New iOS 15 Home Screen Widget Features

Apple expanded its home screen customization options in iOS 15, building directly upon the foundation introduced in iOS 14. This update introduced intelligent Widget Suggestions, seamless integration with Focus modes, new default app widgets, and improved controls for organizing Smart Stacks. The following breakdown covers all the primary widget capabilities and enhancements added in iOS 15.

Widget Suggestions

iOS 15 introduced Widget Suggestions for Smart Stacks. Using on-device intelligence, the operating system can automatically insert a relevant widget into your existing Smart Stack based on your past activity, time of day, or location. For example, if you typically check the Weather app in the morning, the system might automatically present the Weather widget inside your stack. Users have full control over this feature and can toggle Widget Suggestions on or off within the stack editing menu.

Direct Smart Stack Reordering

Managing Smart Stacks became faster and more intuitive. In iOS 15, users can reorder widgets directly within a Smart Stack without needing to delete and recreate the stack. By long-pressing a stack and selecting "Edit Stack," you can drag widgets into your preferred sequence and easily toggle both "Smart Rotate" and "Widget Suggestions."

Focus Mode Integration

Widgets in iOS 15 work in tandem with the Focus feature. Users can assign specific Home Screen pages to individual Focus modes—such as Work, Personal, or Sleep. When a Focus mode activates, the Home Screen automatically adapts, displaying dedicated pages populated only with the widgets and apps relevant to that specific task or environment.

New First-Party Widgets

Apple introduced several new built-in widgets for core system apps in iOS 15:

  • Find My: Allows users to track friends, family, and personal items (such as AirTags) directly from the Home Screen.
  • Contacts: Lets users access family and friends with a single tap to call, message, email, or view shared files and photos. It is available in small, medium, and large formats.
  • Game Center: Displays recently played games, friends' gameplay activity, and achievement milestones.
  • App Store: Highlights daily stories, featured collections, and in-app events.
  • Sleep: Shows recent sleep data and tracking metrics from the Health app.
  • Mail: Displays a preview of recent unread emails or specific mailboxes.

iPadOS 15 Widget Enhancements

Alongside iOS 15, iPadOS 15 gained the ability to place widgets anywhere on the Home Screen among app icons, matching the capability iOS received the previous year. Additionally, iPadOS 15 introduced a new Extra-Large (XL) widget size tailored specifically for the iPad's larger display canvas, supported by apps like Files, Photos, Apple TV, and Game Center.