There seems to be a plethora of iOS widget apps out there now, and so I’m wondering if it’s now possible to create an app launcher widget that shows the apps in list view instead of the classic iOS grid. I find it much easier to quickly scan a list than an array of icons (I’m the type who always switches Finder to the list/details view). Bonus points if it can do a nested hierarchy of items.
Thoughts/ideas?
As far as I know widgets cannot be interactive, they can show information from the app, but clicking them would open the app generating the widget, not the item shown. So showing a list view of apps installed would select 1 item (pre-set) per widget, not a selection from a list.
This is possible, with some limitations. The most popular app is Widgy for creating custom widgets with a pretty good builder interface. Scriptable uses JavaScript and lets you have a bit finer control over your widget.
The widget would have to be a fixed list of apps. And since widgets can’t be interactive, you can’t do nested lists. (Although it’s possible to change the list of apps on a time basis)
Tapping the widget will first launch the widget app (Widgy, Scriptable or whatever) then redirect you to whatever app you want to launch. This is an inconvenience that some people are willing to put up with.
Wouldn’t a List View tend to require scrolling? Which is more than a widget can do.
I don’t envision it being a complete list, since the App Library screen can provide that. This would essentially allow me to put shorter lists of relevant apps in place of the contents of each page of the homescreen.
If I can find a way to do it right, it would be faster to scan for an app of interest, and its text-only nature would also ideally make it less enticing to pick up at random/when bored. If it looks more like a serious tool, then perhaps my brain would be more inclined to relate to it as such.