How to Resize Widgets on the Home Screen in iOS 18

Apple introduced dynamic widget resizing directly on the Home Screen in iOS 18, eliminating the tedious process of deleting and re-adding widgets just to change their dimensions. Users can now seamlessly switch between different widget shapes and sizes—or even convert an app icon into a widget—using an on-screen drag handle or a simple long-press menu.

How Dynamic Resizing Works

In iOS 18, widgets can be resized dynamically in two distinct ways:

Method 1: The Drag Handle in Edit Mode

  1. Touch and hold an empty area of your Home Screen until the icons begin to jiggle.
  2. Locate the widget you want to resize. A curved adjustment handle will appear in the bottom-right corner of compatible widgets.
  3. Drag the handle outward to expand the widget or inward to shrink it. The widget snaps to supported dimensions (small, medium, large, or extra-large) in real time.
  4. Tap Done in the top-right corner to save your changes.

Method 2: The Quick Actions Menu

  1. Touch and hold the widget you wish to adjust until the quick actions menu appears.
  2. In the menu, you will see a row of size indicators representing the available formats for that widget, including the standard app icon shape.
  3. Tap the desired size, and the widget will instantly transform on your Home Screen without entering edit mode.

Converting App Icons to Widgets

This dynamic functionality also extends to standard app icons. If an application offers widget support, long-pressing its app icon will reveal widget size options in the pop-up menu. Selecting one of these sizes immediately transforms the icon into an active widget right where it sits.

Requirements and Limitations

Dynamic resizing applies to any widget that offers multiple sizes. However, if a developer has only designed a single size for a specific widget, the resize handle will not appear, and the quick actions menu will not present alternate dimension options.