The iPad, with its expansive screen, is a powerful canvas for productivity and personalization. One of the most impactful ways to tailor your iPad experience is by customizing widgets. These dynamic, at-a-glance snippets of app information can transform your Home Screen and Today View into a personalized dashboard, giving you quick access to the information and controls you need most.
Are you ready to unlock the full potential of your iPad's Home Screen? Let's dive in and make your iPad truly yours!
Step 1: Entering Jiggle Mode – The Gateway to Customization
Before you can add, remove, or rearrange any widgets, you need to enter "jiggle mode." This is the magical state where your app icons and widgets start to subtly shake, indicating they are ready for your personal touch.
- Touch and Hold: Gently press and hold your finger on an empty area of your iPad's Home Screen or on an existing widget until everything begins to jiggle. You'll also notice a small "Done" button appear in the top-right corner and a "+" (plus) button in the top-left corner of the screen.
Step 2: Adding New Widgets – Populating Your Personalized Dashboard
Now that you're in jiggle mode, it's time to bring in some new information and functionality!
- Tap the Plus Button: In the top-left corner of your screen, you'll see a "+" (plus) button. Tap on it. This will open the Widget Gallery, a treasure trove of available widgets from your installed apps.
- Explore the Widget Gallery:
- Search for Widgets: At the top of the Widget Gallery, you can use the search bar to find widgets from specific apps. For example, if you're looking for a weather widget, type "Weather."
- Browse by App: Below the search bar, you'll see a list of apps that offer widgets. Scroll through this list to discover what each app provides.
- Select a Widget and Size: Once you've found an app with a widget you like, tap on it. Most apps offer widgets in different sizes (small, medium, large, and sometimes extra-large for certain apps), each displaying a different amount of information.
- Swipe left or right to preview the different sizes and their layouts.
- Think about how much space you want the widget to occupy and how much information you want to see at a glance.
- Add the Widget: After choosing your preferred size, tap the "Add Widget" button at the bottom of the preview. The new widget will automatically appear on your Home Screen.
- Arrange and Place: While still in jiggle mode, you can drag the newly added widget to any position on your Home Screen. Place it where it makes the most sense for your workflow and aesthetic preferences.
- Exit Jiggle Mode: Once you're happy with the placement, tap "Done" in the top-right corner of the screen to exit jiggle mode and lock your changes.
Step 3: Customizing Existing Widgets – Fine-Tuning Your Information Display
Many widgets offer internal customization options, allowing you to tailor the data they display.
- Enter Jiggle Mode (again): Just like adding widgets, you'll need to enter jiggle mode by touching and holding an empty area of your Home Screen or the widget you want to edit.
- Tap to Edit: Once the widgets are jiggling, tap on the specific widget you wish to customize. A small pop-up menu will appear.
- Select "Edit Widget" or "Edit Stack":
- If it's a single widget, you'll see "Edit Widget." Tap this.
- If it's a Smart Stack (which we'll cover next), you'll see "Edit Stack." Tap this.
- Adjust Widget Settings: The options you see here will vary depending on the app and widget. For example:
- A Calendar widget might let you choose which calendar to display.
- A Reminders widget might allow you to select a specific list.
- A Weather widget might let you change the location.
- Make your desired changes within this menu.
- Tap Outside or "Done": Once you've made your adjustments, tap anywhere outside the widget settings menu or tap "Done" to save your changes and exit jiggle mode.
Step 4: Creating and Managing Widget Stacks – Maximizing Home Screen Real Estate
Widget stacks are a game-changer for organizing your Home Screen. They allow you to pile up to 10 widgets of the same size on top of each other, saving valuable space and letting you swipe through them to see different information.
Sub-heading: Creating Your Own Widget Stack
- Enter Jiggle Mode: Touch and hold an empty area on your Home Screen.
- Drag and Drop: Drag one widget on top of another widget of the same size. You'll see a subtle outline indicating that a stack is forming.
- Continue Stacking (Optional): You can continue dragging other widgets of the same size onto this newly formed stack, up to a maximum of 10.
- Exit Jiggle Mode: Tap "Done" when you're finished.
Sub-heading: Editing a Widget Stack
- Enter Jiggle Mode: Touch and hold the widget stack you want to edit.
- Tap "Edit Stack": From the pop-up menu, select "Edit Stack."
- Rearrange Widgets:
- Drag and Drop: Touch and hold a widget within the stack and drag it up or down to reorder its position.
- Remove Widgets: Tap the minus ("-") button next to a widget, then tap "Remove" to take it out of the stack.
- Smart Rotate: Within the "Edit Stack" menu, you'll find a toggle for "Smart Rotate."
- On (Recommended): When Smart Rotate is enabled, your iPad intelligently rotates through the widgets in the stack throughout the day, showing you the most relevant information based on your activity, location, and time of day. This is an incredibly useful feature!
- Off: If you prefer to manually swipe through the widgets, turn Smart Rotate off.
- Widget Suggestions: You may also see an option for "Widget Suggestions." When turned on, your iPad can automatically suggest and add widgets to your Smart Stack based on your app usage patterns.
- Exit Jiggle Mode: Tap "Done" to save your stack edits.
Step 5: Utilizing Smart Stacks – The iPad's Intelligent Widget Collection
iPadOS offers a pre-built "Smart Stack" that automatically curates a collection of widgets based on your usage patterns.
- Add a Smart Stack:
- Enter Jiggle Mode (touch and hold an empty area).
- Tap the "+" (plus) button.
- Scroll down in the Widget Gallery until you see "Smart Stack."
- Select the size you prefer and tap "Add Widget."
- Customizing a Smart Stack: Once added, you can edit a Smart Stack just like a custom stack (as described in Step 4) to reorder widgets, remove unwanted ones, and toggle Smart Rotate and Widget Suggestions. The initial widgets in a Smart Stack are often a great starting point, but you can always tailor them to your needs.
Step 6: Customizing App Icon and Widget Appearance (iPadOS 18 and later)
With iPadOS 18, Apple introduced even more ways to personalize your Home Screen, including the appearance of app icons and widgets.
- Enter Jiggle Mode: Touch and hold the Home Screen background until icons jiggle.
- Tap "Edit" and "Customize": In the top-left corner, tap "Edit," then choose "Customize" from the menu.
- Explore Customization Options:
- Make Icons Bigger: Tap "Large" to make app icons larger. Note that their names will disappear in this view.
- Dark or Light Appearance: Tap "Dark" or "Light" to set a global appearance for icons and widgets. Choose "Automatic" to have them switch between dark and light based on the time of day.
- Add a Color Tint: Tap "Tinted" to apply a color tint to supported app icons and widgets.
- Use the sliders to select your desired color and saturation.
- You can also use the eyedropper tool to pick a color directly from your wallpaper for a cohesive look.
- Tap Outside to Save: Once you've made your selections, tap anywhere outside the customization menu to apply and save your changes.
Step 7: Moving and Removing Widgets – Keeping Your Home Screen Tidy
Just as important as adding widgets is the ability to organize and remove them to maintain a clean and functional Home Screen.
Sub-heading: Moving Widgets
- Enter Jiggle Mode: Touch and hold any empty area on your Home Screen.
- Drag to Rearrange: Touch and hold the widget you want to move and simply drag it to its new position on the Home Screen. You can even drag it to a different Home Screen page.
- Exit Jiggle Mode: Tap "Done" when you're satisfied.
Sub-heading: Removing Widgets
- Enter Jiggle Mode: Touch and hold the widget you want to remove.
- Tap "Remove Widget": From the pop-up menu, select "Remove Widget" (or "Remove Stack" if it's a stack).
- Confirm Removal: A confirmation prompt will appear. Tap "Remove" again to confirm. The widget will disappear from your Home Screen.
10 Related FAQ Questions
How to add widgets to Today View?
Swipe right from your Home Screen or Lock Screen to access Today View. Touch and hold an empty area until apps jiggle, tap the "+" button, choose your widget, and then tap "Add Widget."
How to create a custom widget with Widgetsmith or similar apps?
Download a third-party widget app like Widgetsmith, Color Widgets, or Photo Widget. Open the app, create your custom widget (e.g., a photo, calendar, or text widget), save it, then go to your iPad Home Screen, enter jiggle mode, tap "+", search for the third-party app's widget, add it, and then edit it to select the specific custom widget you created within the app.
How to make app icons bigger without labels?
On iPadOS 18 and later, enter jiggle mode, tap "Edit" > "Customize," then select "Large" under "Make the icons bigger."
How to change the color tint of app icons and widgets?
On iPadOS 18 and later, enter jiggle mode, tap "Edit" > "Customize," then select "Tinted." You can use the sliders or the eyedropper tool to pick a color.
How to turn off Smart Rotate for a widget stack?
Enter jiggle mode, tap on the Smart Stack, select "Edit Stack," and then toggle off the "Smart Rotate" option.
How to remove a widget from a Smart Stack?
Enter jiggle mode, tap on the Smart Stack, select "Edit Stack," tap the minus ("-") button next to the widget you want to remove, and then tap "Remove."
How to reorder widgets within a stack?
Enter jiggle mode, tap on the stack, select "Edit Stack," and then touch and hold the widget you want to move, dragging it to your desired position within the stack.
How to prevent suggested widgets from appearing in my Smart Stack?
Enter jiggle mode, tap on the Smart Stack, select "Edit Stack," and then toggle off "Widget Suggestions."
How to add widgets to the Lock Screen?
(Available on iOS/iPadOS 16 and later) Touch and hold your Lock Screen until the "Customize" button appears, tap "Customize," select "Lock Screen," then tap "Add Widgets." You can then tap or drag widgets into the widget bar.
How to get more widgets for my iPad?
Many apps you already use might offer widgets. To discover new ones, explore the App Store's "Today" tab or search for "widgets" within the App Store to find apps specifically designed with robust widget features.