A widget is a customizable small box that allows users to see information on their home screen
without visiting the application.
It has enhanced user experience (UX) for apple users, and people love the new updates of iOS
14.
This article will clear more things about your widgets along with the importance of developing
widgets for your iOS applications.
A widget is a program or application that runs on your phone’s home screen without having to be
opened up, or it can also be attached to another application.
For example, the weather app on your phone tells the weather report of your area. You don’t
have to physically go to the weather application to see the weather forecast, if you have the
widget for it.
But when you click on the weather forecasting widget, the program will directly take you to the
weather app. So, the widget gives the information that it thinks is good for the user, and it
displays a detailed report when you reach the main application.
Many widget applications are right now running on your phone, like the daily news notification,
notes, calendar, etc.
What is new in iOS 14 Widget?
Previously widgets were only present on Android devices, but with iOS 14, you can create
widgets now on your Apple devices as well. The iOS widgets will be present on both the iOS
home screen and MAC OS notification center.
The iOS 14 widget has withstood Android by providing a widget with a more elegant and
cohesive design. It gives a very sleek and stylish look to the Apple home screen.
The Apple devices use Apple’s Smart Stack widget that shows widgets by following the user’s
previous behaviour. This will avoid excessive notifications to pop up on your screen.
Advantages of developing widgets
The iOS 14 widget update will affect two parties- the users and the developers.
As the users have given a green signal to the widget design and function, the developers are most
likely to develop widgets for their application with other additional features to get a competitive
advantage.
Why do users need widgets?
Apple users are thrilled to have the widget feature on their phones. Here are the two significant
benefits that a user will get from the widget function-
1. Time-consuming
Apple users have to click on each application to get updates and notifications. It became very
time consuming for an iOS user.
But with the launch of the new iOS 14, the user will not be able to see widgets but also
customize it according to their preference.
IOS has given the Apple user to edit the size of the widget. There are three size options
available: small, medium, and large. The user can choose the widget size they want to see on
their home screen. Larger the size of the widget, the more information you will see on your home
screen.
2. Updated information
A widget is created to give up-to-date information about the application. The application mostly
makes the update, but if the widget is new, the update is made by the operating system.
For example, if you have a widget of a news app, the news keeps pouring in without you going
to the app to get it updated.
Why do developers need widgets?
1. Competitive advantage
With the launch of iOS 14, Apple users are using this feature to the utmost. Most of the users
have liked the concept of widgets and have enabled them on their iPhone.
The demand for widgets is growing, and many apps are developing widgets for iOS applications.
The developers are responsible for creating a widget that displays information that might be
useful to the users and force them to visit the app to get more details.
2. Improves user retention
Our phones are filled with applications, and it is becoming more challenging to make a user feel
your app’s presence. Widgets will pass out information that the users might like, which will
improve the app’s user retention.
So, the developers are in charge of forming a widget that displays the most vital information and
increases the user time on the application.
What will your widget display?
A widget will represent a small box containing user-specific data that will highlight updated
information.
For example, if you have previously used LinkedIn, it tells about the number of people visiting
your profile. LinkedIn has chosen this particular information because it thinks it attracts users to
see who has recently viewed their profile.
Widgets are static, and they do not allow you to perform actions without actually opening the
application. Now, the developers have to decide which information will attract the user to visit
their application.
How to add widgets to your iPhones home screen?
If you still don’t know how to add widgets. Here are the steps through which you can add it to
your phone’s screen:
Step 1: Unlock your iPhone. Press and hold your home screen for a few seconds. You will see
the apps start to jiggle and show a minus sign.
Step 2: Click on the plus sign present in the upper left corner of your home screen. This will
bring a list of all the existing widgets.
Step-3: Click on the app you want to add to your widget list. It will ask you to choose among the
three sizes that are small, medium, and large. You can select the widget size you want to see on
your home screen.
Step-4: Click on “Add widget.”
Step-5: After adding the widget, click anywhere on the screen to come out of the edit.
And, your application widget is added to your home screen.
Some popular iOS home screen widgets
1. Wikipedia: The Wikipedia widget is excellent for people who are hardcore readers. The
application keeps posting trending articles throughout the day to grab users’ attention and make
them visit the Wikipedia website to read the articles in detail.
2. Pedometer: It is a fitness app that tells about the number of steps you have taken. Pedometers
keep track of all the fitness goals of the user. The most important thing to notice is that the
application doesn’t give you the detailed stats on your widget to grab user attention.
3. Aviary: If you are someone who wants to be updated on all the latest tweets, Aviary will be
your rescuer. It tells in detail about the trending tweets on your iPhone widget home screen.
4. Unwind: It is also one of the meditation apps that relaxes the user by telling them to do
different breathing exercises. Unwind is also one of the most popular widgets to track your sleep
schedule and meditation.
5. Habit Minder: It takes care of all the habits you do in your daily life, whether exercising,
meditation, walking, water drinking patterns, and every routine you can think of. Habit Minder
widget will help you maintain a good lifestyle by keeping track of your good habits.
Conclusion
Apple users love the new widget option, and the applications that are still refraining from
creating its widget is losing a lot of their target audience. The widget will help you generate more
customer interaction and retention for your application.
Contact the App-Scoop Vancouver Mobile App Developers for further details.
