I’m trying to figure out how to add and manage widgets on my Mac, like getting them onto the desktop or Notification Center and customizing what they show. I’ve clicked around System Settings and the widgets panel, but I’m still confused about the exact steps and what’s possible in the latest macOS. Can someone walk me through how to properly add, move, and remove widgets, and any useful tips or tricks for getting the most out of them on a Mac?
Here is how widgets work on macOS now. Apple changed stuff in Sonoma and newer, so it is a bit confusing.
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Open the widgets panel
• Move your mouse to the top right corner.
• Click the date / time in the menu bar.
• The Notification Center / widgets panel slides out on the right. -
Add widgets to Notification Center
• In that right sidebar, scroll to the bottom.
• Click “Edit Widgets”.
• A gallery pops up.
• On the left you pick an app, like Weather, Calendar, Reminders, etc.
• In the center you pick the widget size, Small, Medium, Large.
• Hover a widget. Click the green “+” to add it.
• It gets added to your right sidebar.
• Drag it up or down to reorder.
• Click “Done” at the bottom when you are happy. -
Add widgets to the desktop (macOS Sonoma or newer)
• Right click on the desktop background.
• Click “Edit Widgets”.
• Same gallery as Notification Center shows up, but this is for the desktop.
• Click the green “+” on any widget.
• It drops on the desktop.
• Drag it where you want.
• Resize by picking a different size in the gallery and adding that version instead.
• Click anywhere on the desktop to exit edit mode. -
Configure what a widget shows
Most widgets have an “Edit” option.
• Hover the widget.
• Click the little “i” button or right click it.
• Choose “Edit Widget”.
Examples:
• Weather widget, choose location, Celsius or Fahrenheit.
• Calendar widget, pick which calendar to show.
• Reminders widget, pick which list.
If you do not see “Edit Widget” the widget has no options. -
Use iPhone widgets on the Mac
macOS Sonoma lets you use iPhone widgets too.
To enable that:
• Go to System Settings.
• Click “Desktop & Dock”.
• Scroll to the Widgets section.
• Turn on “Use iPhone widgets”.
Now in the widget gallery, you will see your iPhone apps that support widgets.
Those run through your iPhone, so both devices need to be on the same Apple ID and on the same Wi Fi. -
Keep widgets visible on the desktop
Desktop widgets fade a bit when a window is on top.
To adjust that:
• System Settings.
• Desktop & Dock.
• Under Widgets, set “Widget style” to “Always show” or “Show with wallpaper”.
Try both to see which look you like. -
Remove widgets
From Notification Center:
• Open the right sidebar.
• Click “Edit Widgets”.
• Click the “–” in the corner of a widget.
From the desktop:
• Right click the widget.
• Click “Remove Widget”. -
Quick reset trick if stuff feels bugged
If widgets won’t add or edit correctly:
• Log out and back in.
If that still fails, restart the Mac.
Widget issues often clear after a restart, not joking.
That should cover getting them on the desktop, into Notification Center, and customizing what they show. The key spots are “Edit Widgets” in the right panel, and “Edit Widgets” when you right click the desktop.
One extra angle on top of what @waldgeist said: a lot of the “I can’t find / can’t control widgets” pain is actually in System Settings rather than the widget gallery itself.
A few things to double‑check that are easy to miss:
1. Check your macOS version first
Widgets on the desktop are only on macOS Sonoma or newer.
Apple menu → About This Mac.
If you’re on Ventura or older, you only get widgets in Notification Center, not floating on the desktop, no matter how much you click around.
2. System Settings that actually matter
System Settings → Desktop & Dock → scroll to Widgets:
- Show Widgets
- “On Desktop” and “In Notification Center” both need to be enabled if you want them visible in both spots.
- Use iPhone widgets
- If this is off, you might wonder why your favorite iOS widget is “missing” from the gallery.
- Widget style
- “Automatic”: widgets fade into the wallpaper when windows are in front.
- “Always show”: they stay bright and obvious.
If you think your widgets have “disappeared,” often they’re just dimmed because of this.
3. Make widgets actually useful, not just pretty
Once a widget is on your desktop or in Notification Center:
- Right‑click it → Edit Widget (or click the little “i” if it shows).
- Some apps hide multiple widget types behind the same tile.
Example:- Reminders: you can pick a specific list, or “Today,” or “Scheduled.”
- Calendar: show events for a day, week, or just upcoming.
- If “Edit Widget” is missing, that particular widget is dumb and has zero options. No, you’re not missing a secret menu.
Tip: if a widget seems stuck on an old location (Weather) or wrong account (Notes, Reminders), delete it and add it again after checking System Settings → Internet Accounts to be sure the right accounts are active.
4. Avoid the “I moved it and now it’s weird” problem
On desktop:
- Widgets snap slightly to a grid. If it refuses to sit exactly where you want, zoom your wallpaper out or remove another widget that’s getting in the way.
- To “resize,” you don’t drag corners.
Remove it, then add the same widget in Small / Medium / Large instead.
On Notification Center:
- If a widget won’t move where you want, scroll the panel a bit first, then drag. There’s a finicky zone near the top where it just won’t reorder correctly. Apple UX magic.
5. iPhone widgets quirks
Using iPhone widgets on Mac sounds cooler than it actually is:
- Your iPhone must be on, nearby, same Apple ID, same Wi‑Fi-ish.
- If the iPhone is off or out of range, those widgets may look stale or blank.
So if half your widgets show fresh info and the others are frozen in time, check if your phone quietly died in another room. Happned to me more than once.
6. When widgets feel cursed
Instead of uninstalling half your apps:
- Toggle Show Widgets → Off, then On again in Desktop & Dock.
- Log out and back in.
- Full restart if it’s still acting weird.
In my case, a stuck Calendar widget only started updating again after I toggled off iCloud Calendar and then re‑enabled it in Internet Accounts.
Short version:
- Make sure you’re on Sonoma+ for desktop widgets.
- Control visibility and behavior in Desktop & Dock, not just in the widget gallery.
- Use “Edit Widget” ruthlessly so each one shows exactly what you care about instead of Apple’s defaults.
Couple of extra angles that @waldgeist didn’t really touch, focused on actually living with widgets rather than just turning them on.
1. Treat widgets like a “second dock,” not just decoration
Most people scatter them randomly. Instead:
- Put action widgets near the right edge of the desktop: Reminders, Shortcuts, timers, music controls.
- Keep glance widgets toward corners: Weather, Calendar, Stocks, Photos.
- Group by “mental mode”: work‑related in the top half, personal / fun at the bottom.
This way your mouse travel is predictable and you stop hunting around the wallpaper.
2. Use “stacks” in Notification Center instead of duplicates
If you have multiple variants of the same app’s widget:
- Add them all to Notification Center.
- Long‑press one → Edit Widgets → drag similar widgets on top of each other to create a stack.
- Now you can swipe within that single slot to switch views (for supported widgets).
@waldgeist is right that options are hidden, but stacking avoids the “scroll forever to find the right one” problem.
3. Offload clutter with iPhone widgets smartly
I half disagree with the “iPhone widgets aren’t that cool” take. They are cool if you use them to:
- Keep “rarely checked” info off the Mac and on the phone.
- Example: crypto, sports scores, smart home status.
- On Mac, keep only “every 10 minutes” stuff: calendar, reminders, notes.
So instead of duplicating everything, split roles: Mac for work widgets, iPhone for noisy or distracting ones.
4. Use widgets as launchers, not just dashboards
Some higher quality widgets are basically shortcuts with extra steps:
- Shortcuts widget: have a “Start Focus Work,” “Log Water,” “Launch Dev Tools,” etc.
- Notes / Reminders widgets: tap to jump straight into the exact list or folder.
This turns the desktop into a low‑friction control panel. It is more efficient than overloading the Dock.
5. When widgets slow your Mac
If the desktop feels sluggish or Mission Control stutters:
- Remove any widgets that pull live data very frequently:
- Third party weather, stock tickers, network monitors.
- Prefer native Apple widgets when possible. They are usually lighter and better optimized.
- Temporarily disable “Use iPhone widgets” to see if offloading fixes stutters or lag.
If performance jumps after you remove a specific widget, that widget is the culprit.
6. Pros & cons of the built‑in widget system
Pros:
- Deeply integrated with macOS: consistent look, energy efficient when done right.
- Tied into Focus modes and accounts, so work vs personal setups are possible.
- Good for quick capture and quick glance workflows.
Cons:
- Layout freedom is fake: the grid and sizing options are very rigid.
- Some widgets feel half‑finished with no configuration.
- iPhone widget mirroring is fragile and can stall or show stale info.
So they are great for “light dashboards” and simple controls, not for building an entire productivity system alone.
7. Workflow idea to test
Try this for a week:
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Desktop:
- Top right: Calendar (medium), Reminders (medium) with “Today,” a Notes widget for scratchpad.
- Bottom right: Weather (small), Battery, maybe a Music widget.
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Notification Center:
- System status (Battery, Clock with multiple time zones, Screen Time).
- Stacked info widgets: News, Stocks, Weather variants.
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Turn off anything that does not get your attention at least once per day.
You’ll know the setup is right when you stop opening full apps for simple checks and tap widgets instead.