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Let’s Make Some Noise - Fix Widgets in iPadOS 14 - Apple Feedback

w4rm

w4rm

macrumors regular
Original poster
Jun 6, 2014
102
107
Hey ya’ll

The transition to iPadOS in 2019 was supposed to be the start of a new chapter for iPad, but this years has really disappointed with the lack of features, no calculator, no translate app, no external monitor support etc.

I think Widgets deserved to be fully functional on iPad and not dumbed down. It has a larger screen.

We have enough time to make enough noise to turn this around, it’s been done many times before, otherwise we’re stuck with another subpar iPad experience for the next year.

If you have a Developer/Public beta please send in a complaint about Widgets in the Feedback app. Or if not you can just leave a message here in Apple Feedback, it’s really easy.

www.apple.com

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We would love to hear your comments about any of our hardware and software products. Send us your thoughts.
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Here’s what I wrote:

Subject: Widgets/App Library Functionality is Subpar on iPadOS 14

Body:
Hey there,
When I saw the announcement I assumed iPadOS 14 Widgets & App Library would function the same as on iOS 14. To find out that it’s lacking on iPad really lowers the experience.

I would like to request that we have iPadOS 14 Widgets available on the entire home screen (landscape or portrait) and the App Library brought to the iPad.

iPadOS in 2019 was supposed to be the start of a new chapter for iPad, but this years has really disappointed with the lack of features people have been asking for years, no calculator, no translate app, no external monitor support etc.

The least we can get is the same privileges as iOS, with fully functioning Widgets and App Library.

Thanks so much
Click to expand...
 
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There’s always the chance (however slim) that apps like Calculator or Weather could be silently added to iPadOS 14 in a following beta.

I am seriously hoping for full-fledged Widgets in an upcoming beta.
 
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Mr. Awesome said:
There’s always the chance (however slim) that apps like Calculator or Weather could be silently added to iPadOS 14 in a following beta.

I am seriously hoping for full-fledged Widgets in an upcoming beta.
Click to expand...
That would be amazing. I don’t understand how iPad doesn’t have Calculator or Weather, it’s not like their specifically complicated apps to optimize for iPad.
 
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w4rm said:
Hey ya’ll

The transition to iPadOS in 2019 was supposed to be the start of a new chapter for iPad, but this years has really disappointed with the lack of features, no calculator, no translate app, no external monitor support etc.

I think Widgets deserved to be fully functional on iPad and not dumbed down. It has a larger screen.

We have enough time to make enough noise to turn this around, it’s been done many times before, otherwise we’re stuck with another subpar iPad experience for the next year.

If you have a Developer/Public beta please send in a complaint about Widgets in the Feedback app. Or if not you can just leave a message here in Apple Feedback, it’s really easy.

www.apple.com

Product Feedback

We would love to hear your comments about any of our hardware and software products. Send us your thoughts.
www.apple.com

Let us know when you’ve sent in a message to Apple.

Here’s what I wrote:
Click to expand...

Done. I hope they listen to us.
 
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Could be that they have other plans for the iPad desktop. I can’t believe it will be a grid of rectangular icons forever.
 
cmaier said:
Could be that they have other plans for the iPad desktop. I can’t believe it will be a grid of rectangular icons forever.
Click to expand...

Perhaps but why would they make the iPad experience worst in the meantime.

I think it’s best we let them know how we feel about iPadOS 14 it has so much potential and there reverting back to treating iPad as a second thought like they did for years.
 
iPadOS 14 NEEDS to use widgets the same way iOS 14 does on iPhone. Make sure to submit feedback! Just sent Feedback for widgets.
 
Last edited:
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Marques Brownlee interviewed Craig Federighi, and he answered this to the question about the widgets on the iPad:

Whether over time we want to let you push that further, letting you move widgets out of their designated spot beside the app icons or not, we’ll see. But we felt like we had a great balanced solution for this already.
Click to expand...
 
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Marlon DLTH :) said:
Marques Brownlee interviewed Craig Federighi, and he answered this to the question about the widgets on the iPad:
Click to expand...
That’s true but in the same interview he also said they make decisions internally and then during the beta period they listen. So if enough of us send feedback they’ll change it. And it seems like a big point that a ton of people are frustrated about on reddit & twitter.

Same with using Siri on iPad and multitasking whilst the answer is up, he said they want to hear what people are saying as they have both versions working.

I’m liking this new Apple, more open to feedback and listening. With everything being done on SwiftUI etc. it actually doesn’t take that much resources for them to change these kind details.
 
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I’ve read about the complexity of the sizing and positioning of the widgets on the iPhone homescreen (they have been optically aligned) and I can imagine why it isn’t available on the iPad. The spacing is very different of the icons, you can set different icon sizes, the spacing is different between portrait and landscape, etc. The current widget sizes would look like a mess on the iPad.

I’m pretty certain this will not be possible this year, maybe on the next version of iPadOS if widgets can have real flexible sizes. Or not, because this way it’s more macOS like, having a widget screen slide in from the side.
 
deuxani said:
I’ve read about the complexity of the sizing and positioning of the widgets on the iPhone homescreen (they have been optically aligned) and I can imagine why it isn’t available on the iPad. The spacing is very different of the icons, you can set different icon sizes, the spacing is different between portrait and landscape, etc. The current widget sizes would look like a mess on the iPad.

I’m pretty certain this will not be possible this year, maybe on the next version of iPadOS if widgets can have real flexible sizes. Or not, because this way it’s more macOS like, having a widget screen slide in from the side.
Click to expand...
That‘s probably the only real reason why widgets are locked to the widget sidebar in iPadOS. They‘d have to make a different set of widget sizes for iPadOS (2 sets cause of the different home screen modes).
 
TimFL1 said:
That‘s probably the only real reason why widgets are locked to the widget sidebar in iPadOS. They‘d have to make a different set of widget sizes for iPadOS (2 sets cause of the different home screen modes).
Click to expand...

The widgets are made using swiftUI or UIKit so they’re not fixed sizes, they’re scalable. It wouldn’t be an issue for iPad to have them, either with more spacing between widgets or scaling the content a little.
 
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So what is the current situation... can devs still create interactable widgets like they always have but they will only be available in the Today Screen? Or is every widget going to be the new style? I can imagine there will be a divide between these two (as old widgets will keep on working) which obviously isn't very user friendly, as some widgets can be added to the homescreen while others can't.
 
Not sure I understand the obsession with a calculator app on the iPad. If I am doing something, I use my phone, which is right by my iPad and I can keep working and not have to open another app. Makes no sense to me.
 
w4rm said:
Hey ya’ll

The transition to iPadOS in 2019 was supposed to be the start of a new chapter for iPad, but this years has really disappointed with the lack of features, no calculator, no translate app, no external monitor support etc.

I think Widgets deserved to be fully functional on iPad and not dumbed down. It has a larger screen.

We have enough time to make enough noise to turn this around, it’s been done many times before, otherwise we’re stuck with another subpar iPad experience for the next year.

If you have a Developer/Public beta please send in a complaint about Widgets in the Feedback app. Or if not you can just leave a message here in Apple Feedback, it’s really easy.

www.apple.com

Product Feedback

We would love to hear your comments about any of our hardware and software products. Send us your thoughts.
www.apple.com

Let us know when you’ve sent in a message to Apple.

Here’s what I wrote:
Click to expand...
No thanks.
 
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