How to customize widgets in iPadOS

For Android people, widgets have been a standard placement on the home screen for several years. However, the situation is not the same for iPhone and iPad users. Apple recently introduced Widgets for iPadOS and they give your iPad Home screen a unique look. More importantly, it allows you to see information at a glance. The only thing you need to take care of is placing them strategically so that a simple swipe shows you the information you are looking for.

However, when it comes to customizing widgets, Apple has put some limitations. For example, you can’t play with the size of the widget, nor can you place it anywhere on the home screen. Because of this, you can choose from several available sizes and styles.

At the same time, you can fill the home screen of your Apple iPad with widgets that display information you think is important. All you have to do is unlock the screen.

Now that we’ve got that out of the way, let’s take a look at how to add and customize widgets in iPadOS.

Before you can customize a widget, you must add that widget to your iPad screen. Like any process on your iPad, it’s simple and only takes a minute.

Step 1: To do this, touch an empty area on the home screen until you see the apps move. Next, tap the small Plus sign in the top left corner.

Step 2: On the Widgets page, select one of the popular widgets on the right. Or, you can select one of the categories and select a widget from the tray.

Step 3: Now, long press on the one you want and drag it to the place where you want to display it.

Alternatively, you can tap the Add Widget button.

Compared to Android smartphones, there aren’t many customization options for widgets in iPadOS. Right now, you can choose the size or change the font of the widget to some extent.

Now that this is resolved, let’s see how to do it.

Step 1: Once you’ve placed the widget on your home screen, press and hold it and select Edit.

If it’s a widget for an app like Gmail, the Edit option lets you change the account. Or, if it’s a battery widget, you won’t see any editing options. To summarize, it all depends on the application.

Second, some of the widgets like Battery, Music, and Photos have different styles. For example, you can choose between a large rectangular widget or a small square widget for Photos.

Unfortunately, you can’t change the size or style directly from the home screen, and you’ll need to add the widget again.

Step 2: To change the size, follow the steps to add a widget again. Only this time, slide the widget styles as shown below. Widgets with stye available are usually dotted lines.

All you have to do is swipe left and select a style from the list. And that is.

Step 3: To change the location of the widgets, press and hold and move them.

Unlike Android smartphones and tablets, you can’t move to any position you want on your iPad. And it greatly limits the customization process.

Right now, if the first row has widgets, you can change their positions in the first row only. The system will not allow you to place the widget in the last row. Diary.

On the plus side, if your screen is full of apps in the bottom row, you can place the widget anywhere.

Customize Smart Stacks

At the end of the day, if you don’t want to waste valuable screen space on multiple widgets, it’s time you added a Smart Stack. These stacks are collections of widgets that are (you guessed it) stacked on top of each other.

Step 1: Once you’ve added the Smart Stack, press and hold it and select Edit Stack. Now, swipe down the stack to get to the widget you want to remove. Now, just tap the Minus button.

At the same time, you can tap the buttons as shown above to enable/disable Widget Rotation and Widget Hints.

Step 2: Next, swipe to find the widget you want to customize and touch. Touch the Edit Widget option and then change the information as per your preference.

For example, you can choose which countries you want to display in the Clock or Weather widget (in Stacks).

Step 3: To rearrange the widgets, touch and hold the widget and drag it up or down.

Essential information

The ability to add multiple widgets to different home screens on your iPad gives you the flexibility to style the screens to your preferences. If you are easily distracted, you can create a separate screen for Work and Play and entertainment. This is especially true if you often work from your iPad.