Home Widgets
Add customizable weather widgets to your home screen on iOS and Android.
iOS Widgets
OSS Weather supports iOS WidgetKit with multiple widget sizes and configurations.
Available Sizes
- Small (2x2) - Current conditions
- Medium (4x2) - Current + hourly forecast
- Large (4x4) - Full weather overview
Adding a Widget
- Long press on your home screen
- Tap the "+" button in the top left
- Search for "OSS Weather"
- Select desired widget size
- Tap "Add Widget"
- Long press the widget to configure
Widget Configuration
Tap "Edit Widget" to customize:
- Location - Choose which saved location to display
- Data Display - Select what information to show
- Update Frequency - How often to refresh
- Theme - Light, dark, or auto
Android Widgets
OSS Weather provides multiple widget types for Android home screens.
Widget Types
Current Weather Widget
- Compact display of current conditions
- Temperature and condition icon
- Location name
Hourly Forecast Widget
- Shows next few hours
- Temperature graph
- Precipitation indicators
Daily Forecast Widget
- Week view
- High/low temperatures
- Condition icons
Full Weather Widget
- Complete weather overview
- Current conditions + forecasts
- Multiple data points
Adding a Widget (Android)
- Long press on your home screen
- Tap "Widgets"
- Find "OSS Weather"
- Long press and drag desired widget to home screen
- Resize if needed
- Tap to configure
Widget Configuration (Android)
After adding, tap the widget to configure:
- Location selection
- Data to display
- Background transparency
- Text color
- Update interval
Widget Customization
Data Display Options
Choose what information to show:
- Current temperature
- Feels-like temperature
- Weather condition
- High/Low temperatures
- Precipitation probability
- Wind speed
- Humidity
- UV index
- Sunrise/sunset times
- Next hour forecast
- Hourly forecast graph
- Daily forecast
Visual Customization
Customize appearance:
- Background - Solid, gradient, or transparent
- Text Color - Auto, light, or dark
- Font Size - Small, medium, or large
- Icons - Various icon sets
- Layout - Different layout styles
Update Settings
Configure refresh behavior:
- Update Frequency - 15 min to 3 hours
- Background Updates - Enable for automatic refresh
- Manual Refresh - Tap widget to update
- Battery Optimization - Balance updates with battery life
Widget Features
Smart Refresh
Widgets intelligently update based on:
- Time of day (more frequent during active hours)
- Weather changes (update when conditions change)
- Battery level (reduce updates on low battery)
- Network availability (pause on no connection)
Multiple Widgets
Add multiple widgets for:
- Different locations
- Different data views
- Quick comparison
Deep Links
Tap widgets to:
- Open app to that location
- View detailed forecast
- Access specific features
Android Glance Widgets
For Android 12+ with supported launchers, OSS Weather provides Glance-powered widgets with:
- Modern Material Design
- Better performance
- Smoother animations
- Rich interactions
Widget Layouts
OSS Weather uses an advanced widget layout system that allows:
- Custom layouts via JSON configuration
- Cross-platform widget definitions
- Flexible data binding
- Multiple renderer support
See plugin-widgets/README.md for advanced widget customization.
Battery Impact
Widgets require periodic updates which impact battery:
Minimizing Battery Usage
- Set longer update intervals (1 hour+)
- Disable background updates when not needed
- Use fewer widgets
- Enable battery optimization for the app
Recommended Settings
- Active use: 30-minute updates
- Normal use: 1-hour updates
- Battery saving: 3-hour updates or manual
Troubleshooting
Widget Not Updating
- Check background app restrictions
- Verify internet connection
- Check battery optimization settings
- Ensure location permissions granted
- Try removing and re-adding widget
Wrong Location Showing
- Tap widget to configure
- Select correct location
- Verify location permissions
- Check GPS accuracy
Widget Looks Broken
- Remove and re-add widget
- Update OSS Weather to latest version
- Check if widget size is supported
- Try different layout style
Data Not Loading
- Check internet connection
- Verify API keys configured
- Try different weather provider
- Check app permissions
iOS Widget Limitations
iOS widgets have some limitations:
- Cannot show real-time animated data
- Update frequency limited by iOS
- Some features require opening the app
- Limited customization compared to Android
Best Practices
Widget Placement
- Use large widgets for detailed view
- Small widgets for at-a-glance info
- Medium widgets for balanced view
Number of Widgets
- 2-3 widgets is optimal
- More widgets = more battery usage
- Focus on most-used locations
Update Frequency
- Balance freshness vs battery
- Weather doesn't change every minute
- 1-hour updates usually sufficient
Examples
Traveler Setup
- Current location widget (auto-updates)
- Home city widget
- Destination city widget
Weather Enthusiast Setup
- Large detailed widget for main location
- Multiple small widgets for comparison
- Frequent updates (30 min)
Battery Saver Setup
- Single medium widget
- 3-hour updates
- Manual refresh when needed