Third-party widgets have been a staple on Android for years, but they’ve finally made their way to iDevices with iOS 8. Sort of, anyway. Apple still won’t let you install widgets to your home screen, but you can add some widgets to your Notification Center. Here’s what to do. First, make sure all your apps are up to date. The App Store has allowed automatic updates since iOS 7, so chances are good you’re all set there. Next, head into Notification Center by swiping down from the top of your home screen. It’ll look similar to how it did in iOS 7, but at the very bottom is a new button: Edit. Tap Edit, then scroll down to the “Do Not Include” section. Apple disables all third-party widgets by default, so add whichever widgets you want to the list above, and re-arrange their order to your liking with the hamburger icon to its right. Not all widgets are created equal, so pick and choose the ones that make sense with how you use your phone.
About Shelly Palmer
Shelly Palmer is the Professor of Advanced Media in Residence at Syracuse University’s S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications and CEO of The Palmer Group, a consulting practice that helps Fortune 500 companies with technology, media and marketing. Named LinkedIn’s “Top Voice in Technology,” he covers tech and business for Good Day New York, is a regular commentator on CNN and writes a popular daily business blog. He's a bestselling author, and the creator of the popular, free online course, Generative AI for Execs. Follow @shellypalmer or visit shellypalmer.com.