How to add widgets to an iPad’s home screen

In iPadOS 14 Apple added the ability to have widgets on the Today View screen and slide them on to the Home screen, which was a nice new feature. Now, in iPadOS 15, you’ll be able to drop widgets directly on to the Home screen itself and arrange them in any way you want.

You can create a gaming, productivity or entertainment screen, replete with all your favourite apps and widgets, so you can have access to all the tools you need to get things done or sit back and relax.

Here’s our quick guide on how to add and use widgets on the iPad’s Home screen.

How to add widgets to the iPad Home screen in iPadOS 14

If you’re already using iPadOS 14, then you’ll be able to take advantage of the Today View widgets that can be brought on to the Home screen. We’ve already written a guide on how to use widgets on iPhone & iPad, so be sure to give that a look and get yourself up to speed with the widgets feature.

As a basic outline, when you’re on the main Home screen, slide your finger inwards from the left-hand side of the display and you should see the Today View panel appear, which contains your widgets. If you scroll down to the bottom of the Today View panel you’ll see the Edit button. Tap this and you’ll have the ability to pin it to the Home screen, which is a good solution until you can upgrade to iPadOS 15.

The difference with the latter is that you’ll be able to place the widgets on different screens, enabling you to create themed pages rather than just having all your widgets in one place.

The Edit button will also give you the ability to add new widgets to the panel, with a selection of sizes available.

How to add widgets to the iPad Home screen in iPadOS 15

Obviously, before you can start using the new widget feature in iPadOS 15, you’ll need to move to that version of the operating system. Apple usually releases this in the autumn (or fall, for North American readers), but if you want to get ahead of the curve you can always sign up to the Apple Beta Software Program which allows you to use public beta versions of iPadOS (and iOS, macOS, tvOS and watchOS) before they go on general release.

Read our tutorial on how to join the Apple Beta Software Program and try out new software if you want to experiment with iPadOS 15 but be aware that beta software is unfinished and buggy, so you could experience various problems and in the very worst case scenario may even brick your device. So, be warned.

How do I add widgets to my iPad home screen?

With iPadOS 15 installed and running on your iPad, you can take the following steps to try out the new widget feature.

• Tap and hold an empty part of the home screen until the icons start to wobble.
• In the top left corner you’ll see a + button appear. Tap that.
• You will now see the Widgets Gallery appear.
• To select different sizes of widgets, scroll down past the icons until you find the list, then select one and swipe left and right through the available formats.
• Choose the widget you want, then tap and hold it until the gallery disappears.
• Drag the widget to where you want it to live on the home screen.
• To place it there, just take your finger off the display.

To move widgets once you’ve dropped them on the screen, just tap and hold it until the icons start to wobble, then drag it to a new location and let go.

Further reading

There you have it: a quick look at how widgets work in iPadOS 15.

To see what else Apple has in store for its devices in the year ahead, read our guide to everything announced at WWDC 2021, and if the widgets feature in iPadOS 15 is tempting you to buy a new model, read our best iPad buying guide to make sure you get the one that’s perfect for your needs.