With iOS 16, Apple offers lots of small widgets to customize its start screen. Third-party developers are slowly starting to release their own. Here is our selection.
After several months of testing, iOS 16 has been available to the general public since September 12. The new iPhone update brings lots of handy little new features, but it stands out above all thanks to its new fully customizable lock screen. Apple’s goal is to help you make your iPhone unique.
In addition to new dynamic wallpapers, Apple offers plenty of native widgets (Weather, Calendar, Batteries, Home, Reminders…), but third-party developers are gradually rolling out their own widgets. Here is a first selection, before discovering the others. Google, for example, has announced that it will roll out widgets for all of its software.
Facebook, so you don’t miss birthdays
For once, Facebook had a really good idea. The latest update to its application allows you to add a “birthday” widget, in small or large format. The small one tells you the number of your friends celebrating their birthdays today, the other tells you their names directly. Very handy so you don’t miss anything.
Widgetsmith, to have many options
Widgetsmith is an application dedicated to widgets. Popularized by iOS 14 widgets for the home screen, it had the good idea to adapt to iOS 16 from day one. It allows you, for example, to put a photo under the time or to add information, such as the number of steps taken each day. The options are many.
Flighty: to follow planes
Are you expecting a loved one on a plane? Thanks to Flighty, you can follow the progress of a flight in real time from the lock screen. You just need to add a flight in the app, it will be synchronized with the widget.
I am: one sentence every day
I am is a pretty weird app that offers you an inspirational phrase every day. Thanks to iOS 16, it can appear under the time rather than in a notification.
Parcel: to track a delivery
Along with Deliveries, Parcel is one of the most popular applications for tracking a delivery on the iPhone. Its latest update allows you to have a countdown to the date of its next delivery on the lock screen.
Overcast: to manage your podcasts
Overcast, a software dedicated to podcasts, is ironically more suitable for iOS 16 than Apple’s Podcasts app. It offers three widgets.
Launcher: to add icons
Unfortunately, Launcher is very limited by default. To unlock lots of options, you have to pay. But this app can do it all. Contact icon, application icon, shortcut to a setting… You can create custom widgets.
Slopes: to prepare for skiing
If you don’t know Slopes, this is one of the best apps for winter sports. It is already compatible with iOS 16, with the possibility of consulting the weather forecast for precipitation or its last descents from the lock screen.
Finally, let’s end with a little tip. If you don’t see a widget after installing an app update, consider opening it at least once. This should allow iOS to detect its widgets.
