In iOS 14 and iPadOS 14, Widgets come in three different sizes: small, medium, and large (though, do note there’s an extra large size exclusively for Apple’s own News app). Widgets are small app instances that can update in the background and keep up-to-date information right on your home screen in a glanceable format. Widgets in iOS 14 have revitalized all iPhone and iPad home screens and we’re ecstatic to see all the ways folks are building out their iPhone and iPad home screens.

This has had a gargantuan impact on how I use my iPhone, specifically around processing email, checking the weather, and managing my task list and calendar each day. Where before, it was Touch/Face ID unlock, tap, and peruse, Widgets allow the iPhone to now be just unlock and peruse. Widgets on the home screen have fundamentally altered the iPhone. Despite all of Apple’s marketing prowess, how we use our devices has only incrementally changed over the last five or six years. It’s a pretty rare phenomenon these days for a new feature to hit the iPhone or iPad and instantly transform how the device can be used.

Apple mac dashboard widgets to do list