iOS 16 Lock screen Widget Problems and Disappointments.

[Raptor007]

I installed iOS 16 on my 13 Pro Max yesterday and so far lock screen widgets are a huge disappointment.

First I tried to add the battery widgets for my devices as I wanted my iPhone battery status to be there, but its not an option to add neither are any other devices except for my bluetooth enable hearing aids which honestly is a waste as they always show 100% right up until they are about to die.

Placement is locked to one row and you can't adjust the settings within the row so if you only want 1 widget your forced to live where it goes.

Sure Lock Screen widgets are new for Apple but Android has had them for years and years and really shows Apple doesn't care about the crappy features they roll out anymore. Quality and innovation has dropped first when Steve passed away and even more since Ive is gone.

I have tried restarting my phone and that doesn't fix it. I guess when my new phone comes Friday I will see if its any better but short of a full wipe and restore which I'm not doing at the moment I don't see any options.

 

[doogald]

Swipe left on the Lock Screen to show the today screen and you can pit any number of widgets there.

 

[flyinion]

I've been pretty disappointed in them as well so far. Maybe my install is having some issues or something but the only 3rd party one showing up so far is Robinhood. Facebook and Carrot are both supposed to have them, I have the apps updated, but their widgets don't show as options, and who knows what other apps I might be missing as options.

 

[Annie_M]

For the most part, I am enjoying them. I would like a bit more freedom as well and am hoping that with time, that will improve. That said, it's a start.

 

[pr1nce]

For the most part, I am enjoying them. I would like a bit more freedom as well and am hoping that with time, that will improve. That said, it's a start.

I agree. My only problem so far is I have just one widget for battery, my Apple Watch battery. I would like to see a widget for my phone battery.

 

[Raptor007]

My hearing aids show up, but my watch, phone and beats fit pro do not. My wife's 12 pro max got updated and she has no issues with widgets showing up at all. My guess is something in the update is screwed up per usual with Apple iOS launches over the past few years. I have had to delete and install apps to get 3rd party widgets to show like Parcel. It was updated to support iOS 16 but no widget, remove and install and voila its there.

I no longer give Apple a pass when they launch new things! Why? Because they are not a startup, they this is the 16th iOS release and 16th phone. They tout how they wait to do things better and let other race ahead and come out with far superior offerings. Often times this is true, but so far reviews saw always on screen sucks, drains battery life, its too bright. Widgets on the Home Screen are limited and cannot be placed where you want and while I can put widgets on my Home Screen that defeats having them on the Lock Screen. I didn't buy my phone for always on display, I did for the other advanced upgrades. I stopped using Always on display on AW 7 because is sucked 20-25% of my daily battery life.

 

[kataran]

I understand the disappointments I read about but to me these features are no more than gimmicks and happy that I can just avoid using them when I get bored with them. I buy iPhones for there reliability and build quality not as a toy.

I’m not sure if I’m gonna use the always on display on my new 14 Pro Max but glad to know it can be turned off with a quick toggle. I did hear that it turns off when in pocket so I will give it a try.

 

[tadpoles]

It does seem very limited…especially compared to Android but this is the first implementation. It will get better and there may be some more freedom. IMO, its nice to have but not important. It will evolve, that’s my opinion. I appreciate that when Apple tends to do something they make sure what they does is polished. …even if, in this case, very limited. If I want true innovation, at the cost of polish…well, that’s what Samsung is for and they do that well…”Innovate now and polish it up later”. I’m glad to have the choice. At least Apple is adding some of these features that Android has had for so long.

 

[EdwinG]

Just going to quickly chime in on the widgets not showing up.

Some apps stagger their updates to avoid overloading the developer’s systems (at the dev’s preference). If a widget simply doesn’t appear, it could be that the feature is disabled—for now. Now, if you have installed the latest version of the app and the update’s release notes mention widget support, I would expect the widget to be there

 

[Ledsteplin]

No issues with the widgets. Those by Top Widgets were difficult to add. But others did fine.

 

[Ledsteplin]

Just going to quickly chime in on the widgets not showing up.

Some apps stagger their updates to avoid overloading the developer’s systems (at the dev’s preference). If a widget simply doesn’t appear, it could be that the feature is disabled—for now. Now, if you have installed the latest version of the app and the update’s release notes mention widget support, I would expect the widget to be there

I have 283 apps. Only 7 non Apple apps offer lock screen widgets. So far.

 

[turbochgd]

For the most part, I am enjoying them. I would like a bit more freedom as well and am hoping that with time, that will improve. That said, it's a start.

I’m pretty sure that will be the case as time goes along. I like them as well although they are limited right now.

 

[kataran]

Another note

Third party devs tend to go all in on a new iPhone feature because they know that they will reach the biggest audience so in time the homescreen widget choices will be in abundance and get better due to the limited choices one can display

I read that Snapchat has a huge update in the works for there app targeting the homescreen widget

 

[FFR]

I believe it was a stroke of genius for apple to ignore what android was doing and to add Apple Watch complications to the Lock Screen. It’s great to have a choice.

Personally speaking the new Lock Screen on iOS 16 is pretty clean. I also had no problems getting the Apple Watch complication to work.

As for third-party Lock Screen complications, they are on their way. Happens every year with a new os given to developers at WWDC and new features released by developers in the fall.

 

[Wotchered]

I’m so glad I’m not into Widgets ! I don’t need a pale imitation of an app writ large on my lock screen ( which I like as it is) !

 

[Just_Me_D]

Now that iOS 16 is officially released, it’s a matter of time before we start seeing a good deal of widgets for the iPhone.

With that being said, Apple should provide more real estate on the Lock Screen for widgets.

 

[EdwinG]

I have checked available third-party widgets for my phone, and only 4 apps have released widgets. Honestly, I’m not sure I would be using those; I don’t even use third-party complications on my watch.

Also, on the battery widget, I just noticed you can tap on the widget to select which device’s battery status to display, if you want it pinned to that device.

 

[Ledsteplin]

My favorite lockscreen widget so far is by Launcher. It offers a variety of options, including contacts and playing either a song or starting a playlist in Music. Top Widgets has a variety as well.