App Store Apps

NC brings a Twitter widget to Notification Center

Sébastien Page ∙ Updated February 5, 2018

Up until a few months ago, if you wanted to have a Twitter widget in Notification Center, you would have had to go the jailbreak way and find a tweak that would allow you to do just that. But since the release of iOS 8, and Apple opening up its mobile operating software for developers to create extensions, we've seen some really neat apps and widgets taking advantage of the new possibilities. NC is one of those.

NC is a new app that lets you add a Twitter widget to the Today tab of Notification Center, and from our usage of the app for the last few days, we can say it works as advertised.

TodayRemote is a widget with iTunes playback controls

Lory Gil ∙ Updated April 30, 2018

With Apple’s Remote app, you can access your computer’s iTunes playback controls so you don’t have to get off the couch to switch songs. But, unlocking your iPhone, opening the app, and selecting your device is still just way too much work.

TodayRemote lets you control playback of iTunes right from the Lock screen of your iPhone. You’ll never have to work for your music again.

This widget lets you play Minesweeper directly from Notification Center

Sébastien Page ∙ January 22, 2015

Minesweeper Widget Edition is a new app launching in the App Store today that, as you might have guessed, brings a playable Minesweeper widget to the Today tab of Notification Center. Developed by the same guy who made Overglide, another playable Notification Center widget, Minesweeper Widget Edition promises to offer short and quick gaming to make your wait in line at the grocery store ever so enjoyable.

Thermos lets you control your Nest from Notification Center on iPhone and iPad

Sébastien Page ∙ January 20, 2015

Thermos for iPhone and iPad is the first application to let you control your Nest thermostat directly from your iPhone or iPad's Notification Center. Already available for Mac (read our review), Thermos has now made its way to iOS with a Notification Center widget that allows Nest user to adjust the temperature of the thermostat, as well as setting it to Away, or turning it off altogether.

The best Notification Center widgets of 2014

Lory Gil ∙ Updated October 14, 2018

When Apple first revealed that iOS users would be able to access information from the Lock screen in iOS 8, I wasn’t that excited. I’ve never had a problem just unlocking my iPhone and opening the app I want to get information from. However, once Notification Center extensions became available, I was hooked. Now, I’ve got to-do lists, weather forecasts, news updates, and all kinds of widgets sitting on my Today view.

Everyone at iDB is excited about widgets, so it was pretty easy to come up with a big list of nominations. However, it was hard to narrow it down to the best one. With much hair pulling involved, we came to a final vote. The list below reveals our winner for best Notification Center widget, as well as the runner-ups. Since the feature has only existed for a few months, we are not going to name any “best ever” widget this year.

Glimpse lets you check your favorite webpages from Notification Center

Sébastien Page ∙ December 18, 2014

Glimpse is a new app that lets you pin one or more favorite webpages to the Today tab of Notification Center, allowing to have a quick glance at your most visited websites, without having to launch Safari. The Notification Center extension is particularly handy to check news-focused websites where information is often time sensitive, and where a quick look is usually enough to get an idea of what is going on, without necessarily unlocking the device and opening up the full web browser.

Apple threatens removal of another Notification Center widget from App Store, this time Drafts

Jake Smith ∙ December 2, 2014

Apple is about to force the removal of yet another Notification Center widget from the App Store, this time saying the Today view is for information presentation only and not buttons.

The Drafts 4 app, which contains the widget in question, once enabled users of the app to create new documents by simply pressing a button in Notification Center to launch the text editor app. Not anymore, says Tim Cook and Co.

Music Center lets you view your entire music library from Notification Center

Sébastien Page ∙ Updated April 18, 2018

If you've ever wanted to be able to browse your entire music library from Notification Center, then you should check out Music Center in the App Store. Developed by jailbreak alumni Akhil Tolani, Music Center is a great idea that is unfortunately handicapped by Apple's restrictions on what you can do with Notification Center extensions.

Apple asks ‘Neato’ to remove keyboard in ongoing war on widgets

Cody Lee ∙ Updated April 18, 2018

Apple is once again going after a Notification Center widget for overstepping its bounds. Neato, a popular note-taking widget with a built-in keyboard and share controls, says the Cupertino firm has threatened to remove the app for violating its App Review Guidelines.

More specifically, the developers behind Neato told Gizmodo that Apple has asked them to remove the keyboard from their widget, or else. The team tried to appeal, but Apple wasn't going to budge, and gave them two weeks to submit an update to correct their issue.

Say ‘hello’ to Overglide, a tiny game playable from the Lock screen and Notification Center

Christian Zibreg ∙ November 11, 2014

I should have suffixed the headline with “no jailbreak required” for added punch. Yes, Overglide for the iPhone and iPad indeed is a tiny game that you play within iOS 8's Notification Center and right on the Lock screen, even while your iOS device is locked.

This cave flyer has you piloting a paper plane as far as possible while dodging the obstacles, and it even comes with Game Center leaderboards and achievements.

How's that possible? Read on or grab Overglide for 99 cents in the App Store and see for yourself.

Mooncast adds the current moon phase to Notification Center

Lory Gil ∙ November 6, 2014

In general, most of us take the moon for granted. It’s always there. All we have to do is look up at night to see it (depending on the time of the night and the moon’s phase). Some people claim that it has an effect on how we act.

Mooncast is a simple app that displays an image of the moon in its current phase with a few additional bits of information about its status in the night’s sky. The app recently received a major update that adds the moon’s phase to your Notification Center’s Today view.

Neato lets you jot quick notes directly from Notification Center

Sébastien Page ∙ Updated April 18, 2018

Neato is a new application that mostly consists of a Notification Center extension that lets you quickly jot down quick notes from anywhere on iOS. After installing the free app from the App Store, simply add the Notification Center extension to start typing in notes from the Lock screen, Home screen, or directly from within an application.

Notes can be synced with Evernote or with Dropbox. Additionally, whatever you type can be easily shared to Twitter, or via email or text message.