Apple fundamentally changed and revitalized iPhone’s Home Screen through widgets in iOS 14. And now, with iOS 16, more apps have extended support to widgets. We have compiled a list of the best iPhone widgets that are must-haves for your iPhone!
Whether you want to turn your Home Screen into an information hub or get the essential updates right on your Lock Screen, these widgets will help. Let’s get started.
1. Widgetsmith: Best to personalize iPhone’s Home Screen
Widgetsmith is the best iPhone widget to customize relevant widgets and display on your Home Screen. You can have the date, weather, and even activity/goals within a widget to optimize your experience. It gives you the provision to play along with various layouts, aesthetics, and photos while choosing your preferred widgets.
You can personalize your Home Screen further by scheduling different widgets to appear at particular times throughout the day or week. For instance, you can schedule a widget to display your calendar in the morning, weather in the evening, and next-day reminders at night.
There are 3 options, namely small, medium, and large, that help you choose the display size of your widgets.
Price: Free (In-app purchases start at $1.99)
2. Sports Alert: Best for sports news/alerts
This custom widget allows you to track your favorite sports. You can view live scores, news, or alerts for all major sports such as NBA, NFL, tennis, golf, and much more. It comes with prime aesthetics and sits well on your Home Screen.
You can choose between three widget sizes: small, medium, and large, depending on the information you want it to display. You can go for the large widget size to see all the live scores for the selected league. Change between the leagues and sports as and when you want.
Price: Free (In-app purchases start at $9.99)
3. TripIt: Best travel planner
Does your job profile demand you to travel from place to place? TripIt will help you organize your travel plans and get you ready on time. The custom widget of this travel-planner app helps you see all the relevant details concerning your travel.
You can see your flight number, departure/arrival time, and terminal no. in the compact space. Depending on your travel mode, you can sort out the essential information to be displayed. You can customize the widget to show what’s next on your itinerary, hotel check-ins, business meetings, etc., once you reach the destination.
Price: Free (In-app purchases start at $48.99)
4. Calm: Best to keep you calm
In this busy schedule, you can take a few minutes to relax across different time intervals. This meditation app will guide you with easy breathing exercises, motivational stories, and much more. The widget is optimized to remind you of enjoyable stress-releasing activities to be performed across the day’s timeframe.
The subtle quotes/reminders, aesthetics, and the light background will brighten your day and remind you to practice the exercises. As time progresses, the app helps you see yourself as a more composed person.
Price: Free (In-app purchases start at $59.99)
5. Bears Countdown: Best to remember important events
The best iPhone widget that displays the countdown to birthdays, anniversaries, and vacations is just the thing that keeps you excited and thrilled. That’s why you need to install Bears countdown. You can customize the countdown pop-up to your favorite color and bear image.
Depending on the type of countdown, you can set the theme. You can also choose the size of the bear and countdown pop-up. Easily slide in some notes/ideas for each event and make your widget look more interesting and detailed.
Price: Free (In-app purchases starts from $0.99)
6. Apollo for Reddit: Best widget for trendsetters
I am addicted to Reddit, to the extent that I follow hundreds of subreddits. Apollo is a boon for people like me; trust me on this! Choosing between single posts, multiple posts, post feed, wallpapers, and subreddit shortcuts, and jokes as iPhone home screen widget options is so much fun.
Apollo developers must be consuming Reddit threads for a long time to create an app like this. Jump bar, customizable gestures, influential Markdown composer, super-charged Media Viewer, etc., are some of the best features with the widgets.
Price: Free (In-app purchases start from $0.99)
7. Day One Journal: Best for students
I have been journaling for a long time now. And once you start journaling your way to life, you want to add pictures, videos, drawings, and even audio recordings to them too. Day one journal’s iPhone widgets provide me with all of this and a lot more.
It incorporates four unique widgets to help you jot down your story a little better. I admire the ‘On this Day’ and ‘streaks’ features the most, solely for their comfort. I can trust this feature completely, for it protects all my data with biometric security, even the widgets!
Price: Free (In-app purchases start from $3.99)
8. Spotify: Best iPhone Home Screen widget for music lovers
If you’re always tuned in to your favorite beats, you can add the Spotify widget to your home screen for quick access to your music. There are currently two styles of widgets. You can see whatever you’ve recently played or your liked songs.
This makes it a breeze to get back to something you were listening to with just a tap. Spotify is the most popular music streaming service and boasts an extensive collection of songs and podcasts from across the world.
Price: Free (In-app purchases start from $12.99)
9. Spark from Readdle: Best for freelancers
One of the smoothest email clients out there, Spark Mail comes with a smart inbox, quick search, and a lot of personalized options to cater to your needs. The email client’s widget has smarter updates.
Quite like the other apps in Readle’s suite, Spark Mail jumps on board with a flourish. You can settle for a small widget with just the number of emails or view a list of recent emails. And that’s not all; more widget options with calendar and Today View are included as well.
Price: Free
10. Documents: Best for entrepreneurs
Are you the one who is working with multiple things at the same time and needs a zillion documents handy at one place? Then, Documents is one of the best third-party iPhone widgets for you. From music, documents, photos, videos, and books to almost everything, this widget lets you access them with just a click.
The picture-in-picture mode has increased the app’s functionality. Incorporate different widgets for Music, Recents, and Actions, fool around with your options and keep your home screen organized.
Price: Free (In-app Purchases start from $12.49)
11. WaterMinder®: Best for fitness enthusiasts
Leading a balanced life is not easy. And one of the essential methods to track your health is watching your water intake. You NEED to add a widget to the Home screen that regularly reminds and tracks your water intake to keep you hydrated throughout the day.
Water Minder lets you monitor all your drinks so that you know the exact amount of hydration. You can customize it to your needs: light, dark, and pure dark themes. With ten different widgets to choose from, you can log water into your favorite weekly graphs and keep your hydration levels on point.
Price: $4.99
12. Wikipedia: Best for readers
If you haven’t been using Wikipedia since your school days, you probably lived without the internet. The official iOS app comes with the website’s feel to your mobile device but with added features such as night mode, quick access, and whatnot.
Probably one of the must-have and best iOS widgets, it provides information to you regularly in bits and pieces right on your home screen. Opt for a picture of the day, top read, or other features in different sizes.
Price: Free
13. Watch Chess: Best for chess learners
Who doesn’t love playing chess? Albert Einstein has rightly said, “Chess holds its master in its bonds, shackling the mind and brain so that the inner freedom of the very strongest must suffer.” Taking this into account, this widget should be used by everyone and not just the chess players.
This widget lets you transition from the live and recent chess tournaments at GM levels and keeps you updated with each round and game on your iPhone home screen. Available in three sizes, decide how much space you want to give the widget.
Price: Free
14. GoodTask: Best iPhone widget for working professionals
Based on iOS Reminders & Calendars, GoodTask makes task management a breeze. It might be a simple checklist app at the core, but it features complex project management tasks.
While it has just two widget choices, they are both designed brilliantly. The List shows items from a selected list with a calendar, and the Favorites widget allows you to add customized new tasks or directly open lists. I daresay, this is one of the best widgets for project managers.
Price: Free (In-app purchases start from $9.99)
15. Battery Widget & Color Widgets: Best for workaholics
I have been a loyal user of this widget for quite some time now. Its widget helps you to monitor your phone’s usage, such as checking battery status, brightness levels, memory, and general device information. To expand the visual appeal of this information, the app has a lot of colors for you to pick upon.
Just download the app, and once installed, you can start customizing the widget. You have a lot of sizes and colors to choose from; I prefer having the medium one to have enough room for other iOS widgets on the home screen.
Next, pick the right colors that are neither too tacky nor out there. I prefer to use the brightest color for it so that I never forget when to charge my iPhone or clear up some space.
Price: Free (In-app purchases start from $3.99)
16. HabitMinder: Best for fitness enthusiasts
A wise man once said it is always essential to understand the difference between being busy and productive, being thin and fit, and Habit Minder is taking the first step towards that goal. With useful tools like mini-apps, session screens, 50 pre-defined positive habits, and even reminders to stay happy and healthy, the app is capable of improving your habits as a whole.
The app currently offers seven widgets in three different sizes across light and dark themes for you to help you focus on your habits. While the free subscription is more than enough, the in-app purchases are quite a treat as well.
Price: Free (In-app purchases start from $0.99)
17. Calory: Best for health-conscious people
Calculate your calorie needs according to your weight, height, and activity levels using the app. It helps you suggest a daily goal according to your dietary needs and stay focused and achieve it.
With eight widgets on the table, you can monitor your current progress according to different data sets, water macros, and even a weekly graph. A balanced diet, here I come!
Price: Free (In-app purchases start from $2.99)
18. SmartGym: Best iPhone Home Screen widgets for gym freaks
The SmartGym app is workouts simplified. With timely exercises, rests, and counting sets, the app has a lot to offer. The best part? Everything integrates with your Apple Watch, and the widgets make the data handy for you.
The pandemic got us used to work out from home. And trust me on this, after lazing around for a few months, all of us got to a place where we wanted to work on our health. Having SmartGym on your home screen will continuously remind you about staying active and working out whenever you get the time.
Price: Free (In-app purchases start from $6.99)
19. Food Noms: Best for knowing food nutrition
A food tracker app meant to enhance your healthy lifestyle. First of all, the free version covers most of the functionalities, from having access to an extensive food library to logging your daily calories and whatnot.
The best part about the app is its Apple Watch support. It lets you monitor your intake at a glance.
I love how you can plan out your meals with the app and keep count of your calories, and have a detailed breakthrough of your nutritional intake right through its many widgets.
The paid subscription lets you track your water, caffeine, and alcohol levels with more detailed stats through weekly and monthly charts. If you are health-conscious, I’d recommend getting a paid subscription.
Price: Free (In-app purchases start from $1.99)
20. Memo Widget: Best for reminders
Let’s admit it; we always miss on many important things while we are on the go. And there are some targets that we want to be constantly reminded of.
Memo Widget is the best sticky widget to do that job for you. It will remind you of every trivial matter you want.
And yes, no judgments passed. You can use the notes to add any to-do; let it be silly. You won’t believe it; I use the widget to remind me of grocery shopping and planning family dinners.
The best part is the text adjustment and photo brightness level features; easy to adjust and multiple positions. It adjusts the texts according to your needs. Multiple language support is also a great add-on.
Price: Free
21. Flipboard-Latest Stories: Best for Current Affairs
Read stories that matter. Flipboard is a popular iOS app with thousands of national and local sources to keep you updated with important news in a readable format.
With the widget, you can create a personalized news feed with Smart Magazines. Don’t forget to check out the list of publishers; Flipboard covers the best in every field and adds the best ones to your list.
My favorites are The New York Times for News and Politics and Bloomberg for Business and Tech news.
Price: Free
22. Yahoo Finance: Best for stock analysis
If trading is your hobby or side hustle, then you know how important it is to know the fluctuating market prices at every moment.
You miss checking on your investments for a minute, and for all you know, your money is gone. This is why it is imperative to have an iPhone Home Screen widget that helps monitor the share market.
I’d suggest going for paid plans if you are new to the market and need someone to spoonfeed your investments.
Price: Free (In-app purchases start from $24.99)
23. Merriam-Webster Dictionary: Best for a strong vocabulary
Now, who wouldn’t be curious about improving their vocabulary? Waking up to new words every day, maybe getting a new one every time you refresh your iPhone?
If you’ve stayed affirmative to these questions, America’s most awaited dictionary has a widget for you now. Don’t forget to try the Apple Watch extension and audio search.
With the app on your phone and the widget on your homescreen, you now have access to 225,000+ words with the frequent addition of new words.
Price: Free (In-app purchases start from $2.99)
24. DSLR Camera: Best for photography enthusiasts
Never have I seen a widget this wholesome for photography and videography. While the app covers most of the features such as AI, Advanced Portrait, Bokeh, Predictive Filters, Siri Shortcuts, AR, Photo Editor, and Multicam, so does their widget.
The Pro RAW support works to its maximum potential using the widget as well. When you are on the go and need the editing done faster, it becomes crucial to have those filters as presets handy. DSLR camera lets you choose from 184 professional filters directly to your home screen to cut down your development time.
Price: $0.99
25. AnyList-Grocery shopping list: Best for quick reminders
Living on your own increases your work responsibilities ten folds. From doing your laundry to cooking your meals. And trust me, you do not want to sleep on an empty stomach. Hence, the AnyList widget always keeps you on the go, with constant reminders so that you do not miss your errands.
There is a List widget that lets you keep track of what’s on the list. There is also a multiple-list widget to see more than one list at the same time, and the meal plan widget lets you see what’s for dinner every day.
Hey, you can also sync recipes and list out your groceries accordingly. Plan your meals with the app, add prices to the list to watch your budget out as well—a must-try app for all those living away from their families and friends.
Price: Free (In-app purchases start from $9.99)
If you like to experiment with widgets just like I do, stay tuned to this space for more, and let me know which ones you use and which ones you’d like me to test in the comments below.
You may also like to read:
- How to stop apps from tracking you on iPhone
- How to add a website to your iPhone Home Screen
- Weather widget not working on iPhone? How to fix it
- Best clock widgets for iPhone Home Screen
A tech-aficionado whose superpower lies in blabbering interminably about new technologies. After 4+ years and 4500+ content pieces that helped diverse companies grow, I followed my passion and made iGeeks Media my home. When not gushing over technology, you will find me immersed in a fictional world, either reading or creating one.
Hello Weather is an excellent weather app with widgets that are stackable.
You are a beast. Thank you very much, Regards
Thank you for this!!