If you have already decided to download and update the version of your iPhone to the new iOS 14 , it is very likely that you already have some experience when it comes to fully customizing different aspects and elements related to the new operating system.
And, it is true, we are facing one of the great updates, after Apple decided not only to make some basic changes in the design, but, above all, to add a wide variety of new functionalities and features.
For example, it decided to redesign the home screen with the inclusion of the long-awaited and longed-for widgets , which basically consist of a series of miniature blocks that offer us the possibility of accessing brief information simply by viewing them (being very useful, for example, in Calendar or Notes widgets).
Not only that. It also offers us access to a new library of applications , capable of reorganizing automatically, intuitively and easily depending on the type of app installed, or doing it manually.
Whether you have already installed it, or if you plan to do so soon, we offer you some simple tricks to customize iOS 14 to the fullest.
How to add widgets
Widgets are characterized precisely as one of the great novelties of iOS 14, although obviously it is not the only one, but it is, possibly, one of the most prominent changes and that is generating the greatest interest among users.
To begin, you must press and hold an empty area of the screen, until the application icons start to move and, suddenly, a series of icons appear on the screen that offer us the possibility of customizing the home screen.
By pressing the + button , which we will find in the upper left part of the screen, a menu of existing widgets will appear, developed by Apple itself to display information on its different applications.
We touch the widget we want to add, and slide our finger to the right or left to choose the shape and size of the widget. Now, we tap on Add widget and the widget will immediately be displayed on the screen. To finish, we touch in any area of the home screen to exit the editing mode.
Creating a widget stack
In addition to adding individual widgets, it is also possible to create a widget stack to save space. Or when we simply want to use a single widget and have it displayed only occasionally.
To create a stack we must select a widget by holding down the home screen until the edit mode appears, and we place it where we like the most. Then, we choose the next widget that we want to stack (up to a maximum of 10), and we save it on the home screen.
If you want, you can press and hold the widget to be able to move it around the screen, and place it on top of the first one. Of course, you must take into account something fundamental: all stacked widgets must have the same shape and size.
Once reordered, in order to view each widget we will only have to slide up or down from the top widget, to be able to access the next one.
Creating a smart widget stack
Another of the most attractive features that we find in iOS 14 with the arrival of widgets is the Smart Stack function, which automatically chooses which widget should be at the top based on different factors, such as what we see most often, the location or time.
The operating system itself already incorporates a pre-designed Smart Stack, made up of a group of previously selected applications, but we can edit it to our liking.
To do this, we hold down the home screen , and touch the + icon that we will find located in the upper left corner. Next, we scroll down until we see the widget called Smart Stack .
As with the rest of the widgets, we simply have to scroll sideways to choose the desired size and then we touch Add widget . Once added, it is possible to change the order of the included apps, or delete those that we do not want.
Using the application library
The new application library appears as if it were a separate section on the home screen. Thus, we can access it and view it simply by sliding your finger to the left.
As we have already explained, it is an automatic organization of the applications , which are grouped in a series of folders, labeled in turn with a series of different categories.
In my case, for example, I find the following: Suggestions, Newly added, Social, Productivity and finances, Utilities, Creativity, Entertainment, Information and reading, Shopping and food, Travel, Health and fitness and finally Others.
In this way, instead of doing it from the home screen, it is possible to directly access a specific app from the icon that is displayed in the Applications Library.
Of course, to remove any application, you will simply have to press and hold any quadrant of the screen until each group begins to “dance”. Then, simply click on the button – which will be displayed at the top left of each app’s icon.
