Looking for suggestions on the best iPhone widgets to enhance my productivity and customize my home screen. I feel a bit overwhelmed by the options in the App Store. Can anyone recommend their favorites or must-have widgets? Needing some guidance to make the best choice.
Alright, let’s get straight to it since the App Store can feel like a labyrinth. Here’s a solid list of iPhone widgets that, IMO, are essential for productivity and customizing your home screen:
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Fantastical: If you’re juggling meetings or appointments, this is the calendar widget. It’s sleek, intuitive, and consolidates all your calendar chaos.
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Things 3: A premium (kinda pricey, ngl) task manager. The widget is great for seeing your to-dos and upcoming tasks at a glance. Super minimal, super effective.
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Widgetsmith: Total classic. Wanna customize your home screen exactly how your aesthetic-loving heart desires? This is your go-to. You’ve probably seen it all over TikTok during the iOS 14 aesthetic craze.
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Spark: For emails. Trust me, skipping the Gmail or Apple Mail widgets and going for Spark will make you feel like you have your life together.
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Weather Line or CARROT Weather: Both slick options that’ll keep you updated on whether to carry an umbrella or spontaneously combust under the sun.
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HabitMinder: Keeps you accountable for your goals without screaming at you like a life coach. Definitely worth checking out if you’re building habits.
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Sticky Widgets: Literally digital sticky notes for your home screen. Write that cat’s vet appointment, your crush’s coffee order, or whatever you inevitably forget. Simple but underrated.
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Streaks: Another one for habits, with a more game-like vibe. Keeps you motivated to not break the chain.
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Apollo (if you’re a Reddit fan): This widget pulls posts straight to your home screen. It’s dangerously addictive, though… you’ve been warned.
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Google: Yes, the plain ol’ Google widget. Sometimes you just need to search something without opening a browser and… yeah, this does the job.
If customization is your jam, Widgetsmith and Color Widgets are insanely popular. But if you’re after efficiency, Fantastical and Things 3 are chef’s kiss. Try a mix; nothing wrong with experimenting!
Widget overload is a thing, but hey, let’s simplify this mess. While @viajeroceleste dropped a solid list, lemme throw a few more in the mix or offer alternative takes:
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BusyCal: Fantastical is cool, but BusyCal is underrated. It has customizable widgets for your calendar/events and feels a bit less… flashy but more practical for no-frills users.
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Notion: If you’re a Notion user, the widget lets you pin pages for quick access. It’s not groundbreaking, but it saves me from falling into the rabbit hole of endless Notion tabs.
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Google Keep: Sticky Notes are cute, but do they sync beautifully across all your devices? Nope. Google Keep does, and the widget is neat and clean without being just ‘digital Post-its.’
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Countdowns: Track how much time you have left till something crucial (or your next vacation). The widget design varies, but seeing a timer can lowkey stress motivate you.
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ScreenKit: Widgetsmith is everyone’s aesthetic cult fave, but ScreenKit offers similar levels of customization, sometimes with more themes and packs (depending on how much effort you want to put into this whole ‘aesthetic’ thing).
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Stocks: The built-in Apple Stocks widget might seem ‘meh’ till you start checking it daily. Plus, it’s immediate and doesn’t send you spiraling into a stock market app for hours.
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Overcast: You’re into podcasts? This widget slaps for quick access to your queued episodes without fuss.
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Money Coach: Personal finance tool that gives a widget glimpse of your budgets and spending. Tip: use sparingly unless you like daily financial existential crises!
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Lastly, your regular Reminders app already does TOO much for a built-in app. Pin a list, organize your life (or at least lie to yourself like I do), and you’re set.
Some of these outshine the supposed ‘fan favorites,’ IMO. You’re gonna have to experiment to see what really fits, but don’t add too much—you’ll end up overwhelmed just staring at your home screen.
Okay, so here’s a slightly different take: While the lists from the other responses are overall solid, I’d argue some apps don’t get enough love. Diving into productivity and customization? Let’s explore deeper:
Calendar Alternatives: Sure, Fantastical and BusyCal are great, but Google Calendar deserves a shout. It’s familiar and integrates well with other Google services. Plus, the widgets are clean and efficient—none of that overcomplicated flair.
For Smarter Notes: Instead of Sticky Widgets or Google Keep, try Obsidian if you’re into note-taking with a side of organization geekery. It’s not as basic as Keep nor as aesthetic-focused as Sticky, but its depth in linking ideas makes it gold for thinkers.
Weather Options: While Weather Line & CARROT dominate, I’d drop AccuWeather here. Nicer for those who like a direct and data-heavy widget experience but might feel clunky for minimalist fans.
Email Widgets: Spark’s good, but ever tried Microsoft Outlook just for the widget? It’s surprisingly fluid if you’re managing emails + calendars in one space—but I’ll admit, the UI isn’t for everyone.
Habit Trackers: HabitMinder and Streaks are fan favorites (deservedly so), but Loop Habit Tracker is the hidden gem. Free, open-source, and exceptionally customizable. The downside? Slightly less flashy interface.
Quick Access Notes: While Notion is valuable for detailed workflows, it’s heavyweight for quick tasks. Enter Bear—minimal to a T and fits snugly on your screen.
Motivational Timers: Instead of basic countdowns, consider Fabulous widgets. They add psychology-backed motivation and pretty visuals—not just numbers ticking down ominously. Downside? Requires commitment.
Also, for shoppers, I’m shocked no one mentioned Shopify’s Shop widget—it’s pure bliss for tracking packages. Or YNAB widgets for budget nerds—way better for hyper-focused budgeters, though casual users might find them too much.
Lastly, a controversial opinion: some widgets from Narrating Time apps (e.g., Chronify) are game-changers for time management, but the sheer feature bloat might ruin the experience if you want simplicity. Sometimes, less is more.