macOS · Display & Sound
Customize the widgets shown in Notification Center
Notification Center's widget gallery lets you add, remove, and resize glanceable widgets for weather, calendar, reminders, and other apps, arranged in a stack you can scroll through.
How to open Notification Center Widgets
- Click the date and time in the menu bar to open Notification Center
- Scroll to the bottom of the widgets column and click Edit Widgets
- Drag a widget from the gallery into your stack
- Choose a size if the widget supports multiple sizes
What you should know
- Add widgets from any app that supports them via the widget gallery
- Choose small, medium, or large widget sizes where supported
- Reorder widgets by dragging them within Notification Center
- Some widgets support Smart Stacks that rotate automatically based on relevance
Why it matters
Widgets in Notification Center give a quick-glance summary of information, like the next calendar event or today's weather, without needing to open a full app, which is a small but frequent time saver throughout the day. Because Notification Center is reachable from anywhere via a click or trackpad gesture, well-chosen widgets act like a personal dashboard layered on top of whatever you're currently working on. This is distinct from Desktop widgets, which sit directly on the desktop instead of the side panel.
Best practices
- Keep the widget stack focused on 3-5 genuinely useful widgets rather than adding every available option.
- Use Smart Stacks for widgets you check inconsistently throughout the day, letting the system surface the most relevant one.
- Resize a frequently checked widget, like Calendar, to a larger size for more detail at a glance.
Common problems and fixes
- A widget isn't available for a particular app.
- Not every app ships a widget; check the widget gallery to confirm the app supports one, and update the app if it hasn't been updated recently.
- Widgets aren't updating with current information.
- Ensure the source app is allowed background refresh and is signed into the correct account.
Tips and tricks
- Click and hold a widget for quick access to size and configuration options without leaving the panel.
Frequently asked questions
Can I put the same widgets on my desktop?
Yes, many widgets can also be dragged onto the desktop directly, separate from the Notification Center panel.
Do widgets sync across devices?
Widget presence doesn't sync automatically; each Mac's Notification Center is configured independently.
Related settings
- Desktop & DockDesktop & Dock settings control the size, position, and behavior of the Dock, along with desktop options like Stage Manager, widgets, and how windows and Mission Control behave. It's the main place to make the Dock and desktop work the way you want.
- Menu Bar & Control CenterControl Center gives you quick access to frequently used settings like Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, Focus, and display brightness from a single menu bar icon. You can customize which controls appear in Control Center and which ones show directly in the menu bar for one-click access.
- FocusFocus lets you silence notifications and distractions while you concentrate on a specific task, like work, personal time, or sleep. You can allow only certain people and apps through, and each Focus can turn on automatically on a schedule or when you open a certain app.
More Display & Sound guides for macOS
- Displays SettingsDisplays settings let you change resolution, brightness, arrangement of multiple monitors, and features like Night Shift and True Tone for more comfortable viewing.
- Sound & NotificationsSound settings control input/output devices and alert volume, while Notifications & Focus let you decide which apps can interrupt you and when — including scheduled Focus modes like Work or Sleep.
- AppearanceAppearance settings control whether macOS uses a Light or Dark theme, or automatically switches between them based on time of day, along with accent color, highlight color, and sidebar icon size preferences.
- WallpaperWallpaper settings let you choose a still image, Apple's dynamic or live wallpapers that change with time of day, or your own photo collection to display as the Desktop background, with independent options per display.
- Night ShiftNight Shift automatically shifts the colors of your display to the warmer end of the spectrum in the evening, based on a schedule or sunset-to-sunrise timing, to reduce blue light exposure before bed.
- True ToneTrue Tone uses the Mac's ambient light sensors to automatically adjust the display's white balance to match the surrounding lighting conditions, making white appear consistently natural under different light sources.