I would much prefer to see widgets rejigged on the Mac as a Dashboard-like overlay for the desktop, easily called in and dismissed as needed. Bring Dashboard Back!Īpple has the golden ability to address these complaints in upcoming versions of their OS and further enhance the appeal and utility of Widgets. But despite the current popularity of Widgets, what continues to handicap them back is their lack of interactivity and, specific to macOS, their accessibility by having them remain locked to a side panel & squashed under Notifications. With Dashboard on Mac OS X, Apple did little to promote or enhance the platform beyond its initial release, and widgets were slowly set adrift into a sea of forgotten features. This personalization for content, coupled with increased visibility and an enthusiastic developer base, propelled Widgets to popularity. And lastly, third-party apps flooded the App Store allowing for the creation of custom Widgets which furthered the degree of personalization available. Second, Widgets became more prominent rather than being relegated to the side panel, Widgets adorned a user's Home Screen however they liked (a 'however they liked' that remains strictly restrained by Apple as to the placement and size of said Widgets). First, Widgets became more customizable and provided users with the content they care about. Many factors contributed to the success of widgets in iOS 14.

Mac os dashboard widgets