While the App Store is loaded with a bunch of super cool iPhone home screen widget apps, Widgetsmith is arguably the most lauded. And rightfully so, the app offers tons of eye-catching themes, aesthetics, styles, colors, and more for you to create a variety of custom iOS home screen widgets. I bet if you have a passion for customizing the home screen, you may have already tried this all-in-one widget app on your iOS device. If you haven’t tried this popular widget app yet, or you just want to get the most out of it to support your design ideas, this hands-on guide on how to use Widgetsmith on iPhone is for you.
Use Widgetsmith on iPhone: A Complete Guide
Before we start, remember that Widgetsmith is free (download) but if you want to unlock all the goodies, including elegant themes and styles, you’ll need to upgrade to the premium version ($1.99 per month and $19.99 per year). It is noteworthy that the widget application is also compatible with the 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 jump right in!
Create a Home Screen Widget with Widgetsmith on iPhone
Creating a good looking iPhone home screen widget is easier than ever with Widgetsmith. You just need to follow a few steps and it’s done. What you should do:
- Launch Widgetsmith on your iPhone.
- You will get three different widget sizes to choose from: small, medium and large. Tap on Add Small/Medium/Large Widget to select the preferred one.
- Then tap the widget to start customizing it.
- You’ll see a list of information you want your widget to display along with tons of color and style options. You can choose the ones you like. Here is the list of widget information you can choose:
- Time
- History
- calendar
- reminders
- Weather
- step counting
- Health and Activity
- Tide
- Astronomy
- Custom (Photo, Photos in Album, Photo Temperature, Photo Temperature and Conditions, Photo Date, Photo Day, Photo Day and Date, Photo Blur Clock, Photo Countdown, Photo Date and Time, Custom Text, and Blank).
- Now choose the style you want and then customize it.
note: Depending on the type of widget you choose, the option bars below will change. For example, if you select the “Photo” widget, you’ll see the option to select 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. Simply tap on the aesthetic/theme option and then choose from the many available themes. For a more personalized look, customize a selected theme.
- When you’re done customizing, hit the back button in the top left corner of the screen and then tap Save in the top right corner of the screen. And it finished.
Adding a Custom Widget to the Home Screen on iPhone
After saving the widget, go to the home screen and then press an empty space to enter shake mode. After that, tap on “.+“ Press the button on the top left to bring up the widget library. Now find Widgetsmith and tap on it. After that, choose a size and then add the widget to your home screen.
In addition to this, you can also add blank widgets. Them CVery useful when you want to customize your iPhone home screen the way you want. I prefer to place invisible widgets where I want them to be blank. It allows me to place the application icons in the desired spot on the home screen.
It’s pretty easy to make a blank home screen widget using Widgetsmith. Select a Blank style in the Photos section and then Aesthetics/Theme. After that, choose a matching theme.
Create Scheduled iPhone Widget Using Widgetsmith on iPhone
One of the highlights of Widgetsmith is the “Timed Widget” that lets you automatically change the default widgets at a certain time of the day. You can use this feature to show weather information in the morning, the next day’s calendar in the afternoon, and the number of steps in the evening.
- Choose widget size and widget in the widgetsmith app.
- Now, tap on Add Scheduled Widget choice.
- Next, tap on the Default option (located in the middle of the widget).
- Next, go ahead and customize the widget to your heart’s liking.
Again, you can choose the style to display the specific information you want. For example, if you’re a fitness lover, Health and Activity related styles will come in handy. If you want to keep track of weather information, go for weather style.
“Photos in Album” can also be a great choice if you want to show some of your favorite shots on the home screen. It’s worth noting that if you choose Photos, you’ll need to tap the Selected Photo/Album option at the bottom and then select a picture/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 icon. Aesthetics/Theme Select the option at the bottom and then an appropriate theme. You can also choose Customize Theme to add some customizations.
- After customizing 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.
This much! You can refer to the section above to add new widgets to your home screen and you are ready.
Also, you can edit your custom widget at any time. Just open the Widgetsmith app, select your widget and then use all the available tools to customize it once again. You can also edit the widget directly from the home screen. Long press the widget and then select Edit Widget. After that, do your thing.
Tips for Getting the Most Out of Widgetsmith on iPhone
Widgetsmith also has many more tricks than meets the eye. So, if you want to go for full customization, don’t forget to check out some useful tips given below.
Use Solid/Gradient Wallpapers to Decorate Your iPhone Home Screen
Wallpapers play an important role in allowing you to elegantly design your home screen. Guess what? Widgetsmith offers a pretty impressive library of both plain and gradient wallpapers that you can use to boost your customization game.
Launch the Widgetsmith app on your iPhone -> scroll down Extras section and then select Solid Wallpapers/Gradient Wallpapers. Now choose a nice looking wallpaper and save it to your camera roll. You can choose as many wallpapers as you want as there are no restrictions.
What else? Widgetsmith also lets you edit a gradient wallpaper using stunning themes like Blue Sky, Candy, Candy Hearts, Blizzard, Cherry and more. So highlight all your creative ideas to design attractive gradient wallpapers using Widgetsmith.
Customize Time Format
Widgetsmith offers a handful of time formats. So you can choose any time format according to the theme of your widget. To do this, go to the app’s Settings (see Settings). gear icon bottom right) -> Default Settings -> Time Format. Now in the system settings, you should see different time formats such as 24-hour time, AM/PM Time, Short AM/PM and 12-Hour Time. Choose the preferred option and you are good to go.
Choose Default Aesthetic/Theme
It comes with many great themes especially Widgetsmith, Ice Cream, Light Hearts, Glow and much more. So no matter what kind of custom widgets you are trying to make for your iPhone, you will always have a variety of themes and aesthetics to try.
Go to Settings of the app -> Default Settings-> Aesthetics/Theme. On this screen, you should see a huge collection of themes to choose from. Note that not all themes are free. Some premium ones like Blue Hearts, Blizzards, Blossoms are locked. So you will need to upgrade the app to unlock them.
Customize Weather Settings
Another great way to customize your iOS home screen widget is to change the weather settings. Widgetsmith displays temperatures using fine-tuned “Real” or “Feel like” values for heat index or wind chill. Depending on your preference, you can choose to display the temperature as “Feel Like” and “Real”. You can even change the temperature unit for a custom widget. Go to Settings and select Weather Settings. Now customize the weather settings according to your theme.
Customize Calendar Settings
Widgetsmith also lets you customize calendar settings. So you can choose to go with the system settings or tweak the calendar settings so that they sync with your home screen widgets. Go to Widgetsmith’s Settings -> Calendar Settings. Now customize the calendar settings using the system settings or by selecting the preferred first day of the week.
Share Your Custom Widgets With Your Loved Ones
Whenever I come across something fascinating, I like to share it with my 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 believe the old saying “Sharing is Caring”, you’ll 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 Export option to create a shareable export file. After that, choose the preferred medium such as email, iMessage, WhatsApp and more to share your widgets.
Use Widgetsmith on iPhone with Ease
Please! This is how you can use Widgetsmith to create stunning iOS home screen widgets. As I said above, the app is loaded with lots of tools and themes to allow you to fully customize your widgets. Therefore, every time you dig a little deeper, you will most likely come across stunning concepts.
However, do you have any feedback on this iPhone home screen widget app to share with us? If yes, be sure to share it in the comments section below.
