Widgetsmith is a popular iOS app that allows you to create customized widgets to display on your iPhone’s home screen. With Widgetsmith, you can make widgets that show the time, date, photos, calendar events, weather information, health data, and more.
The key to designing great custom widgets with Widgetsmith is understanding all the options available to customize the look and content of your widgets. Here is a comprehensive guide on how to make the most out of Widgetsmith to design custom home screen widgets that fit your personal style.
Table of Contents
Choose the Widget Size
The first step in designing a custom Widgetsmith widget is choosing what size you want – small, medium or large.
- Small widgets are best for displaying very concise information like a single photo, the time or a short phrase.
- Medium widgets have a bit more room to include additional details like weather + time, photo + text, etc.
- Large widgets offer the most space to showcase several pieces of information at once.
Think about what home screen real estate you have to work with and how much content you want to feature when deciding on size.
Select the Widget Content
Once you’ve picked the widget size, it’s time to choose what you actually want it to display. Widgetsmith has a wide variety of widget content options to select from:
- Time – Analog, digital, multiple time zones
- Date – Day of week, date formats
- Photos – Single photo, photo album
- Calendar – Upcoming events, month view
- Weather – Current conditions, hourly/daily forecast
- Astronomy – Moon phases, sunrise/sunset times
- Health – Activity, sleep, heart rate
- Text – Custom messages, quotes
- Blank – Just backgrounds and borders
Browse all the content categories to find what fits your needs and home screen aesthetic best. Most types have several style options to help you customize further.
Customize the Look
Here comes the really fun part – customizing how your widget actually looks! Widgetsmith gives you tons of visual customization options:
Choose Color Schemes
- Background colors
- Border colors
- Text/icon colors
- Gradient options
Pick colors that complement your wallpaper.
Select Widget Themes
- Vibrant themes like Beach, Forest and Northern Lights
- Elegant premium themes like Marble, Rose Gold and Denim
- Holiday special themes
Themes impact all coloring/visual elements.
Format Text
- Font style and size
- Alignment
- Title text
- Prefix/suffix
Makes text stand out.
Set Photos
- Choose specific albums
- Apply filters
- Set focal point
- Add photo effects
Showcase your best shots.
Enable Animations
- Text effects
- Transitions
- Icon movements
Add motion for extra flair.
Save Your Designs
The last step is saving your widget designs within the Widgetsmith app so that you can add them to your home screen.
- Name your widgets so you can easily distinguish between them after creation.
- Star favorite widgets in Widgetsmith so they are pinned to the top of your library for quick access later.
- Organize with hashtags – Widgetsmith lets you tag widgets with hashtags like #work, #travel, #fitness.
Saving widgets in the app is what makes them available to add to your home screen.
Add Your Widgets to the Home Screen
Once you’ve designed widgets in Widgetsmith, it’s time to put them on display!
To add widgets:
- Long press on empty space on your home screen
- Tap the “+” icon to access widgets
- Select Widgetsmith
- Choose the size of your custom widget
- Tap “Add Widget”
- Repeat for additional widgets!
With these steps, you’ll have stunning custom widgets made with Widgetsmith sprucing up your iPhone’s home screen in no time. Get creative with mixing and matching widget sizes and styles to show off your own personal flair.
