3 Ways to Add Widgets to Mac Desktop (macOS Sonoma and Below)

If you have been paying close attention to Apple devices lately, you’ll notice that widgets are back on the home screen. All of Apple’s major OS updates of late have been focused on widgets.

Apple is constantly adding new features and improvements to widgets. With macOS 14 (Sonoma), Apple added native widget support to macOS. If you are a fan of widgets and miss them in your workbook, this guide is for you.

In this post, you will learn different ways to add widgets to your home screen on Macs running macOS Sonama and later and earlier versions.

What Are Widgets and Why Should Use Them?

A widget is an element or a small tile part of an application that displays information or provides quick access to important functions of the app. Widgets are most commonly found on the home screen and have recently become available on the lock screen as well. Most people find widgets very helpful, while some consider them an unsightly addition to the home screen. Nevertheless, there are some good reasons why you should use widgets.

• Quick access to the information: Widgets can display real-time information, such as current weather data, headlines, stock news, your to-do list, or a list of calendar apps. This allows users to quickly access the information without having to open the app.
• Quickly interact with the app functions: widgets allow users to quickly access important app features. For example, a music widget lets you control how the sound plays or YouTube widgets let you quickly search for any video without having to open the app.
• Efficient use of screen Space: Widgets can be placed anywhere on the screen, allowing users to use screen space efficiently. For example, adding a calendar or clock widget on the home screen can be useful instead of leaving the space empty. Moreover, most widgets also support customization features that allow you to resize the widget, change its appearance, and more.

How to Add Widgets to the macOS Home Screen (macOS Sonoma and Later)

Add Widgets From the Notifications Panel

• Open the notification panel on your Mac. You can click on the date and time to open the notification panel.
  
• Here you can see the list of widgets available on your Mac. To add more, click the Widgets button at the bottom.
  
• Select the widgets you want to add to the Home screen and drag the widget to your Mac’s desktop.
  

Add Widgets From the Desktop

You can also add widgets directly from your Mac’s home screen, as follows:

• Right-click anywhere on the Mac desktop or, if you are using a touchpad, tap the touchpad twice with your fingers. This will open the menu. Select the Edit Widgets option
  
• Here, you can see the list of widgets that you can add to the Home screen. You can scroll down to see a list of all widgets or use the sidebar and tap on any app to see specific widgets from the app.
  
• To add widgets to the Home screen, hover over the widgets and click the plus to add widgets to the Home screen. You can also select the widgets and drag and drop them anywhere on your Home screen.
  

Add iPhone Widgets on Mac Desktop

MacOS 14 (Sonoma) also lets you add iPhone widgets to your Mac home screen. This can be useful for someone who wants quick access to iPhone widgets on the Mac. However, there is no way to interact with iPhone widgets directly from the Mac. To use them, you need to open the widgets on your iPhone.

• Open the Settings on your Mac and go to Desktop & Dock Settings
• Scroll down and go to the “Widgets” section. Find the “Use iPhone Widgets” option and turn it on if it’s not already enabled.
  
• To add widgets, right-click on the Mac desktop and select Widgets.
  
• This will display the widgets that are available on the Mac and iPhone. To filter the option, select From iPhone in the right corner of the screen. This will display only the widgets from your iPhone.
• Hover over the widgets and click the plus sign to add them to your Mac. You can also drag and drop the widgets.

Customize Your macOS Widgets

The customization options for editing widgets on your Mac are currently limited. You can edit the information and resize some widgets, but the ability to change the overall image is not yet available. To edit:

• Right-click on any widget that supports editing features. In our tests, we found that only weather and structure widgets support the edit function.
  
• From the list of options, select Edit Widget. This will give you different options depending on the widget.
• The changes made to the widgets are automatically saved.

How to Remove Widgets From the Home Screen

You can also remove the widgets whenever you want. In this way, you can delete the widgets you no longer need or replace them with current and new widgets. Removing widgets is also a simple process. To remove:

• Go to the home screen of your Mac and select the widget you want to remove. Right-click on the widget and select “Remove Widget“. The widget will immediately disappear from the home screen.
  
• If you have accidentally added widgets to your Start screen, you can also click the remove icon in the upper right corner of the widget to remove it.
  

Add Widgets to Mac Desktop Using WidgetWall

You can also add widgets to the macOS home screen using third-party apps like WidgetWall. This works for all macOS versions, including devices running macOS 14 or earlier. WidgetWall provides a simple and straightforward way to add widgets to your macOS Home screen.

Compared to the native option, WidgetsWall has a wider selection of widgets and offers several customization options that let you personalize your home screen. Also, the app updates the widgets regularly by adding new and latest widgets and lets users vote on which widget will be released next.

If you feel that the native options for adding widgets are limited, you can use WidgetWall to add widgets to your Mac. WidgetWall is a premium app and costs $9.99 per year. It offers a free 7-day trial. To add widgets with WidgetWall, you first need to download and install the app. You can download WidgetWall from the Mac App Store or download and install the app directly from the WidgetWall website. After installing the app, you can already see widgets on your home screen that are populated by the app. These include a calculator app, a date and time app, a timer, photos, and an app. To add widgets:

• Click the WidgetWall icon in the top navigation bar and select Add Widgets
  
• This will open a new window with a list of all widgets. This includes both free and paid widgets (if you are using the free trial version)
  
• You can select the widgets and click the plus icon to add the widget to the home screen. Alternatively, you can drag and drop the widgets.
  

Widgets can also be customized according to your preferences. Select the widget you want to customize and click the menu with the three dots at the top. This will bring up a menu with various customization options. You can change the color, select the size of the widgets, pin the widget and also remove the widgets.

Conclusion

In summary, these are the different methods you can use to add widgets on Mac. If you miss adding widgets on Mac, Apple has finally introduced native support for widgets on Mac OS. In addition, we have also listed the best third-party app from WidgetsWall that you can use to add widgets to your devices with previous versions of macOS, and also if you are looking for more widgets and customization options. Hope you find this guide helpful.

FAQs on How to Add Widgets to Mac Desktop

Can I add widgets to all MacOS versions?

Yes, you can add widgets to all macOS versions. If your Mac is running macOS 14 and above, widgets are natively available on your Mac. You can add them to your home screen directly from the Notifications panel or the Widgets section. However, if you don't meet the requirements, you can use third-party apps like WidgetWall to add widgets to your Start screen.

Can I remove widgets from the home screen?

To remove widgets from the Mac Home screen, right-click the widget and select Remove Widget or Delete Widget to remove widgets from the Home screen.

How can I customize the appearance of widgets on macOS?

To customize, select the desired widget and click the Edit option in the drop-down menu. The native version of widgets doesn't support many customization options. If you're using the widgets from third-party apps like WidgetWall, you can right-click the widget and then click the Edit Widget option. Any changes you make to the widgets will be applicable immediately.

How do I get iPhone widgets on my Mac Sonoma?

To get iPhone widgets on your Mac Sonoma, you need to:

1. Make sure that your Mac is running Sonoma and your iPhone is running iOS 17.
2. Have the same Apple ID signed in to both devices.
3. Bring your iPhone close to your Mac.
4. Right-click on an empty space on your Mac's desktop and select "Edit Widgets."
5. In the widget gallery, you will see a new section called "iPhone Widgets."
6. Drag any iPhone widget that you want to add to your Mac onto the desktop.

 

How do I pin widgets to my desktop Mac?

As of right now, you can't pin widgets to your desktop Mac. Widgets are only available in the Notification Center. However, there is a third-party app called WidgetWall that allows you to add widgets to your desktop.

To add widgets to your desktop using WidgetWall, you need to:

1. Download and install WidgetWall from the App Store.
2. Right-click on an empty space on your Mac's desktop and select "WidgetWall."
3. In the WidgetWall window, you will see a list of all the widgets that are available.
4. Drag any widget that you want to add to your desktop onto the desktop.