Where to find and add widgets on Mac

Widgets on Mac live in the Notification Center, which you open by clicking the date and time in the top-right corner of your screen. Once it opens, scroll to the bottom and click the edit button (a pencil icon in a circle). From there, you can see all available widgets and click the plus sign next to any widget you want to add to your Notification Center.

The widgets that appear depend on what apps you have installed. Built-in Mac apps like Calendar, Weather, Stocks, and Reminders come with widgets ready to use. Third-party apps from the App Store may also offer widgets, though not every app includes one.

After you add a widget, it shows up in your Notification Center immediately. You can rearrange widgets by dragging them up or down in the edit view, and remove them by clicking the minus sign next to any widget you no longer want to see.

Key Takeaways

  • Open Notification Center by clicking the date and time in the top-right corner, then click the edit button at the bottom to add or remove widgets.
  • Only apps that include widget support will appear in the widget list — built-in Mac apps like Calendar and Weather always have widgets available.
  • You can rearrange widgets by dragging them in edit mode, and the order you set stays the same each time you open Notification Center.
  • Some widgets let you customize what information they show, such as which calendar or which stocks, by clicking the widget itself in edit mode.

Customizing widgets after you add them

Many widgets let you change what they display once they are added. Click on a widget in edit mode (while the pencil icon is visible) to see if options appear. For example, the Calendar widget lets you choose which calendar to show, and the Stocks widget lets you pick which stocks to track.

Not every widget has customization options. Simple widgets like the Clock or Reminders may show the same information no matter what you do. If a widget does not respond when you click it in edit mode, it does not have settings to change.

Removing widgets you no longer want

To remove a widget, open Notification Center and click the edit button. Find the widget you want to remove and click the minus sign next to it. The widget disappears from your Notification Center right away.

Removing a widget from Notification Center does not uninstall the app it came from. If you want to use that widget again later, you can add it back the same way you added it the first time.

Widgets from third-party apps

Apps you download from the Mac App Store may include widgets. After you install an app, check the widget list in Notification Center to see if it offers one. Popular apps like Slack, Spotify, and various news apps often include widgets, though availability varies by app and version.

If an app you use does not have a widget, the developer has not built one yet. You can still use the app normally — widgets are optional extras, not required features. Some developers add widget support in updates, so checking back occasionally may reveal new options.

Organizing your widget order

The order of your widgets matters only if you have many of them. Widgets you use most often should go near the top of Notification Center so you see them first when you open it. To change the order, click the edit button in Notification Center, then drag any widget up or down by its handle (the three horizontal lines on the left side of each widget).

Your widget order stays the same between sessions. Once you arrange them the way you want, they will appear in that same order every time you open Notification Center, unless you edit them again.

Troubleshooting widgets that do not appear

If you expect a widget to be in the list but do not see it, first check that the app is actually installed on your Mac. Open Applications in Finder and look for the app. If the app is there but no widget appears in the edit list, that app does not offer a widget.

If you recently installed an app and its widget is not showing up yet, try restarting your Mac. Sometimes newly installed apps take a moment to register their widgets with the system. After a restart, open Notification Center again and check the edit list.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I add widgets to my Mac desktop instead of Notification Center?

No. On Mac, widgets only appear in Notification Center, not on the desktop itself. This is different from iPad or iPhone, where widgets can sit on the home screen. If you want to see widget information on your Mac, you must open Notification Center.

Do widgets use battery or slow down my Mac?

Widgets in Notification Center use very little power and do not run constantly. They only update when you open Notification Center or when macOS refreshes them in the background. Having several widgets added will not noticeably affect your Mac's performance or battery life.

What happens if I delete an app that has a widget?

If you uninstall an app, its widget automatically disappears from your Notification Center. You do not need to manually remove it. If you reinstall the app later, you can add the widget back the same way you added it before.

Can I resize widgets in Notification Center?

No. Widgets in Mac's Notification Center have fixed sizes that the app developer chose. You cannot make them larger or smaller. If a widget is too small to read, you can click on it to open the full app instead.

Why do some widgets show different information than the app itself?

Widgets are designed to show a quick summary, not all the details the full app contains. A Weather widget might show only today's forecast, while the Weather app shows a week ahead. This is intentional — widgets are meant to give you a glance at key information without opening the full app.