iOS 15 Can Automatically Add and Remove Widgets to a Smart Stack

On iOS 14, Smart Stacks for widgets allow users to stack different widgets on top of each other and then allow iOS to display the most relevant widget depending on the time of day, location, and more. On iOS 15, Apple is taking Smart Stacks even further with Widget Suggestions, which automatically add and remove widgets in a Smart Stack depending on context.

app store widget
For example, if a user has an existing Smart Stack which includes the Weather and Reminders widget, iOS 15 may add a Calendar widget to the stack if the user has an upcoming meeting. Then, after the meeting, iOS 15 will remove the widget from the Smart Stack, reverting it to the stack that the user had set up with Weather and Reminders. Apple says it hopes this new feature, which can be disabled on a per Smart Stack basis, will allow users to discover new and helpful widgets.

iOS 15 and iPadOS 15 introduces new widgets for Find My, Game Center, App Store Today, Sleep, Mail, and more. Developers interested in learning more about widget suggestions and how they can be implemented into their app can check out this WWDC session.

Related Forum: iOS 15

Top Rated Comments

tod Avatar
33 months ago
I hate this stuff. A good UI is predictable and boring.
Score: 3 Votes (Like | Disagree)
cmaier Avatar
33 months ago
A trend in Apple's UX designs lately - try and guess what will appear when you swipe the smart stack! Try and guess where the text box is to type a new address into safari! Try and guess where the keys are on the TouchBar!
Score: 2 Votes (Like | Disagree)
bchery21 Avatar
33 months ago

Hmm. Sounds like an okay idea to me, as long as I can disable it if I don't like the behavior. I was disappointed to not hear that the widgets will be interactive (checking items off a todo list, for example), but maybe that will still happen?
I hope so, especially with the example you gave. Checking something off the Reminders widget instead of bringing you into the app would be welcomed especially since that's how it use to behave.
Score: 2 Votes (Like | Disagree)
TheYayAreaLiving ?️ Avatar
33 months ago
I have to admit. The widgets are cool
Score: 2 Votes (Like | Disagree)
contacos Avatar
33 months ago
I never understood why the stack does not just have a "+" button to add other widgets to the stack. Instead I always have to add a new widget and drag and drop it on the stack in hope it does not mess up my whole app icons on the Home Screen.

By the way, what ever happened to resizing widgets straight from the Home Screen? That never made it past the announcement on iOS14 last year
Score: 1 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Octavius8 Avatar
33 months ago
Bring back the "up next" widget!. I don't need "smart" unreliabale suggestions!. I just need a dumb one that works as in IOS 13!!!. Pretty please?
Score: 1 Votes (Like | Disagree)

Popular Stories

iOS 17

iOS 17.2 Will Add These 12 New Features to Your iPhone

Friday December 1, 2023 12:19 pm PST by
iOS 17.2 has been in beta testing for over a month, and it should be released to all users in a few more weeks. The software update includes many new features and changes for iPhones, including the dozen that we have highlighted below. iOS 17.2 is expected to be released to the public in mid-December. To learn about even more features coming in the update, check out our full list. Journal ...
iOS 16 4 Web Push

Apple Confirms Governments Using Push Notifications to Surveil Users

Wednesday December 6, 2023 5:06 am PST by
Unidentified governments are surveilling smartphone users by tracking push notifications that move through Google's and Apple's servers, a US senator warned on Wednesday (via Reuters). In a letter to the Department of Justice, Senator Ron Wyden said foreign officials were demanding the data from the tech giants to track smartphones. The traffic flowing from apps that send push notifications...
airpods pro 2 pink

Apple Releases New AirPods Pro 2 Firmware

Tuesday December 5, 2023 11:28 am PST by
Apple today released new firmware update for both the Lightning and USB-C versions of the AirPods Pro 2. The new firmware is version 6B34, up from the 6B32 firmware introduced in November. Apple does not provide details on what features might be included in the refreshed firmware beyond "bug fixes and other improvements," so it is unclear what's new in the update, but prior software releases ...
Beyond iPhone 13 Better Blue

'All-Screen' iPhone Under-Display Camera Enters Development

Wednesday December 6, 2023 2:03 am PST by
Apple's Korean suppliers have begun developing smartphone under-display cameras (UDC), paving the way for the first iPhone with a true "all-screen" appearance. According to The Elec, LG Innotek has entered the preliminary development of the UDC, which sits under the display and does not result in a visible hole in the panel when the camera is not in use. A UDC differs from a typical front ...
magsafe blue 2

iOS 17.2 Brings Qi2 Support to iPhone 13 and iPhone 14 Models

Tuesday December 5, 2023 11:04 am PST by
The iOS 17.2 update that Apple is set to release to the public in the near future will bring support for the next-generation Qi2 wireless charging standard to the iPhone 13 and iPhone 14 models. Qi2 was mentioned in the release notes for the RC version of the update that came out today. With the addition of support for the new standard, iPhone 13 and iPhone 14 models will work with Qi2...
iphone se 4 modified flag edges

iPhone SE 4 May Reuse Existing iPhone 14 Battery

Wednesday December 6, 2023 1:17 pm PST by
Recently, MacRumors has received details on the battery currently being tested on the upcoming fourth-generation iPhone SE, and the information corroborates previous findings in relation to the device. The iPhone SE 4, known by its device identifier D59, is expected to use the exact same battery found in the base model iPhone 14. Partially assembled prototypes of the next iPhone SE have been ...
airpods pro bulbs

Black Friday Prices Return for AirPods Pro 2 With USB-C, iPad, and More

Tuesday December 5, 2023 7:30 am PST by
Today we're tracking a collection of deals that are matching - or nearly matching - the same all-time low discounts we saw during Black Friday. This includes the AirPods Pro 2 with USB-C, 9th generation iPad, and M1 MacBook Air. Note: MacRumors is an affiliate partner with some of these vendors. When you click a link and make a purchase, we may receive a small payment, which helps us keep the ...
instagram messenger

Instagram and Facebook Messenger Chats to Disconnect This Month

Tuesday December 5, 2023 1:57 am PST by
Meta has revealed plans to end Instagram users' ability to chat with Facebook accounts later this month, rolling back a feature that it introduced over three years ago. In September 2020, Meta (then Facebook) announced it was merging its Facebook Messenger service with Instagram direct messaging, allowing Instagram users to chat with Facebook users and vice versa using the same platform....