The iOS 16 update brings a lot of customization to the iPhone, and adding widgets to the lock screen is the talk of the day. Widgets have been introduced to the home screen since iOS 14. The iOS 16 update takes it one step further by greatly impacting how we interact with our iPhones.
Apple hasn’t restricted widgets to its third-party apps, but has also released a developer API that third-party apps can use. Since the iOS 16 beta, several app developers have been working on making widgets available to their users. I’ve categorized the list of widgets so you can jump straight to what you’re looking for.
Note. For those who don’t know how to add widgets to the lock screen, please refer to our article: How to Customize the Lock Screen on iPhone in iOS 16.
- empiric dream
- NapBot
- personal record
- smart gym
- CardioBot
- Water Minder
- Widgetsmith
- Motivation
- Lock Screen Icon Widgets
- Screen kit
- Run
- Things 3
- Search
- Fantastic
- Carrot weather
- slopes
- Lumi
- Overcast
- Sur
- trip it
- flighty
- Package
- Apollo for Reddit
- pestle
Health & Fitness
Several Apple products and services are related to health and fitness. Apple has a product, the Apple Watch, and it does wonders for helping people lead healthier lives. Many other apps work with Apple Watch to track your runs, workouts, sleep cycles, and more. You may already be using these apps; if not, they are definitely worth checking out.
1. Experiential dream
The Empirical Sleep app is designed to track your sleep pattern and divide it into three categories: sleep start time, duration, and quality. After analyzing this data for 7 days, the app displays the results and recommends daily tasks to improve your sleep habits.
In iOS 16, developers have added widgets for sleep start, duration, quality, and sleep stages; you can add them to your iPhone lock screen or Apple Watch watch face.
2. NapBot
The NapBot app automatically tracks and analyzes your sleep patterns using on-device machine learning. The free version of the app provides detailed sleep analysis, ambient sound exposure, and heart rate while you sleep. Sleep history and sleep trends are some of the features unlocked with a Pro subscription to the app.
The developers of the app added lock screen widget support and Always-on-Display support with the iOS 16 update.
3. Personal record
The Personal Best app is designed to collect all your workout data from Apple Watch and iPhone. It tracks information such as distance traveled, heart rate, etc. The information is then presented in a convenient way to help you better understand your workouts, etc. The app also provides feedback to help you improve and compares you only with you. It pushes you to be the best version of yourself.
By adding widgets, you can track your workouts and heart rate zones even when your iPhone screen is locked. It also supports Always-on Display. All this is possible with iOS 16.
4. SmartGym
SmartGym is a very useful app for gym fans. It tracks muscle fatigue, target muscles, routine tags, personal bests, set types, and monthly history entries. The Mission Control widget allows you to view all important weekly schedules. Other widgets available are heart rate, weekly summary, and calorie tables.
5. CardioBot
CardioBot is a unique app that recommends heart rate recovery analysis based on research provided by the American Heart Association. It aims to help you improve your cardiovascular system and lead a healthier lifestyle. It also collects training and meditation data. Other than that, the app also provides sleep analysis and heart rate information.
In iOS 16, the developers of the app have added a couple of widgets to the lock screen, and you can also use these same widgets on the Always-on Display.
6. Driver
I remember reading somewhere: “Growing up is about reminding yourself to drink enough water.” Water Minder doesn’t just remind you to drink water at frequent intervals. The app will set the minimum water intake your body needs based on your weight. You can log other fluid intake information and view the history in a weekly chart.
You can choose from 8 widgets that display the current water level, hourly and weekly graphs, and more.
Personalization Widgets
Thousands of users use the same iPhone as you. How can you really make the device feel exclusive to you? One way is to personalize it. Here are some of the best personalization widgets that offer more than just pretty icons.
7. Widgetsmith
Widgetsmith has over 500k ratings on the App Store and is one of the most popular apps for creating custom home screen widgets. With the iOS 16 update, the company is adding support for lock screen widgets. You can choose from a wide variety of lock screen widgets, as well as add multiline rectangular widgets.
Customizing and editing widgets has become more intuitive with the iOS 16 update. Tapping on a widget also launches the corresponding app.
8. Motivation
The app “Motivation”lives up to its name. It displays motivational quotes in the widget space on the home screen. In iOS 16, you can add widgets to your lock screen. You can add these widgets in different sizes.
The main goal of the app is to boost your mental health with positive, inspirational quotes on your lock screen and on your iPhone’s always-on display.
9. Lock Screen Icon Widgets
The lock screen icon widget developer is Rihab Mehboob, winner of the WWDC 2022 Swift Student Challenge. The app consists of over 4,000 unique icons along with text.
In iOS 16, you can add widgets to your lock screen and customize them with icons and texts. You can also add the widget as a Message or FaceTime shortcut to your loved one’s contact.
10. Screen kit
ScreenKit is a customization app that allows you to change app icons, create different themes and widgets, and has a huge collection of aesthetic wallpapers. You can add over 500 app icons and widgets to your home screen.
The latest app update supports lock screen widgets and the app lets you choose from over 100 widgets to choose from. It offers more than just lock screen customization, so be sure to give it a try if you’re bored with home screen customization.
11. Launch
Ever wanted to launch an app right from your lock screen? Well, Launchify might be what you are looking for. It is an app launcher that allows you to instantly open an app on your iPhone from the lock screen.
In iOS 16, the app lets you customize your lock screen with widgets and assign actions to them. You can add symbols, app icons, and custom images.
For work
While many still prefer to manage their work by writing it down on paper, technology has made it easier to manage tasks by adding them to calendars, to-do lists, and more. Since many of us use our phones for work, here are some lock screen widgets you should try.
12. Things 3
Do you want to plan your day, manage your projects, and really move towards your goals? Things is an application that you must install. Once you’ve completed all your goals, the app will prioritize your tasks and help you focus on what’s most important right now. It will send you reminders to make sure you complete your task.
The app now supports three lock screen widgets; a List widget that displays your to-do list, a Progress ring that keeps track of your completed tasks, and an Add New Item widget that lets you create or add new tasks right from the lock screen.
13. Look Up
Please do not confuse the Look-Up app with the Apple Visual Look Up feature. If you are a non-native English speaker but want to expand your vocabulary, Look Up will be very helpful. The app shows a new word every day and you can add certain words to your favorite words list. This is a dictionary app with a beautiful design.
Avid readers will also benefit from the app because no matter how extensive our vocabulary is, there is always one word that makes us wonder what it means. Look Up will display the word of the day on your lock screen and help you learn something new every day.
14. Fantastic
Fantastical is a great calendar app that helps you keep track of your tasks. It can work alongside Google Tasks and Tools. This calendar app has received many awards.
The developers added support for lock screen widgets with the iOS 16 update. Three widgets are available: What’s next on your calendar, Full Month Calendar, and Quick Action Button.
Weather
I check the weather every day before leaving for work as it helps me decide whether I should bike to work or call a cab. It’s always good to be prepared. If you’re following the same habit, or intending to be, what’s better than a lock screen widget that displays the current weather without having to unlock your iPhone?
15. Carrot weather
If you love design and aesthetics, the Carrot Weather app will not disappoint you. It won Apple’s “App of the Year”award along with the Editor’s Choice app. The app also keeps your data private and provides accurate and detailed weather information.
The developers of the app have added support for over 20 customizable lock screen widgets in iOS 16. You can view the weather, as well as hourly and daily forecasts, and if you’re familiar with Carrot, you can also add a widget that displays their notorious jokes.
16. Slopes
Slopes is an app aimed at a niche audience that skis and snowboards a lot. The app keeps you updated on the weather conditions around your favorite resorts and displays snow forecasts, and you can add widgets for both of these features to your lock screen.
17. Lumi
Lumy is another app aimed at a niche audience that wants to track the movement of the sun. How does sun tracking help anyone? Well, the app is made with photographers in mind who want to take pictures during the golden hour or blue hour, or people who want to go out for an early morning run or yoga session. However, when the sun is shining, you won’t miss out on this vitamin D during your workout.
In iOS 16, you can add widgets that allow you to track any sun or moon events, such as moon phases, sunrise and sunset times, and more.
Music and podcasts
Apple introduced live action for music and podcasts on iOS 16, and it’s amazing. The album cover and the overall design of the lock screen are commendable. But if you’re not a fan of this design, or want to add widgets for music and podcast apps to your lock screen, here are a few recommended apps.
18. Cloudy
Overcast is the only podcast app written by a single developer; no big company finances it. It is loaded with a bunch of useful features and no gimmicks. Several technical publications have praised this service.
Newly added lock screen widgets display unfinished podcasts or even recently published podcasts, a playlist resume widget of your choice, and an icon that launches the Overcast app from the lock screen.
19. Sur
Soor is a feature rich third-party app for Apple Music. This is just a client application for those who are familiar with Apple Music application clients. You can access music from the entire Apple Music library. The interface of the application is controlled by gestures, which I personally like about it.
The word Soor is a Hindi word that means melody, and being an Indian, it’s a pretty wise name for an app dedicated to music. In terms of widget support, you can add rectangular and round lock screen widgets to your lock screen.
Travel Widgets
Some people travel often, some rarely, and some don’t travel at all. If you fall into the first two categories, you already have several apps that work well. Until the app developers for these apps release lock screen widgets, here are a few apps you should try that support lock screen widgets.
If you don’t travel often, it might be time to start exploring.
20. TripIt
Traveling is fun. But you have to plan everything and keep all booking details in one place by creating an itinerary. TripIt does just that. Once you’ve booked your flight or confirmed your hotel reservation, email the details to the app and add them to your itinerary.
Widgets are available on the lock screen to display travel details such as upcoming trips, plans, flights, hotel reservations, etc. They update based on time; everything you need is on the lock screen.
21. Windy
The Flighty app offers industry-first features such as 25-hour flight tracking, delay forecast, taxi times, and check-in assistant to provide the right information at the right time. It is a proven and reliable application that provides pilot level alerts.
You can also track the flights of your friends.
The widgets available on the iOS 16 lock screen are the trip countdown widget, real-time flight status, and in-flight progress bar.
Miscellaneous Widgets
22. Parcel
Parcel allows you to track your parcels. This is the simplest explanation of the application. You can track your parcel on over 300 shipping providers such as UPS, FedEx, USPS, etc. Adding a delivery is very easy – just scan the QR code, and sometimes you don’t even need to add it manually, because Parcel is set up with automation. for multiple applications.
You can add a lock screen widget to your iOS 16 lock screen that shows you where your package went and when it will reach you. All information right on the lock screen.
23. Apollo for Reddit
Reddit is one of the best anonymous social networks that provides information and entertainment about anything and everything. While it’s one of the best apps for connecting with the world, it’s not very attractive, and Apollo is one of the most popular Reddit clients.
After installing Apollo, 8 widgets will be available to you. One of the widgets displays the total number of messages in your inbox, while the other one leads directly to your inbox. There is also a widget that displays your karma; useful widget for users who like to farm karma.
24. Pestle
I’ve been eating out for over a couple of months now, and besides hurting my wallet, it’s also hurting my health. Too bad I didn’t find Pestle sooner, as it allows you to import recipes from anywhere and guides you through the entire cooking process. The app also syncs across all your devices.
You can add a widget that will display your meal plan so you can focus and know what you should be eating. Later this year, the developers of the app will include a Live Activity feature that will help with the step-by-step cooking process.
Completion…
So that’s all for now guys. I hope you found my list of lock screen widgets helpful. Let me know in the comments which widget you plan to download and use!