The early code for iOS 14 is currently being plundered and the latest titbit to emerge is the addition of ‘real’ widgets to the home screen. One designer has knocked up some concept images to illustrate how they might look. Spoiler alert: snazzy af.
Currently, widgets on iOS are constricted to a dedicated screen only – you can’t move them around willy nilly like app icons. The feature – reportedly codenamed ‘Avocado’ internally – is linked to the Springboard app which controls the home screen. While 9to5Mac says it’s being worked on, it warns that it may end up being scrapped by Apple altogether. Designer Parker Ortolani has created concept images for what widgets on the home screen might look like, from static icons, live icons, and a full-size widget.
Alright, here’s my concept for adding widgets to the iOS home screen. I call it SpringKit. Three icon classes for developers to pick from that users can also switch between. All of them fall into the existing grid and customization features. https://t.co/JYDmUZrAFp pic.twitter.com/Vj60AXbTjm
— Parker Ortolani (@ParkerOrtolani) April 6, 2020
Ortolani even made a short demo, showing how the new home screen might work.
Check out a demo of how my widget concept works on iPhone… pic.twitter.com/TxNOjhbPTX
— Parker Ortolani (@ParkerOrtolani) April 6, 2020
Another feature that seems to be being designed with widgets in mind is the new wallpaper settings. Twitter user DongleBookPro shared screenshots of iOS 14’s wallpaper settings, which XDA’s Max Weinbach confirmed as legitimate.
Hey @EveryApplePro, @MaxWinebach said you like wallpapers pic.twitter.com/4P8BrMzCkI
— Dongle (@DongleBookPro) April 4, 2020
There are also settings for dynamic wallpapers, including a flat colour, a blurry version, and a dark version, which will make it easier to manage widgets on the home screen. [9to5Mac]
This post originally appeared on Gizmodo UK, which is gobbling up the news in a different timezone.