One of the biggest changes in iOS 14 is support for desktop widgets. The previous widgets could only be added in today's view, which is the negative screen, and the degree of freedom was limited. After extending the scope to the desktop, the capabilities and form of widgets have changed greatly. Some people may say, "It's only ten years behind Android." I thought so at first. However, this is not the first time that Apple has been "late", and it is not uncommon for Apple to "come from behind". Therefore, it is still too early to judge based on the launch time alone.

With the launch of the official version of iOS 14, the first batch of third-party apps that support desktop widgets have also appeared one after another. After a few days of experience and studying the development documents provided by Apple, I found that Apple's widgets are still very different from Android's, and there are some "little surprises" that are hard to find.

The appearance is unified, and there are requirements for design aesthetics

The more obvious difference is in appearance. If a rough evaluation is "Apple's widgets are better-looking than Android's", it may be judged People think it is "brainless". However, if you carefully look at Apple’s design specifications for small components, you will find that this “harmony” makes sense.

Apple's desktop widgets come in three sizes: large, medium and small. The smallest one occupies four icon spaces. It cannot be changed at will like Android. It adopts a unified rounded rectangular design, consistent with the icons.

Apple requires bold colors in widgets that can reflect the brand but cannot affect the display of content. Content information needs to be concise and clear, without too many confusing elements. If a function logo needs to be placed in a widget, it should be displayed uniformly in the upper right corner, and elements with the same name and app icon should not appear.

I won’t list more. In short, Apple’s set of rules is very detailed and has relatively clear requirements for design aesthetics. This is also the advantage of Apple's combination of software and hardware. I will say it many times later, "Restricted freedom is true freedom."

Project App content to the desktop

In addition to strict and detailed requirements in appearance, Apple's desktop widgets are also very different from Android in concept. Its concept is to "project App content to the desktop", and the important thing is content rather than form. Apple has repeatedly emphasized that "widgets are not mini-Apps," so they are only for display and cannot be operated or slid.

To be specific, the small-sized widget is equivalent to a button. Clicking anywhere will enter the App. The medium-sized and large-sized widgets can enter different areas (such as the music group). album cover, each item in the Reminders widget), but the operation cannot be completed directly.

Android widgets are different. They can display and collect information, and can also be used directly as operation buttons. Users can slide and click to complete some operations without entering the App.

However, Apple also retains the original widget form on the negative screen, which can be operated directly.

Make App content more accessible to users

It seems that Apple wants to distinguish desktop widgets from negative-screen components. To use an analogy, desktop widgets are a bit like 3D Touch. 3D Touch takes out the control options inside the app and performs some operations without entering the app. Desktop widgets bring out the content in the App without having to enter the App to see the information.

Everyone should be familiar with the clock and calendar icons on Apple. The time and date are displayed directly on the icons. In fact, this is the simplest desktop widget.

Apple’s desktop widgets are a projection of App content. Once you understand this, widgets can derive many uses. For example, you can put city weather and air index information on the desktop at the same time. They all come from the same App, but display different content. Before, you had to click in and switch manually, but now it’s clear at a glance.

I think it will be possible for more App icons to become dynamic in the future, or to directly replace the icons with some desktop widgets. App icons can be hidden in the App resource library. However, the current problem is that Apple's desktop management is really poor. Adding widgets will disrupt the original desktop layout, and manual organization is a very complicated process.

Smart stacking that “automatically evolves”

Another major feature of Apple’s desktop widgets is smart stacking. To put it simply, it means stacking multiple widgets together, and the system will display the widget you want to use at the top according to the scene. For example, you can check the weather when you get up in the morning, check the nearby food at noon, and check the traffic conditions at night. Ideally, you don’t need to manually find the corresponding app or widget, it will be automatically displayed to you.

The rules of smart stacking will change based on time, location, schedule and other information, and can learn everyone's usage habits, which means it is not static. Sound a bit like Siri suggestions? In fact, Siri suggestions also have different forms in widgets, which are directly displayed on the desktop as widgets. They look the same as icons, but will be dynamically adjusted. Allowing users to directly access the services they want, the two are indeed connected in concept.

Apple provides APIs at the bottom level, and developers can set up their own apps to link with Siri suggestions and smart stacking under corresponding conditions.

There is another hidden way to use smart stacking, that is, you can customize which widgets are stacked and match them with your own rules. For example, stack maps, Dianping, and taxi-hailing apps together to create a scene of going out to eat. Of course, the recommended rules for intelligent stacking are not like shortcut instructions and automation, which have a definite cause-and-effect relationship. It requires learning, the focus is on intelligence and no sense, and the way of using it is still different.

Desktop widgets may usher in a "Renaissance"

Currently, Apple has provided an App section that supports desktop widgets in the App Store, displaying a lot of information. For example, weather, countdown, etc. Information collection categories include notes, to-do, etc. In addition, there are some apps specifically designed for desktop widgets, such as OneWidget and Widgetsmith. Their apps do not provide other services, but only serve as tools for creating widgets.

Although it is an old feature, if it is promoted by the giant Apple, desktop widgets may usher in a "Renaissance". Old apps are beginning to pay more attention to widgets. Apple has paved the way. The problem on Android's side is just a unified interface. The domestic Android ecosystem is no worse than Apple in promoting intelligence. There have been examples of mutual transmission alliances and unified push alliances in the unified ecosystem. There will even be a batch of new apps that are created specifically for widgets, as mentioned above. Smart stacking is a feature with considerable potential. The way to reach users will be completely changed. It remains to be seen who can seize the opportunity.

In addition, don’t forget that Apple’s desktop widgets also support iOS, iPadOS, and macOS. The relationship between the three has become increasingly close, which means that developers only need to simply adapt. Conveniently promote your own widgets on all Apple platforms. In short, desktop widgets (at least Apple's desktop widgets) have a promising future.