Smart Stack Rotation Updates in iOS 15

Apple's iOS 15 introduced notable refinements to Home Screen customization, specifically enhancing how Smart Stack widgets cycle through content. While iOS 14 first brought widgets and the initial Smart Rotate capability, iOS 15 expanded the stack rotation configuration by adding context-aware Widget Suggestions and separating individual automation toggles directly within the stack editor.

Addition of Widget Suggestions

The most significant update to Smart Stack rotation in iOS 15 was the introduction of Widget Suggestions. When enabled, iOS automatically inserts relevant widgets into your stack that you have not manually added, drawing from apps you already use. These recommendations appear dynamically based on your typical habits, location, current activity, or the time of day. Once the contextual event passes, the suggested widget disappears from the stack.

Dedicated Rotation Toggles

Prior to iOS 15, Smart Stack rotation configuration was limited to a single toggle. In iOS 15, Apple split the automation controls into two distinct switches accessible from the "Edit Stack" menu:

  • Smart Rotate: Automatically rotates through the widgets you have manually added to the stack throughout the day based on relevance and typical usage patterns.
  • Widget Suggestions: Allows iOS to insert dynamic, context-driven widgets that are not permanently part of your stack.

These separate switches give users granular control, allowing them to keep their own widgets rotating automatically while preventing the operating system from injecting external suggestions, or vice versa.

How to Access the Rotation Settings in iOS 15

To configure these rotation settings on an iPhone running iOS 15:

  1. Touch and hold the Smart Stack on your Home Screen.
  2. Select Edit Stack from the quick actions menu.
  3. Tap the Smart Rotate icon in the bottom-left corner to enable or disable rotation for your existing widgets.
  4. Tap the Widget Suggestions icon in the bottom-right corner to toggle dynamic widget recommendations on or off.
  5. Tap Done or tap outside the editor to save the configuration.