Widgets have become commonplace on the iPhone, iPad and Mac, but on the Apple Watch, widgets are still a bit underexposed. Time to change that. We have therefore collected the best Apple Watch widgets for you, so that you can get even more out of your Apple Watch. We discuss both some widgets from standard apps and widgets from external developers. The selection is not yet too large, but there are certainly smart apps among them.
Complications vs Widgets: What’s the Difference?
The Apple Watch has both widgets and complications. They look very similar, but there are differences. The complications on the Apple Watch are found exclusively on the watch face. They show small bits of information (like the current temperature or your performance rings) or provide a shortcut to open an app directly.
The widgets on the Apple Watch offer more information. They only appear in the smart stack, which you can make appear by swiping up from the bottom or by turning the Digital Crown from the watch face. The small widgets are a kind of cards with useful information and buttons and you could see them as an addition to the complications. If you no longer have room for a complication on your watch face, you can supplement it with a widget. Widgets are also especially useful for apps and information that you do not always need. A widget also often shows a little more than a complication, although there are also many widgets that look like a complication.
Starting with watchOS 11, widgets are also a lot more useful. They can be interactive (for example, you can check off a task for your to-do app) and also show smart suggestions based on the date, time and usage of your Apple Watch.
Now that you know the differences and how to use them, it’s time to pick out the best widgets for the Apple Watch.
#1 Apple’s Three-App Widget
First up, a widget that comes standard on every Apple Watch. Apple’s three-app widget essentially adds three complications to a widget. This lets you open your favorite app faster, without having to give up a spot on your watch face. If you’re smart, you can push this widget to the top of the smart stack by tapping the pin, making them quick and easy to tap. We mostly use it for apps that we don’t need on a daily basis, but still want quick access to. Think of the workout app.
#2 Parcel
We are fans of Parcel, the app that lets you track parcels from any carrier. Parcel has an excellent Apple Watch app, but also handy widgets. We added a Parcel button to the Apple triple widget discussed above, so we can quickly open the app. We would rather not have this on the watch face, because we don’t receive a parcel every day. That would be a waste of space. Another advantage is that the icon of the button changes based on the status of the parcel.
But Parcel also has its own widgets. You can use them to track the status of an exact delivery. You can then see immediately whether your parcel is already on its way or still needs to be sorted. You can track a specific parcel, but there is also a widget to always track the most recent parcel. We prefer that one.
#3 CarrotWeather
The weather forecast is very suitable to follow in a widget. You have probably already set a complication for the Weather app, but with a widget you can see just that little bit more. The standard Weather app offers some options, but in our opinion CarrotWeather offers a better offer. There is a 3-day forecast, a 5-hour forecast and even a 10-hour forecast. There is also a widget that nicely brings out the sarcastic nature of the app. The widget changes color according to the type of weather.
#4 Flighty
One of the best apps to track your flights, in our opinion, is Flighty. The iPhone version has been around for years and has become a favorite of the editorial team. Since the end of 2023, there has also been an Apple Watch app, with excellent support for widgets. With it, you can see the most important information about your next flight in an instant, such as your seat number or the status of the plane. You can also see how far into the flight it is. This is also useful for tracking upcoming flights, for example of friends and family.
#5 Home Widget for HomeKit
Home Widget for HomeKit is a handy app that allows you to create your own widgets for HomeKit accessories and scenes. For some time now, there has also been an Apple Watch app, including its own widgets for the smart stack. This allows you to operate an accessory directly, just from the widget. The only disadvantage is that the associated Apple Watch app is opened first before the accessory is operated.
The standard Home app currently does not offer an Apple Watch widget. From watchOS 11 onwards, this will be possible and the buttons will even be interactive, allowing you to control a device directly from the widget. You will no longer need the Home Widget app.
#6 NowPlaying
NowPlaying is an alternative to Shazam, by Dutch developer Hidde van der Ploeg. You can use the app to recognize a song based on a sound fragment. The app uses the tool that Apple itself offers for this, which is based on Shazam. Because Shazam (still) does not offer a widget or button for the smart stack on the Apple Watch, we think this is a good alternative. And you also support a Dutch developer with it.
#7 Train Guide
One of the best travel apps for the Apple Watch is the Dutch app Treingids. This Apple Watch app contains all train stations in the Netherlands and also lets you plan a trip from your wrist. You can see exactly whether a train is late or on time and from which platform it leaves. With the paid version you can also set a route. The Treingids widget shows your upcoming saved trip, so you can easily and quickly check the status of your train from your Apple Watch.
Looking for more apps? Also check out our guides to the best Apple Watch apps or the best Dutch Apple Watch apps . We also have a list of the best Apple Watch complications.
