What Is an iPad Widget? How Do I Install One?

iPad widgets are small apps that run on the iPad's interface, such as a clock or a window displaying the current weather. They didn't make their way to the iPad until iOS 8 brought "Extensibility" to the iPad, which allows widgets to run on the iPad via the Notification Center.

How to See and Install Widgets on the iPad

You can customize the notification center to show and add widgets, as well as choose to access the notification center while the iPad is locked, so you can see your widget without typing in your passcode.

Here's how to see, customize, and add widgets to your iPad.

1. Open the Notification Center. Swipe right from the left edge of the screen, or swipe down from the top edge, and then swipe left to enter the Today view. All of your available widgets are available here.

2. Scroll down to the bottom of the screen and tap Edit.

3. The Edit screen contains two groups: widgets that are currently active and ones that are available but you haven't installed.

4. The widgets on the top half of the screen are active. To remove one, tap the minus sign to the left of its name, and then tap Remove.

5. Tap and drag the handles on the right side of each line to change the order in which widgets appear in the Today view.

   Your iPad lists widgets in the exact order in which they appear on this screen.

6. To add a new widget, tap the green plus sign to the left of one in the bottom section.

7. You don't have to confirm or save changes to add a widget. It will move up to the "active" list as soon as you tap the plus sign.

How to Know Which Apps Include Widgets

Unfortunately, the only way to tell if an app has a widget you can add to the Today view is to download it and then check the list on the Edit screen. While the App Store does a good job of letting you know which programs are compatible with iPhone, iPad, Apple TV, and Apple Watch, the listings currently don't include whether a widget is available.

Can I Use a Widget to Replace the On-Screen Keyboard?

Another benefit of Extensibility is the ability to use third-party keyboards. Swype has long been a popular alternative to traditional typing (or tapping, as we do on our tablets). An Android keyboard alternative, Swype lets you draw words instead of tapping them out, which ultimately leads to faster and more accurate typing.

What Other Ways Can I Use a Widget?

Because extensibility is the ability for an app to run within another app, widgets can expand almost any program. For example, you can use Pinterest as a widget by installing it into Safari as an additional way to share web pages. You can also use photo editing apps like Litely inside of the iPad's Photos app, which gives you a single place to edit a photo and use features from other photo-editing apps.