Let Widgets Make Your Screen Time More Productive

Are you taking advantage of the widgets available on your phone?  There are many reasons why using widgets can make your screen time more productive.  A widget is a convenient shortcut to a larger application already installed on your device. They provide you with quick access to information without requiring you to open the full app that manages the information. The best example is the one that’s probably my favorite: Google Search. If you’ve got that little search bar on one of your home screens, you’re using a widget!

Some common widgets include clocks, alarm clocks, timers, weather notifications, health widgets like step counters, news headlines, calendars, music players and so many more. Many display streaming information across your cellphone screen without having to fully launch an app—for instance, your local weather report, or important news updates.

Widgets come in all shapes and sizes, are customizable, and are so handy for streamlining the process of using the apps on your phone. The steps below outline how to use widgets by finding and adding them to your cell phone screen.

For iPhone:

  • Swipe right over your Home Screen or Lock screen to get to the Today View
  • Scroll down and tap Edit.
  • You’ll see the widget options there. Tap the plus sign to add one to your screen. To move it around, tap the menu icon and drag.

On Android smartphones:

  • Find a blank space on one of your home screens.
  • Press and hold until you see the option for Widgets appear on the screen.
  • Tap Widgets, then scroll through the options.
  • Select and hold the widget you want.

Take a look at all of the widgets your device offers. You’re sure to find at least one that will make using it even easier. With just a little effort, you can turn a home screen into a handy, easy-to-use dashboard for the most important things you do on your phone.

14 Thoughts on "Let Widgets Make Your Screen Time More Productive"

  1. Don Beaman says

    We have a DORO618 but need instructions for the Camera use.

    • Ashley at Consumer Cellular says

      We appreciate you taking the time to post today, Don. You’ll find a complete guide to using your Doro 618’s camera feature in our helpful How-To video here. Of course, we’re happy to help you over the phone at 888-345-5509 with any other questions you may have. Thank you for reaching out to us, and we hope you have a lovely day!

  2. Helen brown says

    I need to disconnect. How do I do this

    • Ashley at Consumer Cellular says

      Thank you for posting, Helen. You can disconnect your service by giving us a call at 888-345-5509. We appreciate you giving our service a try, and we will be happy to assist you. We hope you have a great day!

  3. Russ Doty says

    I need to have my caller ID show my name to people I call. Right now it shows a city I used to live in. So folks do not answer because they think a telemarketer is calling them. How do I get that ID changed?

    • Ashley at Consumer Cellular says

      We can help you make changes to that information, Russ. Please give us a call at 888-345-5509, and we will be happy to assist you. Thank you for posting today!

  4. Martha Stevens says

    My phone tells me I don’t have enough space to down load. How do I get more space/

    • Ashley at Consumer Cellular says

      Thanks for asking, Martha! The easiest option is to move photos and videos from your phone to a microSD card or to cloud storage, like Google Photos. You can also remove any apps you no longer use, or clear your cached images. To learn more, we recommend you read our blog here. We’re happy to assist you with any other storage related questions you may have at 888-345-5509. We appreciate you taking the time to post, and we hope you have a lovely day!

  5. Joli R says

    I am new to CC and I noticed on my first bill that at 12 PM and 6 AM every day, there is a MB some large and some small. Why is this? I have tried to figure this out but I have never come across this in the 25 years I have had a cell phone! Can you please explain to me here in this venue what these mean and if this is being charged as DATA every day? Thanks!

    • Ashley at Consumer Cellular says

      I’m happy to clear that up for you, Joli. Data used by your phone is reported to us in batches, and is sent to use with the timestamps you mention here. That doesn’t mean that the data was used at that exact time, that’s just when we received the information. If you believe that your phone is using data without your knowledge, we’re happy to review some settings with you so that you can monitor and adjust your usage. Please don’t hesitate to give us a call at 888-345-5509. Thank you for posting, and we hope you have a wonderful day!

  6. Jan Libby says

    I’d like to find out how to see the line graphs. They used to pop up every time I went to your website. Now they only show up ocassionally. I can keep better track of my usage that way. Please let me know where to find the graphs.

    • Ashley at Consumer Cellular says

      We’re happy to help you with that, Jan! To see your usage graphs, you’ll need to login to My Account, which you can access here. There, you’ll be able to track your usage and make any account changes. You can also see this information in the My CC app on your device. If we can be of any further assistance, please don’t hesitate to call us at 888-345-5509. Thank you for taking the time to post, and we hope you have a great day!

  7. GW says

    An unwanted widget banner has appeared on my phone. How do I remove this from my phone?

    • Ashley at Consumer Cellular says

      Great question, GW! If you’re using an Android phone, you can press and hold the widget until you see an option to remove or delete the widget. It’s that simple! If the device you’re using is an iPhone, swipe to the right on the screen, and tap the option to “Edit”. Select the widget, then tap the “-” icon, and then tap “Done” to confirm. If you run into any issues, just give us a call at 888-345-5509 and we’ll be happy to assist you. Thanks for posting, and we hope you have a great day!