Feature requests are not guaranteed to be fulfilled. However, the requests are being recorded here as a way to keep track of popularity. That is one of the two main factors in ranking feature requests. Do a lot people want it? If so, how hard is it to do? If you want to make a feature request, even if it’s already listed on this page, you can use the Contact Form to send a message.
I want multiple copies of the same widget — Wow, that was an unexpected request. It’s surprisingly common too. Unfortunately, the app wasn’t designed with that feature in mind. It’s listed here for consideration. For now, a second calculator was added to the Widgets app. That seems to be the most requested copy. This new widget can show the recent history of calculations, so perhaps that solves the problem. It’s part of the “Quick Calculator” widget, which includes a percentage calculator.
I want improvements to the World Clock — I’m surprised at the popularity of the World Clock. There’s been a fair amount of feedback regarding this widget. There are two feature requests that are outstanding. In addition to more cities, there’s been a request for Coordinated Universal Time (UTC) to be an option for the World Clock. It’s also been requested that the clock face change color based on the time of day, light for day and dark for night. There’s also been a request to time-shift the clocks. Does anyone else want that last feature?
I want a currency converter — The “Unit Converter” widget does not have currency conversion support. Anything that requires a data feed is a lot harder to add to the app. Currency information changes frequently. Websites that provide that information typically charge for “API” access to that data.
I want to run my old Dashboard widgets / I want to add custom code — This is the holy grail of widgets. Being able to support .wdgt files would be an awesome feature. I realize that I won’t be able to create every widget that everyone wants – customization matters! Unfortunately, I haven’t figured out a good way to do that. It’s a delicate balance of several issues. As an alternative, the ability to add “custom” widgets is also being investigated. In other words, it would be really cool if the Widgets app could be opened up to other developers. However, adding custom code to Widgets has to be done in a safe and secure manner. Again, future development is not guaranteed, but the ability to add custom Widgets is a feature that I’ve been looking to add.
I want the Widgets app to be available in my country — Right now, the Widgets app is only available in the United States of America. Already, there is a lot of work to do. Localization adds complexity. As an example, the “Weather” widget only has data for the United States. I’m not sure how to take that internationally – especially without adding it as a paid subscription. Additionally, if I want to add a “Sports” or “News” widget, that’s a lot easier to do for a single country. However, making the app global is not an impossibility. It depends on the success of the app in the United States.
I want Hot Corner support — The ability to hide/show the app, with a mouse-over a Hot Corner, is a common request. I looked into this, but I haven’t been able to figure it out. Currently, the F12 key can be used to hide/show the app. The app also works well as a full-screen space, as it can be swiped into view with a trackpad gesture or preset keyboard command.
I want the Weather Widget to work in my location — If you are in the United States, but your zip code doesn’t work, the zip code list can be updated. Just use the Contact Form to report your missing zip code. (The data comes from an older Census. Hopefully new zip code data is available with the 2020 Census.) The possibility of automatically using location data is being considered, as well as manually entering a Longitude / Latitude location.
I want improvements to the Weather Widget — This is more possible. People have requested weather reports for multiple cities, Celsius instead of Fahrenheit, current temperature and hourly forecasts. The Weather Widget is popular and needs expansion. Not sure what will happen yet, as the current widget is pretty full with information, but a companion widget is a possibility.
Completed Requests
- I want custom colors for the Widgets — Color themes for Widgets is a new feature. It was launched in the version 4.0 update.
- I want a way to quickly launch/hide the Widgets app — Using the “F12” key to toggle app visibility was added in version 2.1 of the Widgets app.
- I want to rearrange the order of the widgets — This popular request was fulfilled with the launch of version 2.1 of the Widgets app.
- I want more Asian cities for the World Clock — Bangkok, Jakarta, Kolkata, Manila and Shanghai were added as options in version 1.8 of the Widgets app.