Daily TipsiPad

How to place widgets among apps on iPadOS 15 Home Screen

With iPadOS 15, you can now place widgets among apps on Home Screen pages, providing more information at a glance and offering a more personalized experience. 

Designed specifically for the larger display of iPad, a new, larger widget size is useful for showcasing videos, music, games, photos, and more. iPadOS 15 also brings all-new widgets for App Store, Find My, Game Center, Mail, and Contacts.

To add widgets to your Home Screen:

° Touch and hold an empty area on your Home Screen, then tap the Add button (a “+” sign) when it appears in the upper-left corner.

° Select a widget from the list on the left.

° Swipe left or right on the widget to choose a size, then tap Add Widget.

° Tap Done in the upper-right corner, or just tap your Home Screen.

To add widgets in Today View:

° Swipe your finger to the right on your Home Screen until you see Today View.

° Touch and hold an empty area in Today View, then tap the Add button when it appears in the upper-left corner.

° Select a widget from the list on the left.

° Swipe left or right on the widget to choose a size, then tap Add Widget.

° Tap Done in the upper-right corner, or just tap your Home Screen.

You can also drag a widget from your Home Screen into Today View. To see widgets in Today View, swipe to the right on your Lock Screen or on the first page of your Home Screen.

To use widgets from other apps:

Many third-party apps also provide widgets. Widgets that have been updated for iPadOS 14 and later work the same as built-in iPad widgets.

If an app hasn’t been updated, you can still use its widgets, but they behave differently. Here’s how to use widgets that haven’t been updated:

° Swipe all the way to the right on your Home Screen to show Today View.

° Touch and hold an empty area in Today View until the widgets jiggle.

° Scroll to the bottom of Today View, then tap Customize.

° Tap the Add button next to each app widget that you want to add.

° Tap Done. The widgets you selected appear in a section at the bottom of Today View.

To edit your widgets:

Some widgets allow you to customize their content. Here’s how:

° Touch and hold a widget to open the quick actions menu.

° Tap Edit Widget (the “i” icon).

° Make your changes, then tap outside of the widget.

You can also rearrange your widgets. Touch and hold a widget until it jiggles, then move the widget to where you want it to go. As you move the widget, apps and other widgets on your Home Screen rearrange to make room for it.

To delete a widget, touch and hold it, then tap Remove Widget. Tap Remove to confirm.

(This how-to is based on my experiences and info on Apple’s support pages — where the images sometimes come from.)

Dennis Sellers
the authorDennis Sellers
Dennis Sellers is the editor/publisher of Apple World Today. He’s been an “Apple journalist” since 1995 (starting with the first big Apple news site, MacCentral). He loves to read, run, play sports, and watch movies.