Widgets in iOS 14 and iPadOS 14 work differently than in previous versions of Apple’s mobile operating systems. You notice the differences in particular on the iPhone under iOS 14, where more ‘frivolities’ are now possible.
Widgets, one loves them and the other hates them. Apple has waited quite a long time for the small notification cubes provided by certain apps to appear in – at first – iOS. And they have long been found only on a separate screen. For more business users, this is a great solution: it doesn’t bother you if you don’t need them, and you can watch them whenever you want. But of course there are not only business phone users in the world. Home users love widgets. Because a weather widget between your favorite apps, for example, is ideal. This had been commonplace under Android for years. And now Apple’s latest mobile operating system iOS 14 knows that trick too. iPadOS 14 failed, for unknown reasons. But the iPad does support the new style widgets!
Old and new widgets
First, let’s take a look at the iPhone and its iOS 14. Widgets there are basically free to place on any home screen. With important conditions: this is only possible with Widgets that are specially designed for iOS 14. Not with old widgets – which, for example, have not yet been updated by an app developer. These remain available as usual by swiping to the right from your home screen (causing the screen to slide to the left) and the well-known widget screen will appear. Also, you are not obliged to place widgets anywhere and nowhere on your home screens. The new widgets can also remain on the widget screen if desired. So no obligations here, which is nice.
Move widget to home screen
To move a ‘new style’ widget to one of your main screens, first swipe to the widget screen. Then press and hold the widget to be moved until it (all actually) starts to wobble. Then drag the widget to a desired spot on one of your home screens and tap Ready. Keep in mind that such a widget takes up a lot of screen space. If you have arranged your apps and app groups in a specific way, you can be sure that they will slide through and be mixed up a lot. If you are a habitual person, make sure that you place widgets on a home screen where scrolling is not so bad. Or get used to your new screen layout.
To return a widget that is on a home screen to its original position on the widget panel, press and hold that widget again until it starts to wiggle (or press and hold it until the context menu appears and press Change home screen, which also activates ‘wobble mode’). Drag the widget back and tap Ready top left of the screen.
Old widgets
If you take a look at the widget screen, you will see the new widgets as separate blocks. The old widgets are grouped in one larger block. These widgets cannot be dragged out of there. You manage the block of old widgets just like before. At the very bottom you will find the button Change. Tap this and wobble mode will start again. Scroll to the block with old widgets, which now contains the text at the bottom Customize. Tap on it and you will see the old widget management screen.
You can reposition widgets by dragging using the three dashes button. More available widgets can be found under the heading MORE WIDGETS. Press the green plus to add one. To remove existing widgets from the ‘legacy’ widget block, tap the red minus for an unwanted one and then Delete.
Add new widget to home screen
To add new style widgets to a home screen, hold your finger anywhere on any of the home screens until the well-known wiggle mode is activated.
Then tap the + at the top left of the screen. You will now see an overview of all available widgets that can be placed on your home screens. Tap an available widget and then tap Add Widget.
You can also drag the widget to another location; tap on Ready and your widget has been added. The new style widgets available depend on the apps you have installed. Slowly but surely there will be more and more.
iPad
Much the same story applies to iPadOS 14, only you cannot add widgets to home screens there. And the ‘+’ is therefore missing in the wobble mode of a start screen. You can only add widgets – also new style – to the widget bar. By the way, you will see this without swiping if you rotate your iPad in horizontal mode.
Not? Then launch the Settings app and tap on it Home screen and Dock. Then choose the option Lake, from now on you will see the widget bar in horizontal mode continuously on (unfortunately only) the first home screen.
To add widgets, swipe all the way to the bottom of the list of widgets in the widget bar; tap on it Change. Or press and hold one of the available widgets a bit longer; in both cases the wobble mode starts again. Tap the + at the top left of the screen, tap a widget to be added in the overview screen with available copies, followed by a tap Add widget. Drag the new widget to a nice spot on the widget bar and tap Ready.
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