What Makes a Great Home Screen Widget in 2025?
Home screen widgets have been around for a while now — on both Android and iOS — but their design, utility, and popularity seem to vary a lot depending on the platform and user habits.
I thought it might be helpful to open a discussion here:
What types of widgets do you find yourself actually using regularly?
Are there specific features or designs that make a widget “stick” on your home screen?
Have you noticed a difference in how widgets are used across Android and iOS?
And for something like weather — would you prefer a minimal glance, or something richer?
Feel free to share any thoughts, good examples, or even things that didn’t work for you.
Hopefully this thread gives others (myself included) some insight into what’s truly useful today. 🙌
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Great topic, Amber! For me, the best home screen widgets are the ones that give just enough info at a glance without feeling cluttered.
I personally use weather widgets daily I prefer a minimal design that shows current conditions and maybe one or two key details like temperature and chance of rain. Anything more detailed feels overwhelming on a small widget.
I’ve noticed on Android, widgets tend to be more customizable, which I love. On iOS, they’re cleaner but sometimes lack quick actions, which can be a downside.
Widgets “stick” for me when they save me a tap or two like calendar widgets that show upcoming meetings or a notes widget for quick reminders.
@priyanka_gosai1 This is such a thoughtful and insight-packed reply, and thank you so much!
@priyanka_gosai1
Your point about “just enough info at a glance” is so true, and I couldn’t agree more.
I’m currently working on a weather app, and we’re developing widgets for it. One thing we’re thinking about is whether people want the ability to customize what weather info they see, or if it’s better to just keep it simple with the essentials. I’d love to hear your thoughts.
I also really liked what you said about Android vs. iOS. At first, we thought iOS users just didn’t care much about widgets, but now we think it’s more about their preference for simple, clean design, just like you mentioned. Thanks again for sharing such helpful insights! 🙌
A calendar is a must-have.
Many people would miss meetings (but they would either way because they do not pay so much attention because of the information overload). 😅
@busmark_w_nika Haha, I get the sense that you have a lot of meetings — sounds like you're working hard! 😄
Since calendar is a must-have for you, would you prefer a separate weather widget, or maybe a weather calendar that shows your schedule alongside relevant weather conditions or forecasts?
Could be handy when planning meetings, commutes, or outdoor events!
@weatherstone Actually, I am 99% okay with meetings, but people don't arrive, so I am waiting for them :D
I would say that a weather calendar with a forecast would be relevant for me (but it is very subjective).