Guide
How to add a couple widget on iPhone
Adding a widget on iOS is four taps, and the only genuinely confusing part is that the home screen and the lock screen use two completely different flows. Most people who cannot find the lock screen widget are looking for it in the home screen editor, where it does not exist.
Do the linking first. A widget added before your two accounts are connected will show a placeholder and stay that way, which looks like a broken widget and is not.
Step by step
- 1Install and linkInstall HeartTap on both phones, then have one of you send an invite link from inside the app and the other open it. Wait until the app shows you as linked before adding any widget.
- 2Enter home screen edit modeTouch and hold an empty part of your home screen until the icons start to jiggle, then tap Edit in the top left and choose Add Widget.
- 3Find HeartTapSearch for HeartTap in the widget list, or scroll to it. Tap it to see the available sizes.
- 4Pick a sizeSwipe between the small, medium and large options and tap Add Widget on the one you want. A large widget is worth it for photos, since a small one crops faces badly.
- 5Place itDrag the widget where you want it, then tap Done in the top right. It fills with your partner’s latest post within a few seconds.
- 6Add a lock screen widgetTouch and hold the lock screen, tap Customise, choose Lock Screen, then tap the area under the clock and pick HeartTap from the list. Tap Done to save.
If the widget is not updating
The usual cause is Background App Refresh. Open Settings, then General, then Background App Refresh, and confirm it is enabled both globally and for HeartTap. iOS uses this permission to decide whether an app may do anything at all while it is closed, and a widget that cannot refresh in the background will only update when you open the app.
The second most common cause is Low Power Mode, which suspends background refresh entirely for as long as it is on. This catches people out because the widget works perfectly all day and then stops in the evening when the battery gets low.
If neither is the problem, remove the widget and add it again. Widgets added before account linking completes sometimes keep their empty state, and re-adding gives them a fresh start.
Choosing where to put it
The point of a widget is that you see it without deciding to, which means the first home screen page, not the third. If your first page is full, most people find it is worth losing a folder for it. A widget you have to swipe to is a widget you will stop noticing within a week.
The lock screen slot is smaller and shows less, but it is the screen you see most often, so a small widget there alongside a large one on the home screen is a common setup.
Frequently asked questions
How do I add a widget to my iPhone home screen?
Touch and hold an empty area of the home screen until the icons jiggle, tap Edit in the top left, then Add Widget. Search for the app you want, swipe to the size you want and tap Add Widget. Drag it into position and tap Done.
Why is my iPhone widget blank or showing a placeholder?
Almost always because the two accounts are not linked yet, or because the widget was added before linking finished. Confirm you are linked inside the app, then remove the widget and add it again.
Can I put a couple widget on my iPhone lock screen?
Yes. It is a separate flow from the home screen: touch and hold the lock screen, tap Customise, choose Lock Screen, then tap the widget area under the clock and pick the app. This is why people often think the app has no lock screen widget when it does.
How often does the widget refresh?
It refreshes when your partner posts something, triggered by a silent push, rather than on a fixed schedule. iOS also imposes its own limits on how often any widget may redraw, so occasionally an update arrives a minute or two later than the notification.
Put them on your home screen tonight
Free to download on iPhone and Android. Link with your partner in under a minute, then send your first photo, drawing or check-in.