How to install widgets in iOS 8

By Brad Bourque September 23, 2014

install widgets ios 8 header — Image used with permission by copyright holder

Among the most visible of the new features in iOS 8 is the addition of Today Widgets, helpful app extensions that can be used directly from your notification tray. Since iOS 8 just came out, the use of this nifty new extension is pretty limited, but as more of your favorite games and applications support it, you’ll want to know how to install the widgets. Thankfully, like most new iOS software updates, it couldn’t be any easier.

iOS Widgets install 1 — Image used with permission by copyright holder

To open your notification tray, swipe down the from the top of the screen, where you can select either “Today” or “Notifications”. At the bottom of the “Today” tray, tapping the button that says “Edit” will allow you to easily customize the tray.

iOS 8 widgets install 2 — Image used with permission by copyright holder

From this menu, you can select which widgets you want to show in your notification panel, and hide the apps you don’t use by swiping left on them and clicking delete. Tapping on the green plus next to the apps below will add them to your active widgets, at which point you can drag them around to rearrange them. Installing widgets will unlock all sorts of functionality right at your fingertips, from checking the weather to responding when your friend makes a move in your game of online chess. As iOS 8 is installed on new and old devices, we hope to see developers make good use of the functionality.

What would you like to see the Today widgets be used for? Let us know in the comments!

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Brad Bourque is a native Portlander, devout nerd, and craft beer enthusiast. He studied creative writing at Willamette…

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