How to Use Widgets on an iPad in iPadOS 14

Can iPadOS 14 allows you to add widgets to the iPad’s Today View. Add, edit and stack widgets to personalize your device.

By Olena Kagui Thu, 03/04/2021

Widgets have been a life-changer for Apple users since the iOS 14 and iPadOS 14 updates. Widgets allow you to personalize your Home screen. iPad widgets are a little different from iPhone widgets, so it’s good to learn how to use widgets on an iPad before you start.

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iPad Widgets vs. iPhone Widgets

Widgets on the iPad work a little differently than they do on iPhones. The main difference is that on an iPhone, widgets can be mixed in with apps on the Home screen. On an iPad, widgets can be added to the Today View only. However, the Today View can be set as the Home screen.

Related: How to Add & Use iPhone Homescreen Widgets in iOS 14

How to Add Widgets on an iPad

You can add widgets on an iPad to make your screen organized, more fun, and easier to navigate. Use these steps to add iPad widgets:

  1. Swipe right until you reach the last screen on your iPad. This is your Today View. 

    Swipe all the way to the left to see your Today View
     
  2. Long-press an empty area of the screen.
  3. Tap the gray + icon when it appears in the upper-left corner.

    Tap the gray plus icon to add a widget on iPad
     
  4. Select or search for a widget.

    You can search for widgets or select from the list
     
  5. You can swipe left or right to choose a widget size.
  6. Tap Add Widget.

    Tap Add Widget to add the iPad widget
     
  7. You'll see the newly added widget in your Today View.

    You'll see your new widget in the widget collection in your Today View
     
  8. Tap Done in the upper-right corner.

    Tap Done in the upper-right corner

How to Pin the Today View to Your Home Screen

You can pin the Today View to your iPad Home Screen to make widgets more accessible. Here's how:

  1. Open the Settings app on your iPad.

    Open the Settings app on your iPad
     
  2. Tap Home Screen & Dock.
  3. If you have the option between "More" and "Bigger" under App Icons, make sure that More is selected.

    Select More
     
  4. Tap the Keep Today View on Home Screen toggle to enable it.

    Toggle on Keep Today View on Home Screen
     
  5. You'll now see your Today View pinned to your iPad Home Screen.

How to Remove Widgets from the Today View

If you want to remove a widget from your iPad Today View, follow these steps:

  1. Long-press a widget to open the quick actions menu.

    Long-press a widget to open the quick actions menu
     
  2. Tap Remove Widget.

    Tap Remove Widget to remove the iPad widget
     
  3. Tap Remove to confirm that you want to delete the widget.

    Tap Remove to confirm

How to Stack Widgets on an iPad

There are different sizes for widgets on an iPad. Widgets of the same size can be stacked. When you stack widgets, they will take up less space and you will be able to scroll through the widgets whenever you like. Here's how to stack iPad widgets:

  1. Long-press the widget you want to move into a stack.

    Long-press the widget you want to move into a widget stack
     
  2. Drag the widget and drop it on top of another widget of the same size to create a stack or add to an existing stack.

    Drag the widget onto another widget of the same size to add it to a stack or create a new stack

Add more widgets using the steps above, but keep in mind that you can only stack up to 10 widgets. Also, you cannot join two stacks; you will need to drag individual widgets into existing stacks.

How to Edit a Widget Stack

Edit a widget stack to personalize what you see in it. With these steps you can reorder iPad widgets or delete them from the stack.

  1. Long-press the widget stack.
  2. Select Edit Stack.

    Long-press the iPad widget stack you want to edit
     
  3. To change the order of the widgets, touch the three gray lines on a widget and drag it into the order you prefer.

    Touch and drag a widget using the three gray lines in order to change the order of widgets
     
  4. To delete a widget, swipe left on that widget.

    Swipe left on a widget to delete it
     
  5. Tap Delete.

    Tap Delete to delete the widget form the widget stack
     
  6. Tap the gray X icon in the top-right corner when you are done.

    Tap the gray X when you're done

How to Edit Widgets on an iPad

Some widgets have configuration options. For example, a weather widget can display weather in different regions. You can edit the widgets on your iPad to customize the information shown.

  1. Long-press a widget to open the quick actions menu.

    Long-press a widget to open the quick actions menu
     
  2. Tap on Edit Widget.

    Tap Edit Widget
     
  3. Tap on the settings you wish to change and adjust them to your preference.

    Make edits and then tap outside the widget to save your changes
     
  4. When you're done, tap anywhere outside the widget to finalize your changes.

Once you’ve created a widget in a certain size, you cannot change it by editing. You need to delete it and add the new one in a different size.

Now you know how to use iPad widgets to make your iPad more fun to use! 

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Topics

How-To
iPad

Author Details

Olena Kagui's picture

Author Details

Olena Kagui

Olena Kagui is a Feature Writer at iPhone Life who lives in Rhode Island. With a BA in International Relations from Anglo American University, Olena traveled the world. She has lived in Ukraine, the Czech Republic, China, and the USA. Olena won an excellence award for a controversial article, got a grant to blog from a war-zone, and published a short fictional story. She hopes to publish a full-length novel and continue writing up a storm on her blog The Travel Bug Bite! When she’s not typing or flying, she is loving on animals, crafting bizarre creations, and devouring all-you-can-eat sushi.