How to Fix Widget Broken on iOS 14

Trying to fix a broken widget on your new iOS 14?

Well Apple’s new operating system, the iOS 14, has come with a couple of issues here and there. If you’re reading this after it was recently released, then don’t worry as simple bug and software issues like this are common with major iOS updates.

The new iOS 14 definitely brings a lot on the table for longtime Apple users. New features like the App Library and a fresh interface are only a few of the many, new additions. A broken feature like this one should be completely fixed in only a matter of time, luckily when the next patch is released.

In this article, we will go over the most common widget problems as well as general solutions for your issue.

Let’s dive right in.

 

1. Add Your City To Your Clock Widget.

Are you having problems with your Clock and Weather widget? These two widgets are among the most common widget problems that Apple users have been getting into. Surprisingly, you can even trace the earliest complaints about it back when the iOS 14 was still in beta.

Luckily, the fix for this is pretty simple. The ‘Clock widget’ takes the time from the location you’re currently in or by the default city it located you to. The new addition to your home screen displays a cute analog clock that points to your time.

You can easily fix this and assign the clock to the city you’re residing in, which should automatically fix the weather widget as well.

Here’s how you can add your city to your clock widget:

  1. First, tap and hold on the Clock widget. A small menu should appear with the option Edit Widget.
  2. Once you’ve selected ‘Edit Widget’, tap on the current city highlighted in orange. This should open a search box.

current city clock widget

  1. Finally, search for your city on the search bar above. If no city was returned, search for a more renowned city and select it.

search for city clock widget

Now your Clock widget should be set to your currently residing city. Exit the prompt and see if the widget displays the correct time. This should resolve any issues with your Clock and Weather widgets.

 

2. Remove And Add The Widget Again.

Just like reinstalling a program, removing and adding in a widget back is an age-old fix that can be effective at resolving issues related to the app widgets.

This works by removing the app’s widget instance on your iPhone, so adding it back in should run the code as intended. Hopefully, by doing this, it will get your widget to work again.

remove widget option

To remove a widget just hold down on the existing widget until a list of options appears. Select Remove Widget. After removing it go ahead and add it again and see if it works.

 

3. Restart Your iPhone.

Most software problems can be resolved by simply restarting your device. This is because your iPhone terminates all existing processes during your restart. When you power on your iPhone again, if the program isn’t corrupted, everything should work fine.

This will eliminate any software bugs that are currently disrupting your iPhone, especially from the iOS 14 update. Your widgets should function like normal, without the bugs, as you power on your iPhone.

Here’s how you can quickly restart your iPhone:

  1. Go ahead and hold down the Power Button on the right side of your iPhone until a slider that says Slide to Power Off pops up.

fix widget broken on ios 14

  1. Next, slide the Power Slider to the right. This will turn off your iPhone.
  2. Finally, after about 10 seconds go ahead and power on your iPhone by holding down the Power Button again.

Restarting your iPhone is an age-old solution and for good reason. Hopefully, this has fixed your problem, go and check your widgets to see if the problem persists.

 

4. Allow Widgets to Access Your Lock Screen.

If you’re using a widget that’s displayed on your Lock Screen, chances are it’s probably having a problem with getting permissions. This is completely normal as Lock Screen permissions are a standard security process for applications.

Having Apple restrict certain apps from accessing your Lock Screen can save you from a rogue application sabotaging or stealing your passcodes. This protection doesn’t separate ‘safe’ apps and should be done by yourself.

Here’s how you can allow widgets to access your lock screen:

  1. First, open your Settings and go to Face ID & Passcode. Older devices without Face ID will render this as Touch ID & Passcode.

fix widget broken on ios 14

  1. Now, you should be asked for the passcode of your device. Go ahead and fill it in. Scroll down until you find Allow Access When Locked.
  2. Finally, enable Today View. This allows Today View widgets to show you current information from your current apps through your Lock Screen.

fix widget broken on ios 14

Now, go ahead and try to see if the widgets work on your Lock Screen.

 

5. Reinstall or Update Your Application.

Are you having trouble with a couple of applications? Chances are that these applications haven’t been updated or encountered a bug while you were updating to iOS 14. Reinstalling these applications might be your best bet at trying to use their respective widgets.

Although widgets are a feature introduced by Apple, making the applications widget-ready is a responsibility of the teams behind the applications you’re using. This means that as well as updating to iOS 14, you should check on your apps to see if they have updates as well.

You can easily do this by opening the Apple Store and searching for these applications. If no update is available, you can try your luck by reinstalling them. Once they’re reinstalled, go ahead and see if their widget features function like normal.

If you’re having a problem with a program or application in your phone that doesn’t have functioning widgets, it might be in your interest to look through the internet in search for similar problems. If you receive a lot of search results, then chances are it’s probably due to that application’s lack of iOS 14 widget compatibility.

All of these issues should be fixed in a couple of weeks, when Apple releases a new patch full of bug fixes and when application companies have fully integrated with the iOS 14 system.

If you’re considering downgrading back to iOS 13 from iOS 14, you can refer to this article. You may also try to contact Apple’s support team yourself which you can do so through these steps.

Now that you have reached the end of this article, we hope that this post helped you in fixing your ‘Widget Broken in iOS 14’ issue. If you have other questions related to this article, please feel free to leave a comment below.

If this guide helped you, please share it. 🙂

Author

  • Mako Young

    Mako is a staff writer at Saint. He's been writing about tech for more than a decade. When he isn't reading about the latest news on Apple, he's busy studying cybersecurity, cryptocurrency, cloud computing, and other IT-related sectors. His exceptional work graces technology and Apple-related blogs like How-To Geek, VEED.io, Macgasm, onMac, PhotoWorkout, GameRant, and many more. He also has a Bachelors in Computer Science and has been writing since 2018, with over 400 posts published. LinkedIn X (Twitter)

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