Share:
Tech hack: Make your computer more useful with widgets
I’ve been writing this newsletter for almost a year, and somehow, some way, we’ve never talked about widgets. “Whoa, Kim! Too exciting for a Wednesday!” I know, I know. But trust me, you’ll be glad you spent a few minutes fiddling with your computer to set these up.
Widgets act like little windows into the apps you’ve got on your computer. They’re right on your desktop, so you can quickly glance at info or update something without launching the full app. Cool.
Prime example: Put a weather widget on your desktop so you always know the forecast. Or add a to-do list widget so you can check off tasks as you go. How? Glad you asked.
For all my Windows pals
First, steps may vary if you’ve already played around with widgets. Try this: Click the icon to the far left of the taskbar (usually a blue and white box). Not seeing it? Press Windows + W. Some widgets have already been added for you. Thanks, Microsoft.
- Click the + (plus) button at the top to add new widgets, then Pin any you like. To see more options, follow Find more widgets.
- Click the three dots (top left) on any widget to remove or customize it. For the stocks widget, for instance, you can pick which stocks are shown.
The ones I like most are Photos and Shopping, but see what you can find. To put widgets on your actual Windows desktop, not a pop-up panel, you’ll need a third-party app, like Widget Launcher.
If you’re using macOS
Click the date and time in the top right corner. The notification center pops up, and yep, that’s where you’ll find widgets. Just click Edit Widgets at the bottom of the panel to add new ones.
- Drag widgets down from the notification center to the desktop to move them. macOS will arrange them in a grid to keep your desktop tidy.
- Cmd + click on the desktop, then pick Edit Widgets to add them directly. You’ll get lots of choices, from news feeds to sticky notes.
- Click the green + (plus) button to add a widget, or just drag it to the desktop. Once it’s in place, Cmd + click on it to customize or remove it.
Pro tip: If you’ve got a MacBook, try the battery widget. It’ll regularly remind you how much juice is left in your laptop — aka how quickly you need to find a charger.
🤣 Why did the pirate update his MacBook? His matey told him he needed an iPatch. (Sorry, had to.)
Share: