While the App Store is loaded with a ton of super cool iPhone home screen widget apps, Widgetsmith is arguably the most praised. And rightly so, as the app offers tons of eye-catching themes, aesthetics, styles, colors, and more so you can create a variety of custom iOS home screen widgets. I bet if you like home screen customization, you may have already tried this all-in-one widget app on your iOS device. Whether you haven’t tried this popular widget app yet, or want to make the most of it to boost your design ideas, this how-to guide on how to use Widgetsmith on iPhone is for you.
Before you begin, note that Widgetsmith is available for free (download), but you will need to upgrade to the premium version ($ 1.99 / month and $ 19.99 / year) if you want to unlock all the perks, including the stylish themes. and styles. In particular, the widget app is also compatible with iPad. This means that most of the tips mentioned here will also apply to the iPadOS device. Now that you have the app, it’s time to get started!
Create home screen widget with Widgetsmith on iPhone
Creating an attractive iPhone home screen widget with Widgetsmith is as simple as possible. You must follow some steps and that’s it. This is what to do:
- Launch Widgetsmith on your iPhone.
- You will get three different widget sizes to choose from: small, medium, and large. Touch Add small / medium / large widget to choose the preferred one.
- Then tap on the widget to start customizing.
- You’ll see a list of information you want your widget to display along with tons of color and style options. You can choose between the ones you like the most. Here is the list of widget information you can choose from:
- Weather
- Dated
- Calendar
- Reminders
- Climate
- Step counting
- Health and activity
- Tides
- Astronomy
- Custom (photo, photos in album, photo temperature, photo temperature and conditions, photo date, photo day, photo day and date, photo diffuse time, photo countdown, date and time of the photo, custom text and blank).
- Now, select the desired style and then customize it.
Note : Depending on the type of widget you choose, the option bars located at the bottom will change. For example, if you select the “Photo” widget, you will have the option to choose an image from your photo library. And if you choose Custom Text, you will have the option to add text.
- You will also have the option to change the aesthetics / theme of the widgets at the bottom. Just tap on the aesthetic / theme option and then choose from a large number of available themes. For a more personalized look, you can even customize a selected theme.
- Once you are done with customizing, press the Back button in the upper left corner of the screen and then tap Save in the upper right corner of the screen. And it’s done.
Add custom widget to home screen on iPhone
Once you’ve saved the widget, head to the home screen, and then press an empty area to enter jiggle mode. After that, tap on the ” + ” at the top left to open the widget library. Now, locate Widgetsmith and tap on it. After that, select a size and then add the widget to your home screen.
Besides this, you can also add blank widgets. They vs ome comes in handy when you want to customize your iPhone home screen to your liking. I prefer to put invisible widgets where I want to be empty. It allows me to place application icons in the desired place on the home screen.
Making a blank home screen widget using Widgetsmith is pretty easy. Just select a blank style located in the Photos section and then tap on the Aesthetics / Theme . After that, select a matching theme.
Create a timed iPhone widget using Widgetsmith on iPhone
One of the highlights of Widgetsmith is the “timed widget” which allows you to automatically replace the default widgets at a specific time of day. You can take advantage of this feature to display weather information in the morning, the calendar for the next day in the afternoon, and your step count at night.
- Select the size of the widget and the widget in the Widgetsmith app.
- Now, tap on the Add a timed widget
- Next, tap on the Default option (located in the middle of the widget).
- Then go ahead and customize the widget to your liking.
Again, you can choose the style to display the specific information you want. For example, if you are a person who loves fitness, styles related to health and activity would be very useful. If you want to track the weather information, choose the weather style.
“Photos in album” could also be a great choice if you want to display some of your favorite shots on the home screen. It is worth mentioning that if you choose Photos, you will need to tap on the Selected Photo / Album option at the bottom and then select an image / album from the photo library.
- By default, Ice Cream is set as the preferred theme. However, you can choose a different theme by tapping the Aesthetics / Themeat the bottom and then selecting a suitable theme. You can also select the Customize theme to add some customizations.
- Once you have customized the widget, tap the Back button located in the upper left corner of the screen and hit Save in the upper right corner of the screen.
That is all! You can refer to the section above to add the new widgets to your home screen and you are good to go.
Also, you can edit your custom widget anytime you want. Just open the Widgetsmith app, select your widget, and then use all the available tools to customize it once more. Besides, you can also edit the widget directly from the home screen. Long-press the widget and then choose Edit widget. After that, do what is necessary.
Tips to get the most out of Widgetsmith on iPhone
Widgetsmith also has a number of additional tricks up its sleeve than the naked eye. So if you want to go for full customization, be sure to check out some helpful tips below.
Use simple / gradient wallpapers to decorate your iPhone home screen
Wallpapers play an important role in allowing you to design your home screen elegantly. Guess what? Widgetsmith provides a pretty impressive library of plain and gradient wallpapers, which you can use to extend your customization game.
Launch the Widgetsmith app on your iPhone -> scroll down to Extras and then choose Simple Wallpapers / Gradient Wallpapers. Now, select an attractive wallpaper and save it to your camera roll. Since there are no restrictions, you can choose as many wallpapers as you need.
And what is more? Widgetsmith also lets you edit a gradient wallpaper using a ton of awesome themes like Blue Sky, Candy, Candy Hearts, Blizzard, Cherry, and other things. So, bring all your creative ideas to the fore to design some attractive gradient wallpapers with Widgetsmith.
Custom time format
Widgetsmith offers several time formats. So you can choose the desired time format based on your widget theme. To do that, head over to the App Settings section (see gear icon at the bottom right) -> Default Settings -> Time Format. Now, you should see different time formats such as system settings, 24 hour time, AM / PM time, short AM / PM time, and 12 hour time. Select the preferred option and you’re done.
Select a default aesthetic / theme
In particular, Widgetsmith comes with many great themes including Ice Cream, Light Hearts, Glow, and much more. So, no matter what kind of custom widgets you try to make for your iPhone, you will always have a variety of themes and aesthetics to experiment with.
Navigate to App Settings -> Default Settings-> Aesthetic / Theme section. On this screen, you should see a massive collection of themes to choose from. Please note that not all themes are available for free. Some premium like blue hearts, blizzards, flowers, etc. they are blocked. So you will need to update the app to unlock them.
Customize weather settings
Another great way to customize the iOS home screen widget is by adjusting the weather settings. Widgetsmith displays temperatures using “Actual” or “Feels Like” values that are adjusted for Heat Index or Wind Chill. Depending on your preference, you can choose to display the temperature as “Feels Like” and “Real”. You can even modify the temperature unit for a custom widget. Head to the Settings section and select Weather Settings. Now, customize the weather settings according to your theme.
Customize calendar settings
Widgetsmith also allows you to customize calendar settings. So you can choose to go with the system settings or adjust the calendar settings so that they are in sync with the home screen widgets. Go to Widgetsmith Settings -> Calendar Settings. Now, customize the calendar settings using the system settings or by selecting a preferred first day of the week.
Share your custom widgets with your loved ones
Whenever I come across something fascinating, I love sharing it with friends and loved ones. So I’m really glad that Widgetsmith offers a pretty neat way to share custom iPhone home screen widgets. If you also believe in the old saying “Sharing is caring,” you probably appreciate this feature.
To get started, open the Widgetsmith app -> Settings -> Share export widgets. Now, select the widgets you want to share and then hit the Export option to generate a shareable export file. After that, select the preferred medium like email, iMessage, WhatsApp and more to share your widgets.
Use Widgetsmith on iPhone with ease
There you go! Here’s how you can use Widgetsmith to create exciting iOS home screen widgets. As I said earlier, the app is loaded with a host of tools and themes to allow you to fully customize your widgets. So every time you dig a little deeper, chances are, amazing concepts will come to you.
With that said, do you have any comments related to this iPhone home screen widget app to share with us? If so, be sure to share in the comment section below.