iOS widgets. How to use widgets on iPhone Widgets on iPhone 5s

Hello iPhone lovers :) Are you using widgets in the new iOS 8? I’m sure yes, but not everyone knows that these are widgets. Do you want even more cool mini-applications for making calls, monitoring your iOS device, and writing tweets? Now I will tell you and show you what is interesting for iOS 8. Let's go!

Widgets for iOS

So, what are Widgets in iOS 8 - these are mini-applications on the notification screen (well, this is when you swipe the screen from top to bottom). The main feature is that you can work with widgets, without unlocking the screen, right in the notification center window! By default, there is weather, a built-in calendar, reminders and other necessities or unnecessary things. Personally, out of all this variety, I only used the calendar and looked at the weather. But then I noticed that at the bottom of the list there is a “Change” button, when clicked on it a very interesting list appeared... In addition to standard weather, calendar and other things, I already have Yandex.Maps, WordPress, Habrahabr and many others there. And then I got excited - to find more programs with widgets to expand the functionality of the iPhone! I’ll say right away that things have appeared that only users of hacked gadgets could dream of :)

1) (Free/59 r) - cool iPhone monitoring center! You can see in real time the processor load, free RAM, device memory, battery charge and network activity. For those who recently switched from Android and like to know everything about the gadget - Must Have! In addition, each user can select only those items that interest him specifically - for example, only network operation and processor load. All this can be changed in the Notification Center settings. The only thing missing from this set of widgets is viewing active processes, but I’m already daydreaming about that :))

I would also like to note that the program is free, because many competitors are asking for additional cash injections to increase functionality.

Orby Widgets

2) (Free, in-app purchases) - a similar multifunctional widget, the main focus of which is on replacing standard iOS functions, as well as for monitoring the status of the iPhone/iPad. There is a calculator, calendar, currency converter, photo frame and clock. When you activate a Premium account (33 rubles), you will have the opportunity to see the processor load, battery capacity and network activity, and the functions of the main widgets (calculator, etc.) will also expand slightly. Honestly, by mixing the first and second programs together, you can get it in the notification center, almost like an airplane panel :)

Wgdts

3) (Free, in-app purchases) - and again the battery, calendar, clock and weather. It is possible to change the appearance of widgets, which in my opinion is very convenient, as you can choose very minimalist skins. Showing everything on one screen is worth a lot! In addition, you can change the color, and for an additional 66 rubles you can get several more colors, but why?!

Widget

4) (Free) - the peculiarity of this widget is that you can view Twitter and Instagram through it. There is also a calculator and a timer, but it works somewhat clumsily, and with some brakes. So I recommend leaving it in memory and periodically checking its functionality - maybe a little later it will become your faithful assistant if it loses its bugs and becomes smoother...

Widgets.

5) (Free, in-app purchases) - this widget will help you with reading Twitter, the Bitcoin rate (?!), and also show the weather, calculator, etc... The most useful thing here, of course, is Twitter, but there is one caveat - when you click on The Tap to Tweet button opens a program window, rather than writing a tweet, as in the notification center of iOS 6. Alas, I can’t find such a widget yet, but if you happen to have one, please write its name :)

One Widget

6) (Free, in-app purchases) - this widget has already been added to my notification center - with it you can call your favorite contacts in 2 clicks! Simply enter the contacts displayed in the widget, and you can make calls with minimal effort :) There is, however, a small fly in the ointment - only 3 contacts are available for free, and for Unlimited Contacts you need to pay 33 rubles - a trifle :)

Swipe Dial

7) (Free, in-app purchases) - just like the previous widget, this one allows you to make calls directly from the locked screen, as well as write SMS and launch programs - very convenient! There is indeed some clumsiness in the widget itself, but I think that the designers will still correct it. Again, for 66 rubles we will be allowed to create an unlimited number of contacts, programs and everything else. However, the price is low for such wonderful functionality! 🙂

Quick-tap

8) (Free) - what can I say - just the weather, but unlike the native application, it’s very beautiful 🙂 I won’t say anything about the quality, because before it was Yahoo that provided the weather to Apple :)

Yahoo Weather

6) (Free, in-app purchases) - this is not really a widget, but rather a program for monitoring your balance, analyzing spoken minutes and sent SMS. It just has a widget that shows how much money you have on your balance. The program itself is very functional and will help you choose the optimal tariff, show how many, where and for how long you called, wrote SMS, etc. By the way, you shouldn’t put your hopes on her too much - it’s a little misleading in places, but how she chose the tariff for me - I’d rather not say anything :)

As you can see, there are different widgets for iOS 8 that perform different functions! Take a look at your notification center and maybe there you will find widgets that are interesting to you - Opera Coast, City, Translator, Evernote, Habrahabr and many others that you didn’t even know about! As a result, everyone will be able to assemble for themselves a set of widgets that will optimally solve the assigned tasks. You can arrange parts of different iOS widgets in different sequences and configurations, so you can optimally customize your notification center and always be aware of what is happening inside your iPhone or around you :)

The Apple iOS 8 operating system has a lot of innovations that improve the usability of iOS gadgets in everyday life. We wrote about one such improvement - alternative keyboards - a little earlier, and now we’ll talk about an equally revolutionary one (for Apple) - widgets.

Widgets were never supported by previous versions of iOS, while in Android OS they became widespread and were found to be very convenient for various needs. The number of widgets released for iOS 8 is growing every day; we bring to your attention the ten most interesting and useful applications from the App Store.

An excellent widget with a comprehensive 12-hour weather forecast, air temperature, humidity, wind strength and direction, now all this information can be seen in the Notification Center of your iOS gadget.

The TapToShare application is a widget that allows you to make simplified and fast posting on social networks Facebook and Twitter.

Another weather application, with a 5-day forecast, it is distinguished by a colorful and bright design, in addition, there are two modes for displaying information, the cost of the widget is 33 rubles.

Widgets Pro consists of ten different widgets for the iOS 8 Notification Center, in the set you can find: a calculator, a widget for YouTube and Twitter, a flight time widget, a compass, a news feed, a weather widget and others.

A time widget that displays the time from various locations around the world in the Notification Center can be useful for those who deal with constant travel or working across multiple time zones.

The Favorites Widget utility adds favorite contacts from the address book and provides quick access to them to the control center.

Wdgts includes five different widgets: currency converter, calendar, calculator, time zones and photo frame, the utility can be downloaded to iPhone and iPad completely free of charge.

A true utility for geeks, iMonitor for iOS 8 shows the amount of RAM, flash memory and processor activity in real time. You can download the widget for free.

The Paste+ application differs from previous developments; it is a rather serious product for working with the clipboard in a gadget. Copied text to the clipboard can be easily sent to various applications. The information in the buffer is divided into three categories: text, links and images, which allows you to quickly and easily navigate further actions.

DataMan Next is a very useful widget for everyone, without exception, who actively uses iOS devices on the Internet, and that is almost everyone who has an iPhone or iPad. The utility allows you to keep complete statistics on incoming and outgoing traffic. The cost of the widget is 66 rubles.

One of the main differences between the Android and iOS platforms is the approach to providing information. From the very beginning, Google decided to place visual information blocks - widgets - on the screen of smartphones and tablets so that users could “have everything they need at their fingertips.” Apple, throughout the life of iOS, has stubbornly stuck to the concept of neat, static app icons instead of dynamic widgets.

For several years now, active debate has been ongoing on the topic of which is better. Users point to the convenience of widgets as the main reason they chose Google Phone, or even Windows Phone. By the way, as for Windows Phones - Microsoft smartphones are halfway between iOS and Android - they display data on the screen using Live Tiles. The latter are in many ways reminiscent of widgets, although this is not enough for Android fans. “Either widgets or nothing,” they say.

As for iPhone and iPad owners, iOS device users are actually in an equally advantageous position. If desired, you can also install widgets on Apple mobile devices. On jailbroken devices, all you need to do is go to the Cydia store and download the Dashboard X tweak. Users of gadgets with the iOS 7 platform, for which there is no jailbreak yet, have an alternative available - official applications from the App Store with so-called “bidgets”.

Some iOS apps display information on the iPhone or iPad home screen using badges. This could be the current temperature, stock price or gold price. Android widgets in a stripped down form.

Here are some of these developments:

Celsius (33 rubles) is an excellent weather application, the main feature of which is to display the current temperature on the home screen of the iPhone, iPod touch and iPad in real time.

Bitcoin Live (169 rubles) – Bitcoin Live allows you to find out the exchange rate in real time without opening the application. The price is updated every 60 seconds. In the program itself, you can view network statistics and data from different exchanges.

Fine Gold Price (66 rubles) – Fine Gold Price allows you to find out the cost of gold on the precious metals market. The gold rate is displayed on the icon. In the settings, you can set the value upon which the application will send a push notification.

Silver Tracker (66 rubles) is a simple and convenient utility designed to indicate the cost of silver in US dollars. In the settings, you can set the value upon which the application will send a push notification.

What “bidgets” do you use?

Widgets allow you to quickly get the information you need and perform simple actions without opening the application. Widgets can be accessed from the lock screen, home screen, or Notification Center. Whether you just want to check the weather or turn off the lights in your home, widgets are versatile and easy to use.

How to open widgets on iPhone and iPad

You can access your widgets from the Lock screen and Home screen on your iPhone or iPad. After activating your iPhone or iPad's display or unlocking your device, simply swipe right to view widgets.

In addition, they can be accessed through the Notification Center. You can do this as follows:

1. Swipe down on the iPhone or iPad screen.

2. Swipe right to access widgets.

How to use widgets on iPhone and iPad

Some widgets only offer quick views of information, while others, such as Workflow and Hue, are more interactive and let you perform actions in apps without opening them.

1. Swipe right or open Notification Center to view your widgets.

2. Scroll down to find the widget you want to use.

3. Click on the action you want to perform. Some widgets may take you to their app to continue the action, but most will allow you to complete the task while remaining on the widget screen.

Many widgets come in multiple sizes, and some can expand to add more options or allow you to view more information.

2. Scroll to the widget you want to expand.

3. Click "More".

4. Click Smaller to return the widget to a smaller size.

How to add new widgets on iPhone or iPad

In addition to Apple's built-in options, you can add widgets from third-party developers. There are several ways to do this.

1. Swipe right on the Home or Lock screen, or open Action Center to view your widgets.

3. Click "Edit".

4. Scroll down to find the widget you want to add. If you just downloaded an app with a widget, it will likely be at the top of the list, marked with a blue dot.

5. Press the green “+” button.

6. Click "Done".

The method described above is used in older versions of iOS, but starting with iOS 10, an additional option is available, which some developers are already actively using.

1. Find the app whose widget you want to add to your home screen.

2. Tap an application icon to activate its 3D Touch menu.

3. Click “Add Widget” if this option is available.

How to move (reorder) widgets in iOS

Once you add a new widget to the list, you can place it however you want.

1. Swipe right on the screen.

2. Scroll down to the bottom of the list of widgets.

3. Click "Edit".

4. Tap and hold the three-dot button to the right of the widget you want to edit.

5. Drag the widget up or down.

How to disable widgets on iPhone and iPad

If the widget doesn't work or isn't needed, you can always get rid of it.

1. Swipe right on the Home or Lock screen, or open Action Center to view your widgets.

2. Scroll down to the bottom of the list of widgets.

3. Click "Edit".

4. Press the red button.

5. Click "Delete".

Based on materials from yablyk

With the advent of iOS 8, application developers for Apple devices have received quite a lot of new opportunities. For example, iPad and iPhone users with iOS version 6 could hardly imagine that they would soon have access to such features as the Swype keyboard, as well as full-fledged widgets for iOS.

What are iOS widgets and how to install them

Widget– this is a kind of addition to any application, which is designed to facilitate its use and make it more functional and understandable for the user. Widgets in iOS are added to the so-called “notification shade” and can only be installed together with applications. You can find out whether a program from the App Store has a widget by its description before downloading.

Adding such a tweak to the “curtain” is also not difficult. To do this, you just need to go to the “Notification Center”, select the “Today” section, and then the “Edit” menu item. You can add the required widget by simply clicking on the plus sign next to it.

Best widgets for iOS

Today, users of iOS devices with the eighth version of the Apple operating system have access to not only a large number of applications with widgets. They can be sorted into a variety of categories. However, not all of them are useful, and many of them are intended for specific use, that is, for people with certain interests and activities. As for those iOS widgets that deserve the most attention, the following useful additions are worth noting.

Yahoo Weather. One of the most beautiful and functional meteorological add-ons, which allows you to very quickly and conveniently obtain information about the weather for several days in advance. The utility has a beautiful interface, selecting a background image according to the weather observed in the locality (pictures are downloaded from the Flickr service).

PCalc Lite. A very useful widget in iOS that can be downloaded and installed along with an application of the same name. The add-on is made in the style of iOS version 7 and features a large set of counting functions, so it can easily replace any calculator for Apple devices. The main advantage of such a calculator is that it can be used in parallel with any running program - there is no need to constantly save the data entered into it, minimize or restart it.

iTranslate. This addition from a similar translator for iOS will be very useful to anyone who loves to travel. The add-on provides a unique opportunity to translate any word or phrase of interest in just a few steps. To translate, you just need to copy the required piece of text, launch the widget and select the “Translate from clipboard” menu item. It's very convenient and, most importantly, fast. The application supports several languages, and the language into which it will be translated is selected when installing the widget in the curtain.

Evernote. Many users of iPads and Apple smartphones are familiar with this wonderful functional organizer. Its developers were also not lazy and created an iOS widget for it. Now, in order to create a note (text or in the form of a photo) or a reminder, one click in the Notification Center will be enough.

Wdgts. This multifunctional program for Apple devices contains as many as five widgets, which together can be called a modern organizer. It contains:

  • functional and very easy to use calculator;
  • currency converter with support for a large list of different countries of the world;
  • a photo processing tool that allows you to fit photos into interactive frames;
  • calendar;
  • time zones.

Musica Widget Player. This widget for iOS will be useful to all music lovers. It can not only play songs, but also create custom playlists, as well as provide information about the tracks being listened to. That is why the add-on can be put on a par with minimalist players for Apple gadgets.

Swipe Dial. With this add-on, each user of an Apple device will be able to create a list of contacts for speed dialing, which can be called in one click.

Data Widget. The widget allows you to monitor mobile traffic, generating a signal when a previously configured threshold is exceeded.

As you can see, widgets for iOS perform a rather useful function - they facilitate the interaction of the device user with its functionality. In addition, the use of such add-ons allows you to somewhat extend the autonomy of the device, because using the functionality of applications in this case does not require their full launch. That’s why you shouldn’t give up using widgets in iOS 8.