Weather widgets for iPhone, Mac and Apple Watch

Weather widgets put selected forecast values on supported Home Screen, Lock Screen, desktop and watch surfaces. Weather Pro is in development with settings that depend on the device and system version. Use this guide to distinguish each widget’s configuration from the app’s settings.

Give each widget a purpose

Start with a specific place and a simple question. A widget for home can show the next few hours, while another for a destination keeps its local weather close. Check the saved point rather than assuming that a widget always follows your device’s location.

Weather Pro is in development with independent widget settings on supported system versions. The available sizes and editing options depend on the platform and widget surface. A Home Screen widget, a Lock Screen accessory and a watch complication have different amounts of room.

iPhone and iPad weather widget settings

On systems with independent configuration, each instance has six choices: place, temperature unit, wind unit, forecast interval, model and precipitation unit. Choose the model and interval deliberately, then use units that you recognise at a glance.

An explicit choice belongs to that instance. It does not change the app’s preferences or another widget. This is useful for keeping a home view and a travel view alongside each other without repeatedly changing the app.

On iPhone and iPad, independent editing requires iOS or iPadOS 17 and later. Mac supports it from macOS 14. Older systems use more limited configuration. The forecast guide introduces the underlying model, place and unit choices.

Mac weather widget settings

Mac app settings are separate from Mac widget settings. Configure the widget itself on supported systems. Changing the city or units in the Mac app does not automatically apply that choice to an existing Mac widget.

The Mac widget’s default choice refers to its own defaults, rather than a shared app preference. If a widget appears to show an unexpected place or unit, its configuration is the first thing to inspect.

Match the surface to the detail

A compact view works best when the main values remain easy to read. Small widgets and accessories contain fewer details than larger formats. Larger supported families can include daily summaries and a more detailed hourly table.

App field visibility does not rearrange widgets. Hiding a weather row in the app is an app display choice. Widget composition follows its supported family, available space and system text size.

Wind direction is available in the app and large widget families. It is absent from small, medium, accessory and Watch formats. Choosing a smaller surface does not create room for every field in the app’s full table.

Why a weather widget may not refresh immediately

Widget refreshes follow system scheduling. The operating system decides when it can update a widget, and fresh downloads also need a network connection. A requested refresh is not a guaranteed immediate redraw.

Apple describes this scheduling in Keeping a widget up to date. A widget should not be treated as a live sensor or as an exact rain alert.

When a value needs closer inspection, open the app, check the forecast update time and refresh there. Widgets do not display an update timestamp. Read the hourly forecast explanation for the period covered by rain and wind values.

Apple Watch weather and complications

The Watch app can download its forecast independently when connected. Complications provide smaller views on compatible watch surfaces, with configuration that depends on watchOS.

watchOS 10–11 uses saved-place presets; watchOS 26 and later supports the system editor for place, units, interval and model. Older versions use their supported static configuration. The Watch app’s own settings remain another way to choose its forecast.

Phone-to-Watch transfers also depend on pairing, companion installation and system scheduling. A queued transfer does not prove that new preferences have arrived on the wrist.

Use location intentionally

Choose Current Location only when you want device location. Saved cities and named coordinates provide another way to select a point. The privacy policy explains how forecast coordinates and city searches reach Open-Meteo.

If a widget’s values differ from the app, compare place, model, interval and units before changing anything else. Weather Pro support covers refresh expectations and the difference between missing data and zero.