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Using Interactive Widgets on your Home Screen

10th September 2023

1:35

iPhone | QuickTips

| Home Screen
iphone-dynamic-island
iPhone 14 Pro
IOS_17_logo
iOS 17
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Jacob Woolcock

10th September 2023

Jacob Woolcock

204 views

1:35

| Home Screen
iphone-dynamic-island
iPhone 14 Pro
IOS_17_logo
iOS 17

nothing to see here!

Description

In this video, I’ll introduce you to the brand new interactive widgets for your iPhone on iOS 17. Get ready to explore a new Home Screen paradigm as I show you how to use these widgets to interact with apps in new ways. From playing and pausing music to completing tasks in Reminders and even controlling HomeKit accessories, these widgets are a game-changer. Join me for a hands-on demonstration of iOS 17’s interactive widgets, and elevate your iPhone experience to a whole new level.

Transcript

Your home screen widgets in iOS 17 have gained a lot of new power in this update, and they’re actually now completely interactive. So, at the moment while I’m making this video, it’s just like our first-party Apple apps that are working, but by the time you watch it, and in weeks and months to come, all of the apps that you use will start updating with this new feature. So, what exactly do I mean by interactive widgets? Well, I can add a new widget just like I could do before: tap and hold the home screen, press the plus button, and then search for the app you want. I’ll grab a music widget quickly and put that on as well.

But now, all of these widgets, rather than just opening the app, are actually fully interactive. And so, because these are now interactive, I can literally interact with them on the home screen without having to open any app at all. So, in the HomeKit app in the top corner, I can turn the fan on and turn the light in my office on, just from the home screen by tapping those buttons. On the reminders list, I can tick an item off just by pressing the circle, and it’s gone. I haven’t got to open the whole app and go through the whole process. On the music player, I can press play, I can press pause, just like you’d expect.

Of course, I can still open up the app just like before by tapping onto the main body of the widget, like the empty space or the main text, and that will open the app just like it would do before iOS 17. But having this new feature just means speeding up a lot of interactions with your phone because you haven’t got to go to the apps anymore.

And I hope that this video will help you complete my last task by subscribing down below. But if you need a little bit more encouragement, check out the end screen where you’ll find a playlist full of videos sharing more things that iOS 17 can now do. And if you do like these videos, please do subscribe down below; that way, you won’t miss any in the future.

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About Home Screen
The iOS Home Screen is the primary interface on Apple devices where users can access apps, widgets, and information at a glance. It offers customisation options such as arranging apps, adding widgets, and creating app folders, providing a personalised and efficient user experience.
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Video Details

This QuickTip video was recorded on an iPhone 14 Pro
running iOS 17.

Thank You

All of my content is completely free to watch. However, to create these videos I require a steady stream of caffeine!  If you’ve found this QuickTip helpful then please do consider buying me a coffee. Thank you.

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Additional Information

The content used in this video is intended for educational and informational purposes only. All rights to the images, music, clips, and other media used belong to their respective owners. I do not claim ownership over any third-party content used. This video has not been authorised, sponsored, or otherwise approved by Apple Inc.

iPhone, iPad and iPadOS are trademarks of Apple Inc., registered in the U.S. and other countries and regions. iOS is a registered trademark of Cisco Systems Inc. Whilst I have done my best to list all applicable trademarks for this video, in the (hopefully unlikely) event that I have missed any you can find a full list of trademarks registered to Apple Inc. here.

Finally, please note that whilst every effort has been made to ensure the information contained within this video was correct at time of publication, please be aware that as future updates and software changes occur some or all elements of this video may become outdated. I will endeavour to remove videos which are completely obsolete so as not to cause confusion!

Check out my new iOS 18 Book!

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