How to Use Health Widgets on iPhone and Apple Watch
Updated · 4 min read · By Taohidul Islam
Health widgets put a number you care about - steps, last night's sleep, water so far today - on your iPhone Home Screen or Lock Screen, so you can check it without opening an app. On Apple Watch, the same idea is called a complication. To add a widget, touch and hold an empty spot on your Home Screen, tap Edit or the plus button, and choose the app and size you want.
Why use health widgets?
Most health goals come down to small choices through the day: a walk after lunch, a glass of water, an earlier night. A widget keeps the relevant number in view at the moment you can still act on it. Seeing 3,000 steps at 3 pm is more useful than finding out at bedtime.
Widgets also cut down on checking. A quick glance replaces opening an app and tapping through screens, which can make you less likely to get pulled into scrolling.
How to add a widget to your iPhone Home Screen
- Touch and hold an empty area of your Home Screen until the apps start to jiggle.
- Tap Edit at the top of the screen, then Add Widget. On iOS 17, tap the plus button in the top-left corner instead.
- Scroll or search for the app you want.
- Swipe left and right to see the available widgets and sizes.
- Tap Add Widget, drag it where you want it, then tap Done.
To stack several widgets in one space, drag one widget on top of another of the same size. You can then swipe through the stack. To remove a widget, touch and hold it and choose Remove Widget.
How to add a widget to your Lock Screen
- Unlock your iPhone with Face ID or Touch ID, but stay on the Lock Screen.
- Touch and hold the Lock Screen, then tap Customize and choose Lock Screen.
- Tap the widget area below the time.
- Choose the widgets you want from the list, then tap outside the panel and tap Done.
Lock Screen widgets are small and simple, so they suit a single number or ring. Keep in mind that anyone who picks up your phone can see them, so only show what you are comfortable sharing.
How to add a complication to your Apple Watch face
- Touch and hold the watch face, then tap Edit.
- Swipe left until you reach Complications.
- Tap the slot you want to change, then turn the Digital Crown to choose an app and complication.
- Press the Digital Crown to save, then tap the face to return to it.
You can also do this from your iPhone: open the Watch app, choose a face under My Faces, and change its complications there. Tapping a complication usually opens the matching screen in the app.
What to put on your screens
Show what you act on, not everything you track. A few ideas by goal:
- Moving more: steps or activity rings. The CDC recommends about 150 minutes of moderate activity a week for adults, and seeing daily progress helps you spread it out.
- Sleeping better: last night's sleep on the Lock Screen, where you see it first thing. The CDC recommends at least 7 hours a night for most adults.
- Hydration or caffeine: a water or caffeine total, ideally one you can log from directly.
- Training and recovery: a recovery or readiness-style score in the morning, before you plan the day's workout.
Two or three health widgets is usually plenty. Put the one you check most where your thumb or eye lands first, and review your setup when your goals change.
A simple setup: one Lock Screen widget for the morning (sleep or recovery), one Home Screen widget for the day (steps or water), and one watch complication for the number you want on your wrist.
Why a widget might look out of date
iOS decides when widgets refresh, so they are not always live to the second. A few common reasons a health widget lags:
- Your watch has not synced yet. Data from Apple Watch reaches Apple Health on your iPhone in the background, and it can take a little while.
- Your iPhone is locked. Health data is protected while the phone is locked, so some widgets update after you unlock it.
- Permissions are off. Check that the app can read the data in the Health app: open Health, tap your profile picture, then Apps, and choose the app.
- The app has not run in a while. Opening it once usually brings widgets up to date.
A widget only displays what is already in Apple Health. It does not measure anything itself, so it is only as complete as the data your devices save.
FitRest widgets and complications
FitRest offers these on iPhone:
- Home Screen widgets: Steps, Water (including a quick-add widget that logs a drink with one tap), Caffeine, Glucose, Blood Pressure, Sleep, Stress (including a 24-hour view), Body Battery, Recovery, Heart Rate, HRV, Sunlight, Vitals Overview and Health Overview.
- Lock Screen widgets: Health Summary, Body Battery, Recovery, Sleep, Stress, Exertion and Steps.
On Apple Watch, FitRest has complications for Health Summary, Body Battery, Recovery, Sleep, Stress, Exertion, Sunlight, Water and Caffeine. The watch app also lets you log water, caffeine, glucose and blood pressure from your wrist. See more on the Apple Watch page, or read about how much water you need if you plan to use the water widget.
Sources
FitRest is a wellness app, not a medical device. It does not diagnose, treat or prevent any condition. Talk to a qualified health professional about any health concern.