How to Add & Customize Widgets on macOS Big Sur

Apple introduced Widgets for iOS 14, iPadOS 14, and of course with macOS 11 Big Sur. Apple has redesigned the Notification Center. A single column of notifications and widgets is now available to provide fast updates with just a click. So, in this guide, you are going to learn how to add and customize widgets on macOS Big Sur.

However, the updated widgets in iOS 14 and iPadOS 14 may have paid the most attention, but Apple has also made improvements to the widgets in macOS to make them virtually as useful. Not only are they as visually stunning as their iOS counterparts, with redesigned versions for key apps like Calendar and Stocks, but they also deliver a level of customization.

In the meantime, widgets reside in the Notification Center on macOS Big Sur, a pull-out panel that slides from the side of the screen, normally by clicking on the date and time in the menu bar. The Notification Center will also be shown if you have a trackpad, swiping left with two fingers forming the right-hand side.

The Notification Center is the home of all notifications created on macOS, as well as the widget set, with notifications at the top and widgets below. By default, notifications are clustered together while the default widgets comprise mostly of a set chosen by Apple, including Weather, Calendar, and Stocks.  The macOS widgets can be added, moved around, deleted, and resized just like their iOS counterparts.

You Might Also Like: How to Clear Cache on a Mac (Catalina & Big Sur)

How to Open Widgets on Mac

• To access the Notification Center and widgets, click on the time and date icon in the top-right corner of the screen.

Open Widgets on Mac

• The Notification Center is divided down into two parts. At the top, you’ll see all your notifications (with a button to expand the Notification Center if you have more notifications), and in the bottom half, you’ll see your widgets.

How to Add New Widgets on macOS Big Sur

macOS adds a couple of widgets to the Notification Center by default (like Calendar, Weather, and more). To the Control Hub, you can add more widgets from Apple and third-party applications.

• Open the Notification Center, scroll to the bottom, and click Edit Widgets.
• Alternatively, you can right-click on any widget and choose the Edit Widgets button to get to the widget editing screen.

• You will now have a three-pane interface. The first pane shows a list of all the apps that support widgets. The second pane shows previews of widgets. The last pane is Notification Center.

• Scroll through and find the type of widget you want to use from the second column.
• If necessary, use the S, M, and L buttons to change the size of the widget and click the green (+) icon to add your desired widget.

• This will add the widget to the bottom of the widgets list.

• To add a widget to a particular place in Notification Center, drag and drop the widget where you want.
• Once you’re done adding widgets, you can click the Done button from the bottom of the Notification Center.

How to Reorder Widgets on macOS Big Sur

• Open the Notification Center, find a widget, click, and drag it to pick it up.

• Then, move the cursor where you want to move it and release the cursor to move it to the new place.

How to Customize (Resize & Edit) a Widget on Mac

macOS Big Sur widgets function in the same way as iPhone and iPad widgets. Once a widget has been added, you can customize it to change the details, style, and more. Meanwhile, you can also choose the size of the widget when you’re adding it to the Notification Center. You can also change the size of the widget at any time from the Notification Center.

• Open the Notification Center, find a widget, click on it, and now you will have different options like Edit, Different sizes (Small, Medium, and Large).

• You’ll now see the updated widget in the Notification Center.

How to Remove Widgets on macOS Big Sur

• To remove a widget, right-click it, and in the pop-up menu, select Remove Widget.

• Alternatively, you can scroll down to the bottom of the Notification Center, and choose the Edit Widgets button to enter the widget editing mode.

• Now, click the (-) icon to remove the widget.

That’s it. This feature was all about how to add and customize widgets on macOS Big Sur. Using widgets on a Mac can be quite useful, these small and simple items provide quick access to information or controls. Many of the widgets are of Apple apps, such as Calendar, Reminders, and Podcasts, while others show info collected from the internet.

Read More:

• How to Trick Out Your iPhone Home Screen in iOS 14