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How can I put Home Screen widgets back on the side like they were is iOS 14?

I just upgraded to iOS 15, and do not like the widgets across the top on my Home Screen. How can I get them back to the left side? The look right on the “today" view, but I liked and was familiar with where everything was before the "upgrade." Also, it takes up more room across the top, so som of my constantly used apps have been bumped.

iPad Pro 12.9-inch, 3rd Gen, Wi-Fi

Posted on Jan 31, 2022 6:01 AM

Reply
Question marked as Top-ranking reply

Posted on Jan 31, 2022 6:03 AM

As you have discovered, update to iPadOS15 introduced the ability to add Widgets to your Home Screens - some being added to your first Home Screen, by default, during the initial update to iPadOS 15.x.


Widgets placed on a Home Screen now individually occupy one or more elements of a 4x6 icon grid. Home Screens without Widgets retain the familiar 5x6 icon grid. With the grid accommodating fewer icons when Widgets are present, other App and Folder icons may be displaced to the next Home Screen - and this may have a ripple-effect where Home Screens icon grids are fully populated.


Removing Widgets from a Home Screen does not cause displaced icons to be restored to their prior locations. Re-arrangement must be done manually. This is perhaps a less onerous task than might initially appear, as Home Screen icons should still follow their original sequence (reading left-to-right / top-to-bottom). With multi-selection of App/Folder icons, it is possible to simultaneously move several icons if you wish.


The easiest way to restore icons to previous positions is to start with the first Home Screen - and remove any Widgets that you don’t require. 


Next, select the second Home Screen; icons displaced from the first Home Screen are likely to be at those starting at top-left. Drag App/Folder icons back to the first Home Screen - each likely to having been originally those appearing last in the sequence of the first Home Screen.


When you’re done, move onto the third Home Screen - moving icons back to the second Home Screen - and so on.


You can learn about adding Widgets to both your Home Screen - and Today view - here:

Add widgets on iPad – Apple Support

Use widgets on your iPad - Apple Support


The iPad User Guide is also a rich source of information - and is especially useful in becoming familiar with the many changes and new features introduced in iPadOS15. The Guide is available both online using a web browser (such as Safari), or as an Apple Books download:

iPad User Guide - Apple Support

https://books.apple.com/book/id1567104892


1 reply
Question marked as Top-ranking reply

Jan 31, 2022 6:03 AM in response to rebby575

As you have discovered, update to iPadOS15 introduced the ability to add Widgets to your Home Screens - some being added to your first Home Screen, by default, during the initial update to iPadOS 15.x.


Widgets placed on a Home Screen now individually occupy one or more elements of a 4x6 icon grid. Home Screens without Widgets retain the familiar 5x6 icon grid. With the grid accommodating fewer icons when Widgets are present, other App and Folder icons may be displaced to the next Home Screen - and this may have a ripple-effect where Home Screens icon grids are fully populated.


Removing Widgets from a Home Screen does not cause displaced icons to be restored to their prior locations. Re-arrangement must be done manually. This is perhaps a less onerous task than might initially appear, as Home Screen icons should still follow their original sequence (reading left-to-right / top-to-bottom). With multi-selection of App/Folder icons, it is possible to simultaneously move several icons if you wish.


The easiest way to restore icons to previous positions is to start with the first Home Screen - and remove any Widgets that you don’t require. 


Next, select the second Home Screen; icons displaced from the first Home Screen are likely to be at those starting at top-left. Drag App/Folder icons back to the first Home Screen - each likely to having been originally those appearing last in the sequence of the first Home Screen.


When you’re done, move onto the third Home Screen - moving icons back to the second Home Screen - and so on.


You can learn about adding Widgets to both your Home Screen - and Today view - here:

Add widgets on iPad – Apple Support

Use widgets on your iPad - Apple Support


The iPad User Guide is also a rich source of information - and is especially useful in becoming familiar with the many changes and new features introduced in iPadOS15. The Guide is available both online using a web browser (such as Safari), or as an Apple Books download:

iPad User Guide - Apple Support

https://books.apple.com/book/id1567104892


How can I put Home Screen widgets back on the side like they were is iOS 14?

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