Many iPad owners never fully explore what widgets can do. Adding a basic Weather, Calendar or Photos widget is only a starting point, and with iPadOS 27 Apple also brought extra-large widgets to Today View, giving them more room on the larger display.
To browse what is available, touch and hold an empty spot on the Home Screen, tap Edit and then Add Widget. Depending on the app, there may be several options and sizes. An existing app icon can also be converted into a widget by touching and holding it and choosing a size from the menu, though not every app supports this.
Parcel is aimed at anyone waiting on a delivery. Its widget surfaces upcoming packages without opening the app, and it supports up to 300 delivery services, including UPS, USPS, FedEx, DHL and Amazon Logistics. A map widget in different sizes shows where a package is. Connecting an Amazon account adds orders automatically, and other shipments can be added by scanning a shipping label barcode. Parcel also has a native Mac app and browser access. The free version tracks three deliveries at a time and omits push notifications; Premium costs $6.99 per year.
Apple's Home widget is an interactive one, so it can switch lights on or off, or lock and unlock a garage door with a HomeKit-compatible controller, without launching the app. Touching and holding the widget, then tapping Edit Widget, lets users choose which accessories and scenes appear, keeping frequently used items such as a bedroom lamp within reach. It handles simple on and off actions; brightness, colour and thermostat adjustments still require the app.
(Not Boring) Weather takes a 3D, video game-inspired approach, with data on temperature, conditions, precipitation, UV index and wind on both the Home Screen and Lock Screen. Data comes from sources including Apple, AccuWeather, Foreca and the National Weather Service, selectable in settings, and the widget covers severe weather alerts for heat waves, storms, flood risk, hurricanes and blizzards. Its App Store privacy label states the developer collects no data. The app is free, but the real-time weather widget requires a $14.99 per year membership, which also adds faster forecasts, air quality and pollen data, and new themes.
Find My keeps devices, AirTags, third-party Find My items and trusted people on the Home Screen with their last known location. The underlying app can locate devices even when they are offline or powered off through the Find My network, which relies on nearby Apple devices sharing location anonymously and securely, and Notify When Left Behind alerts users when a device is left somewhere unfamiliar.
Endel generates AI-powered soundscapes for focus, relaxation and sleep and adjusts them on the fly. Its widgets start a mode with one tap, which suits an iPad used for work or study, and soundscapes work offline. The free edition includes Focus, Sleep, Relax and Move, with each session capped at 10 minutes but restartable. Premium unlocks Colored Noise with nine colours, Dynamic Focus, artist collaborations, the Spatial Audio experience Spatial Orbit and a Focus Timer. It is sold as a subscription or a one-time lifetime purchase, and the website is described as cheaper than App Store subscriptions, with discounts often available.
The stock Mail widget can show recent unread messages, mail from a VIP list or any other mailbox, and tapping a message opens it directly in Mail. The VIP option suits those who mainly care about a handful of senders. To add someone, open an email from them, tap the header with the sender information, tap the sender's name, choose View Contact Card and then Add to VIP.
Widgetsmith lets users design widgets for the date, time, weather, calendar, reminders and photos, adjusting fonts, colours and layout, and can customise the Lock Screen too. Its scheduling feature shows different widgets at different times of day, so one spot might display weather in the morning and a calendar during working hours. Recent updates added clear and frosted styles and a photo background. A built-in weather tool with air quality, pollen and tide information requires a premium subscription starting at $1.99 per month.
The Screen Time widget offers a check on daily usage from the Home Screen or Today View. The smaller size shows the daily total, while the larger version breaks down apps and categories. With iPadOS 27 it gains Schedules and Time Allowances, which cap time in categories such as Entertainment, Games and Social Media and control which apps are available at different times, making it useful for parents managing a child's iPad.
Craft, a docs and planning app comparable to Notion, offers widgets that pin a specific document, list recent documents or display tasks that can be checked off without opening the app. Lock Screen widgets add shortcuts such as creating a document or starting a Quick Entry, and a Daily Note widget keeps yesterday's, today's or tomorrow's note a tap away. Each widget can be tied to a specific Craft Space, so work tasks and personal documents stay separate, and the widgets also appear on iPhone and Mac. On iPad, several can sit side-by-side as a simple planning dashboard. The app is free, with a monthly or yearly premium subscription that unlocks all features and removes some limits.
Apple's Journal app, which arrived with iPadOS 26, is arguably a better fit on iPad than on iPhone because the larger screen leaves more room to write and sketch. Users can type on-screen or with a physical keyboard, or handwrite entries and add sketches with an Apple Pencil. The Journal widget shows a current streak or surfaces writing prompts that change through the day, and iPadOS 27 added more control over streaks, allowing daily or weekly tracking. Multiple journals can be kept for different parts of life, and the app can be locked with Face ID, Touch ID or a passcode.
Sources: Engadget.