How to customize Home Screen widgets in iOS 14

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How to use widgets in iOS 14
Make the most of widgets in iOS 14.
Image: Killian Bell/Cult of Mac

WWDC 2020iOS 14 will ship with a bunch of built-in widgets that put helpful information on your Home screen (with many more coming from third-party developers this fall), and most are customizable in some way.

Here’s how you can edit widgets so that they display the information that’s most relevant to you.

Customize iPhone Home Screen widgets in iOS 14

Sadly, widgets in iOS 14 aren’t interactive like those on Android, but they can still be incredibly useful. You can see weather conditions, upcoming appointments, stock prices, and what’s playing at a glance.

Not only are Apple’s widgets available in different sizes, but many of them offer different view options that might work better for you. You just need to know how to access them.

Begin by adding the widgets you want to your Home screen from the Today view. Be sure to pick the right sizes upfront because you can’t resize them once they’re placed; you’ll need to remove and add again.

Don’t see the widget you want? Tap and hold on some empty space in the Today view, then press the + button in the top-left corner. This will reveal the widget gallery, where all available widgets live.

Once you’ve dragged your widget to your Home screen, tap and hold it. If your widget is customizable, you’ll see an Edit option. You can also access a widget’s settings by simply tapping it while in “jiggle” mode.

Your customization options will be presented. How much you can do depends on the widget you’re editing.

Widget customization options

How to edit widgets in iOS 14
Get the look that works for you.
Image: Killian Bell/Cult of Mac

For instance, the Reminders widget allows you to choose which to-do list is displayed. Weather lets you specify which city you want to see a forecast for. Notes lets you pick which note is shown.

When you’re done with your customizations, tap the X icon in the top-right corner of the widget to close the popup. Your widget should already be updated on your screen, reflecting your changes.

Note that this is how things work today in the first iOS 14 beta, and Apple could make changes to the process before the update rolls out to everyone this fall. We’ll update this how-to later if necessary.

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