Swift how to make a widget

Swift widget example: Learn how to make a custom widget with Swift, from creating the UI to displaying dynamic data.

Creating a Widget with Swift

Swift is a powerful, modern language designed for building iOS apps. It can also be used to create widgets for macOS, watchOS, and tvOS. In this tutorial, we will show you how to make a basic widget using Swift and the WidgetKit framework.

Getting Started

To get started, create a new project in Xcode and choose the “Widget” template. This will create a skeleton project with the necessary files and settings. Next, open the project settings and select the “Widget Extension” target. Click the “+” button next to the “Supported Platforms” section and select the platforms you want to support.

Creating the Widget

Now that you have your project set up, it's time to start building the widget. The first step is to define the widget's configuration. This is done in the widget's configuration file (usually named “Widget.swift”). Here you can define the widget's name, description, and other settings.

import WidgetKit

struct Widget: Widget {
    let kind: String = "Widget"
    let family: WidgetFamily = .systemSmall

    var title: String = "My Widget"
    var description: String = "My first widget."
    var icon: WidgetIcon = WidgetIcon.systemImage(name: "square")
}

The next step is to define the widget's view. This is done in the widget's view file (usually named “WidgetView.swift”). Here you can define the widget's layout, content, and other elements.

import SwiftUI

struct WidgetView: View {
    var body: some View {
        VStack {
            Text("Hello World!")
        }
    }
}

Finally, you need to register the widget in your app's Info.plist file. This will allow the system to discover and load your widget when it's needed.

<key>NSExtension</key>
<dict>
    <key>NSExtensionAttributes</key>
    <dict>
        <key>WKAppBundleIdentifier</key>
        <string>YOUR_APP_ID</string>
    </dict>
    <key>NSExtensionMainStoryboard</key>
    <string>Main</string>
    <key>NSExtensionPointIdentifier</key>
    <string>com.apple.widget-extension</string>
</dict>

Once you have completed these steps, you can build and run your project. Your widget should now appear in the list of available widgets on the system. Congratulations, you have successfully created your first widget with Swift!