Habit Tracker Widget on iPhone: How to Set It Up and Use It
Updated
To get a habit tracker widget on iPhone, touch and hold an empty spot on the Home Screen, tap Edit, then Add Widget, pick your habit app, choose a size and tap Add Widget. The widget only works if the app offers one, so pick an app whose widget lets you check off a habit with a tap, not just look at it. Then put the widget where you’ll see it every day, on its own rather than inside a Smart Stack.
What a good habit tracker widget does
Most habit apps have a widget now, but they do very different things. Before you commit to an app, check these points in its App Store screenshots and description:
| Check | Why it matters |
|---|---|
| Logs with one tap | If you have to open the app to log, the widget is just a reminder. Tap-to-log removes a step you’d otherwise repeat every day. |
| Shows today’s status | You should see at a glance what’s done and what’s left today. |
| Shows recent history | A small grid or chart of past days keeps the streak, and the gaps, visible. |
| Handles counts | Habits like “8 glasses of water” need a counter, not only a yes/no checkbox. |
| Fits several habits | One widget for several habits saves Home Screen space; one widget per habit gives each more room. |
| Included in the free version | Some apps reserve widgets for a paid tier. Read the description before you build a routine around it. |
| Lock Screen support | Only if you want it there; not every app offers Lock Screen widgets. |
How to add a habit widget to your iPhone Home Screen
These are the steps from Apple’s iPhone User Guide:
- Go to the Home Screen page where you want the widget.
- Touch and hold the background until the apps begin to jiggle, tap Edit, then tap Add Widget.
- Scroll or search to find your habit app, tap it, then swipe through the size and style options.
- When you see the size you want, tap Add Widget.
- While the apps are still jiggling, move the widget where you want it, then tap Done.
To choose which habit the widget shows, touch and hold it, tap Edit Widget, choose the options and tap Done. The list only contains habits you’ve already created in the app.
Where to put the widget
A widget helps only if you see it at the moment you can act. Placement matters more than design:
| Placement | Visibility | Good for |
|---|---|---|
| First Home Screen page, on its own | Every time you unlock the phone | Your most important one to three habits |
| Next to an app you open at the habit’s time | When you open that app | Habits tied to a moment, such as reading before you open social media |
| Inside a Smart Stack | Only when iOS chooses to show it | Habits you already do without thinking |
| Today View (swipe right from the first Home Screen page) | Only when you go there | A quick review, not a daily cue |
The Smart Stack is the trap. Apple describes it as a set of widgets that uses information such as the time, your location and activity to show the most relevant widget automatically. That means your habit widget can be hidden behind the weather on the day you need it. Keep habits you’re still building as a standalone widget.
Small or medium?
| Size | Shows | Choose it when |
|---|---|---|
| Small, one habit | One habit and today’s status | You’re focused on a single new habit |
| Small, several habits | A short list with a log button for each | You have a few daily habits and little space |
| Medium | More habits or a longer history | You track several habits and want to see gaps across the week |
Start small. One widget with the habits you’re working on right now beats a full page of widgets you stop noticing after a week.
Why a visible widget helps
A habit forms when you repeat the same action in the same situation until it happens without much thought. In a 2010 study by Lally and colleagues, it took participants a median of 66 days for a daily behaviour to get close to its peak automaticity, with a range of 18 to 254 days. For those first couple of months, a widget does two jobs: it’s a cue you see many times a day, and it makes logging so quick that you actually keep the record.
Once a habit runs on its own, move its widget to a second page or a Smart Stack and give the prime spot to the next habit.
Habit tracker widgets in My Habits
My Habits has two Home Screen widgets, both in small and medium sizes:
- Single Habit keeps one habit and its progress in view. Choose the habit with Edit Widget.
- Multiple Habits shows up to four habits in the small size and up to eight in the medium size. In Edit Widget, pick the habits and a Chart style: Mixed (each habit’s own chart), Grid, Momentum or Recent.
Tap the button next to a habit to log it for today without opening the app. For count habits, such as glasses of water, each tap adds one. For habits you’re cutting down on, each tap counts down what’s left for the day. Habits connected to Apple Health, such as steps, update automatically, so the widget shows their value instead of a log button.
Widgets are included in the free version, together with every other feature, for up to four active habits. My Habits Pro unlocks an unlimited number of habits. There’s no account to create, and your data syncs through your private iCloud when you’re signed in.
FAQ
Can I check off a habit from the widget without opening the app?
Yes, if the app supports interactive widgets. Apple's iPhone User Guide notes that you can perform tasks by tapping widgets on the Home Screen, Lock Screen or in StandBy. Check the app's screenshots or description for a tap-to-log button.
Why doesn't my habit show up when I edit the widget?
The widget can only list habits that already exist in the app. Create the habit in the app first, then touch and hold the widget, tap Edit Widget and pick it.
Can I put a habit tracker widget on the Lock Screen?
iPhone supports Lock Screen widgets, but each app decides which widget types it offers. My Habits currently offers Home Screen widgets in small and medium sizes.