and re-adding the widget, or restart your Mac.