The best iPhone widgets in 2026 are the ones that let you act without opening an app: check off a task in Reminders or Things, log a habit in Streaks, copy a saved clip with Clipboard AI, or read your day in Fantastical and the forecast in CARROT Weather. Widgets have responded to taps since iOS 17, and iOS 27, released in September 2026, adds extra-large Home Screen widgets. Every pick below was checked against the maker's own pages on October 5, 2026.
What changed for iOS widgets in iOS 26 and 27
- Widgets you can tap (iOS 17 and later). Apple's iPhone User Guide says you can check off an item in the Reminders widget, play an episode from the Podcasts widget, or turn on lights from the Home widget without opening the app.
- Controls (iOS 18 and later). Control Center and the two bottom buttons on the Lock Screen can hold controls, such as the Complete Task control in Streaks or the Save Clipboard control in Clipboard AI.
- Looks. Apple's guide lists Dark, Clear and Tinted looks under Edit, then Customize, and Auto switches icons and widgets between light by day and dark at night.
- Extra-large widgets (iOS 27). Apple lists extra-large Home Screen widgets among the new features in iOS 27. Each app has to add support, so not every widget offers the size yet.
The best iPhone widgets at a glance
Details were last checked on October 5, 2026.
| Widget | Best for | What it offers |
|---|---|---|
| Reminders (Apple) | Today's tasks | Tap an item to check it off |
| Home (Apple) | Smart home | Tap to turn on lights without opening the app |
| Fantastical | Your schedule | 14 Home Screen widgets to mix and match |
| Things | To-do lists | Tap a checkbox to complete a to-do |
| Streaks | Daily habits | A Tasks widget with check marks to complete tasks |
| CARROT Weather | Forecasts | Customizable widgets for the Home Screen and Lock Screen |
| Widgetsmith | Custom looks | Widgets for photos, countdowns, weather and music shortcuts |
| Clipboard AI | Reusing copied text | A Collection widget that copies a saved clip on tap |
Why each one earns its space
Reminders, Home and Podcasts from Apple
Apple's own widgets cover the basics, and they act in place. Tap an item in the Reminders widget to check it off, tap the Home widget to turn on a light, or tap play in the Podcasts widget to start an episode. The Mail widget has a smaller trick: tap the mailbox it shows and pick a different one. Try these before you download anything.
Fantastical
Fantastical, from Flexibits, is the pick when your day is built around a calendar. It offers 14 Home Screen widgets to mix and match, so you can choose the layout that fits the space. Put one in a Smart Stack with your task widget and a single slot covers both your schedule and your to-dos.
Things
Things, from Cultured Code, is the pick for a to-do list you want to finish from the Home Screen: tap a to-do's checkbox in the widget and it is done. Version 3.24, released September 14, 2026, added full iOS 27 support.
Streaks
Streaks, from Crunchy Bagel, suits daily habits. Its Tasks widget shows check marks you tap to complete a task, and timed tasks get play and pause buttons. On iOS 18 and later you can also add Streaks controls to Control Center, one to complete a task and one to start or stop a timer.
CARROT Weather
CARROT Weather is the pick for forecasts you can customize, with a wide variety of widgets for the Home Screen and the Lock Screen. If you only want the basics, the Weather widget that comes with iOS needs no download.
Widgetsmith
Widgetsmith is the pick when you want to design a widget yourself. You can build widgets around photos, countdowns to events, music shortcuts, weather, step counts and clocks, for the Home Screen and the Lock Screen.
Clipboard AI
Clipboard AI's Collection widget (medium or large) shows your saved clips or one collection, and tapping a row copies that clip without opening the app, so a Trip collection with a booking reference, the hotel address and a taxi number is one tap away at a counter. The small Quick Capture widget and the Save Clipboard control save whatever you just copied. Clipboard widgets for iPhone has the setup, and the Help Center's widgets, Control Center and Lock Screen guide covers each one with screenshots.
Add widgets to your Home Screen in iOS 26 and 27
- Touch and hold the Home Screen background until the apps jiggle, tap Edit, then tap Add Widget.
- Scroll or search for the app, tap it, and swipe through the sizes and styles.
- Tap Add Widget when you see the one you want, drag it into place, and tap Done.
For apps that have widgets there is a quicker route: touch and hold the app icon and tap a widget size in the menu that appears, and the icon becomes a widget. To change a widget later, touch and hold it and tap Edit Widget, or choose another size from the same menu. Not every app offers every size: Apple notes that some apps provide only small and medium widgets, while others go up to extra large.
Arrange widgets so they stay useful
- Stack them. A Smart Stack is a set of widgets that uses the time, your location and your activity to show the most relevant one. Add one from the widget gallery and swipe up and down through it. Touch and hold it and tap Edit Stack to reorder the widgets or drag one out onto the Home Screen.
- Give a Focus its own page. Apple's tip is to put the apps and widgets for one Focus, such as Work, on a single Home Screen page and make that page available during that Focus. The iPhone Focus mode guide covers setting up Focus itself.
- Use the whole page. You can move apps and widgets anywhere on a Home Screen page, including the top, bottom and sides, to frame your wallpaper.
- Keep a Today View. Swipe right from the left edge of the Home Screen for Today View. To see it while the iPhone is locked, turn on Today View and Search in Settings under Face ID & Passcode (Touch ID & Passcode on other models).
For picks outside widgets, the best productivity apps for iPhone and best habit tracker apps go deeper, and the iPhone tips hub collects the rest of our setup guides.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I check off tasks from an iPhone widget?
Yes, on iOS 17 or later. Reminders and Things both let you tap an item to complete it. In Things the tap-to-complete behavior is on by default, and a Checkbox setting under Edit Widget turns it off if you keep tapping by accident.
Do iPhone widgets work on the Lock Screen?
Yes. Apple's widgets guide says you can add widgets to the Lock Screen as well as the Home Screen. Things offers List, Progress and New To-Do widgets there, and Fantastical offers Up Next, Calendar and Quick Action. CARROT Weather and Widgetsmith also list Lock Screen widgets.
Does iOS 27 add new widget sizes?
Yes. Apple lists extra-large Home Screen widgets as new in iOS 27, and each app has to add support. Things 3.24 added a new extra-tall widget on September 14, 2026, and Streaks 11.4 added extra-large widgets for iPhone and iPad. Apps that offer only small and medium sizes will not show the larger option.
Do iPhone widgets work in StandBy?
Yes, for apps that support it. Turn StandBy on under Settings, then StandBy, connect the iPhone to a charger and set it on its side. Fantastical lists StandBy widgets for Icon, Date, Calendar, Up Next and Event List, and Streaks says its widgets can appear in StandBy.
Do I need to pay for good iPhone widgets?
No, not to start. Apple's widgets come with iOS and Clipboard AI's widgets are free. Some apps charge: CARROT Weather's site says its widgets require a Premium Club membership, and Widgetsmith is free to download with Widgetsmith Premium as an in-app subscription.
Sources
- Apple Support, "Add, edit, and remove widgets on iPhone", read October 5, 2026
- Apple Support, "Customize apps and widgets on the iPhone Home Screen", read October 5, 2026
- Apple Support, "Move apps and widgets on the iPhone Home Screen", read October 5, 2026
- Apple Support, "Use StandBy to view information at a distance while iPhone is charging", read October 5, 2026
- Apple Support, "What's new in iOS 27", read October 5, 2026
- Things Support, "Using Things' Widgets", read October 5, 2026
- Things Support, "iPhone Release Notes" (Things for iPhone 3.24, September 14, 2026), read October 5, 2026
- Crunchy Bagel, "Now Available: Streaks for iOS 17 & watchOS 10", September 19, 2023
- Crunchy Bagel, "Now Available: Streaks 10", September 17, 2024
- App Store, "Streaks" (version 11.4 notes), read October 5, 2026
- App Store, "Widgetsmith", read October 5, 2026
- Flexibits, "Fantastical", read October 5, 2026
- CARROT Weather, "CARROT Weather", read October 5, 2026
