Following the launch of iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus at Apple's Keynote 2016 Event last September was the release of their latest operating system — iOS 10.
With iOS 10 finally released worldwide, users have now updated and enjoyed what Apple had prepared for its consumers. The latest iteration of the mobile operating system has helpful features that everybody can use, including Widgets.
Widgets was first introduced in iOS 8 by Apple. It was not much of a stand-out feature back then because of the lack of support from third-party developers and stock Apple apps. But with iOS 10, widgets has become a useful feature especially if users know how to make the most of it.
Getting Started With Widgets
iOS 10 widgets brings a totally new way of staying up-to-date and accessing apps sans the need of unlocking the phone. It's like an app extension with various kinds of information related to the specific apps installed.
Widgets in iOS 10 can be used to check the weather, emails, reminders, notes, calendar events and battery percentages of connected devices.
Now, numerous third-party app developers have integrated the widgets feature into their respective apps. So, users won't be bored knowing stock iOS apps are not the only ones supporting this neat feature.
Installing And Managing Widgets
Adding widgets can be done in two ways, depending on the iOS device users have. Those with iPhone 6S or newer models can use 3D Touch to install new widgets. To do this, simply 3D Touch the app icon for Quick Actions to pop out. If the app supports this function, an "Add Widget" option will be visible in the dropdown menu. Tap to choose it and the widget will be added to the Widgets section beside the Notifications panel.
For older iPhone models supporting iOS 10 without 3D Touch capabilities, widgets can be added by going to the Widgets page then scrolling to the bottom, and tapping "Edit." A new screen will pop out wherein users can choose which apps to add or remove.
This panel can also be arranged according to personal preferences. To do so, just tap on the three-line icon beside the name of the app on the edit page and rearrange as needed.
Using Widgets
Note that widgets vary from app to app; hence some could sport more functions while others are limited. Widget functionality will depend per developer.
Furthermore, some apps could offer more than one widget; just like the stock Maps app that has three available widgets to choose from — Maps Nearby, Maps Destination and Maps Transit. Some could be more interactive than others with their "Show More" option at the top right corner.
Finding New Widgets
For applications to come with a widget feature, developers need to create it as such. Otherwise, it will just be regular apps.
Unlike apps with support for Apple Watch, the new iMessage, Apple Pay or 3D Touch, there's no exact way to find out if an app comes with a widget unless it is stated in the app's description page or if it's visible on the Widgets panel or the 3D Touch Quick Actions option.
Stock iOS 10 Widgets
Most of Apple's stock applications come with widget support. And a lot of them are quite useful for daily use. The Notes widget, for example, lets users open any of the three recent notes saved or create a new note or checklist upon tapping.
Other stock iOS 10 apps with widget support include battery, weather, maps, reminders, calendar, favorites, mail, music, news, photos, Siri app suggestions and stocks.
