Widgets for iPhone have grown well beyond the home screen. Since iOS 16, you can put widgets on the Lock Screen. Since iOS 17, widgets are interactive (tap a checkbox, skip a track, or run an action without opening the app) and StandBy lets your phone become a smart display when it is charging on its side. iOS 26 updated the visual style of the whole widget system with the Liquid Glass design language.
This page covers the best third-party widget apps for iPhone, noting which ones are genuinely free versus which need a subscription, plus a short guide on placing widgets wherever iOS allows them.
Where you can place widgets on iPhone (iOS 17 and later)
- Home screen: tap and hold, select Edit, Add Widget. Sizes: small (2x2), medium (2x4), large (4x4).
- Lock screen: tap and hold the lock screen, choose Customize, then Lock Screen. Small accessory widgets sit above and below the clock.
- StandBy: prop the phone on its side while charging (on a MagSafe or wired charger). Swipe between widget stacks, clock faces, and photos. Interactive widgets work here too.
1. Widgetsmith
BEST OVERALL
Widgetsmith is the most popular widget customisation app and the one most people mean when they search "widgets for iPhone." You design each widget from scratch: pick a size, choose what it shows (date, time, weather, calendar, step count, tide, photos, or a custom text block), and apply a font, color, and style. Widgets can be scheduled so a different widget displays at different times of day.
The free version covers most widget types. Weather and tide data require a subscription ($1.99/month or $9.99/year).
2. Widgetbox
PRE-DESIGNED PACKS
Widgetbox is a large bundle of pre-designed widget styles covering clocks, weather, calendars, battery, step counts, and more. It is aimed at people who want something that looks polished without building a widget from scratch. A solid free tier covers basic widgets; the Pro subscription ($2.99/month or $9.99/year) unlocks more styles and live data.
3. Photo Widget: Simple
BEST FREE
Photo Widget: Simple does one thing: it shows your photos on the home screen or Lock Screen and cycles through an album at an interval you set. It is fully free with no subscription. No forced featured images, no branding. Set a folder, pick a refresh interval, and add it to any widget slot.
4. Color Widgets
AESTHETIC PACKS
Color Widgets focuses on aesthetic appeal: clocks, calendars, and stats widgets in a wide range of color palettes and font styles designed to match any wallpaper. It is popular for making home screens look cohesive. The free tier has a usable selection of styles; Color Widgets+ (subscription) unlocks the full library.
5. Locket Widget
SHARED PHOTOS
Locket lets people you choose (friends, family) send photos directly to a widget on your home screen or Lock Screen. Each person you connect appears as a live photo in the widget, updated throughout the day. The app is free to use, with a Locket Gold subscription for sending more photos and seeing who viewed yours. Good for shared-photo use cases that other widget apps do not cover.
6. Launcher
QUICK ACTIONS
Launcher puts shortcuts on the home screen: call a contact, open a specific app, send a message, launch a URL, or start a FaceTime call in one tap from a widget. It is useful for people who have a set of daily quick actions that would otherwise take several taps. The free version covers basic launchers; a paid upgrade ($2.99) unlocks all launcher types and icon customization.
7. ScreenKit
FULL THEMES
ScreenKit bundles widget customisation with app icon themes so you can give your whole home screen a consistent look. It has over 5,000 icon designs, 500+ widget styles (clocks, counters, battery, calendar), and a widget layout editor. Free to install; ScreenKit+ VIP unlocks the full catalog for $2.49 as a one-time purchase.
8. Carrot Weather
BEST WEATHER
Carrot Weather is the premium option for weather widgets. It supports every widget size and placement including Lock Screen and StandBy, with dense data layouts showing feels-like temperature, wind, UV index, air quality, and rain forecasts. The widget styles are highly customizable in terms of what data appears and where. Carrot Weather costs $4.99/year after a free trial.
9. Spark Mail
EMAIL AT A GLANCE
Spark from Readdle is a full email client that also has some of the most useful email widgets on iOS. From the home screen you can see your inbox summary, newest messages, or pinned emails at a glance. Spark is free with optional Spark+ features for teams; the widget itself does not require a paid tier.
10. DataMan
DATA TRACKING
DataMan shows your cellular data usage in a home screen widget so you can see how much you have left before your billing cycle resets. If you have a limited data plan, the widget saves you from opening Settings every time. DataMan costs $0.99 as a one-time purchase.
FAQs
How do I add widgets to my iPhone home screen?
Can I put widgets on my iPhone Lock Screen?
Are widget apps free, or do they need a subscription?
What are interactive widgets on iPhone?
I write as a writer, as someone very familiar with the Internet, as someone who is completely at ease with current technology and the way it is transforming the social fabric of the globe, the business world in particular.
