How to Customize Smart Stack Auto Rotate in iOS 15

Apple introduced refined controls for Home Screen widgets in iOS 15, giving users direct authority over how Smart Stacks cycle content and surface automated information. While previous versions automatically determined when to rotate widgets with limited user intervention, iOS 15 introduced dedicated toggles for "Smart Rotate" alongside a brand-new "Widget Suggestions" feature. This guide breaks down the new customization controls added to Smart Stacks in iOS 15 and how to configure them to suit your workflow.

New Controls Added in iOS 15

Prior to iOS 15, Smart Stacks could automatically cycle through user-selected widgets based on factors like time of day and location. In iOS 15, Apple expanded this capability by separating existing rotation behavior from automated recommendations:

  • Smart Rotate Toggle: This setting allows you to enable or disable automatic rotation through the widgets you manually added to the stack. When turned off, the stack stays on whichever widget you leave it on until you manually swipe.
  • Widget Suggestions Toggle: This is the primary new control added in iOS 15. When enabled, iOS dynamically injects widgets that are not currently in your stack based on your habits, current location, calendar events, or active Focus mode. For example, if you regularly open Maps at 8:00 AM, iOS 15 will temporarily surface the Maps widget in your stack. If you prefer to only see widgets you specifically chose, you can turn this toggle off.

How to Access and Adjust the Controls

You can adjust these settings directly on any Smart Stack on your Home Screen or Today View:

  1. Press and hold the Smart Stack until the quick actions menu appears.
  2. Select Edit Stack.
  3. At the bottom of the edit view, locate the two customization switches:
    • Tap Smart Rotate to switch automatic scrolling on or off.
    • Tap Widget Suggestions to allow or prevent iOS from showing unadded widgets.
  4. Tap the Done button or tap outside the edit area to save your preferences.

Reordering and Managing Suggested Widgets

When Widget Suggestions is active and a suggested widget appears in your stack, iOS 15 also provides inline controls:

  • Add to Stack: Tap the plus (+) button next to a suggested widget to permanently add it to your stack.
  • Dismiss Suggestion: Swipe to remove a suggestion or long-press the widget and select Don't Suggest Widget to prevent that specific app from appearing again.