iOS 14: How to create and edit a Smart Stack widget

How To
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Smart Stack widgets combine info from multiple apps — here's how to create one in iOS 14

(Image credit: Tom's Guide)

If you own a recent iPhone, you are able to add widgets to your home screen with the help of iOS 14. It also introduces Smart Stacks, which are collections of widgets stacked on top of each other, each offering you at-a-glance info to save you the hassle of having to launch an individual app.

That explains the "stack" part of the Smart Stack name. The "smart" comes into play by how the widget behaves. It will surface particular information based on the time of day and how you use your phone — showing calendar appointments at the start of the day, for example, or bringing up a widget for Apple's Music app when you normally work out.

You can't take advantage of Smart Stacks without creating one and adding it to your home screen. Here's how to create an iOS 14 Smart Stack, which is very similar to adding a widget to your home screen in the new OS.

(Image credit: Tom's Guide)

1. Long press on your iPhone's screen to edit your home screen. The icons will start jiggling and an X will appear in the upper left corner of each app to let you know your home screen is ready to edit.

(Image credit: Tom's Guide)

2. Tap on the Plus button at the top of your phone's screen.

(Image credit: Tom's Guide)

3. On the subsequent page, scroll down to where available widgets are listed alphabetically. Smart Stack will be at the top of the list — tap Smart Stack to create one.

(Image credit: Tom's Guide)

4. Select the size of the Smart Stack widget you wish to create. Scrolling left and right will show you all the different options available.

(Image credit: Tom's Guide)

5. Tap Add Widget. The Smart Stack will be placed automatically on the screen.

(Image credit: Tom's Guide)

6. If you'd like to place the Smart Stack somewhere else, use your finger to drag it around. I prefer to put my Smart Stacks at the bottom, below my app icons, for example.

(Image credit: Tom's Guide)

7. To select what appears in the Smart Stack, tap the widget. You'll see a list of available apps. Drag them to place them in the order you want. If you don't want that app's widget to appear in your Smart Stack, slide left and then tap Delete to remove it.

(Image credit: Tom's Guide)

8. Your Smart Stack will automatically rotate based on your activity. To turn off that feature, use the slider next to Smart Rotate. This essentially eliminates the predictive features of the Smart Stack though, requiring you to manually scroll through the stack to see the widget you want — something to keep in mind.

(Image credit: Tom's Guide)

Tap the X icon when you're done. Your Smart Stack is now ready to view.

Philip Michaels
Philip Michaels

Philip Michaels is a Managing Editor at Tom's Guide. He's been covering personal technology since 1999 and was in the building when Steve Jobs showed off the iPhone for the first time. He's been evaluating smartphones since that first iPhone debuted in 2007, and he's been following phone carriers and smartphone plans since 2015. He has strong opinions about Apple, the Oakland Athletics, old movies and proper butchery techniques. Follow him at @PhilipMichaels.