Engadget lists iPad widgets most owners overlook
Engadget rounds up lesser-known iPad widgets, from Apple's own Home and Mail to third-party apps like Parcel, Endel and Widgetsmith.
The facts
- According to Engadget, iPadOS 27 adds extra-large widgets to Today View, giving them more room on the bigger screen.
- Parcel's widget shows upcoming deliveries and supports up to 300 delivery services. The free version tracks three deliveries at a time, and Premium costs $6.99/year.
- Apple's Home widget is interactive, so it can switch lights on and off without opening the app. Adjusting brightness, colour or the thermostat still needs the app.
- Not Boring Weather's real-time widget needs a $14.99 yearly membership. Widgetsmith's built-in weather tool needs a premium plan starting at $1.99 a month.
Case notes · Danny's take
Why it matters
Most people use a fraction of what their devices can do. A widget that acts without opening the app is a small shift with a real effect on daily habits. It also shows where app makers are heading: the Home Screen is becoming a place to do things, not just a place to launch them. Notice how many of the best ones sit behind a subscription.
For builders
Interactive widgets let users act without opening your app, so treat the Home Screen as a product surface in its own right. Note how Parcel, Not Boring Weather and Widgetsmith all put their best widget features behind a paid tier.
Not financial advice. Do your own investigation.
This story was summarised with AI from Engadget's reporting and checked against our editorial policy. Danny's take reflects his views. Disclaimer.
Danny Walter
Founder of Moon Republic, Volt Terminal and Moon Republic Academy. Author of The Market Is a Crime Scene and After the Applause.