Scriptable supercharges iOS widgets like any other app

With iOS 14, iPhone users are finally Sweet, sweet widget life Anyone who has used an Android smartphone in the last 10 years is already familiar with it.I avoided most of the early widget apps and generally avoided using most of the widgets (and) Maybe you should too!). I’m not using the original Motorola Droid, not 2009.But Scriptable, Apps from developers Simon Støvring, May have changed my mind.

Scriptable allows you to set up cool Siri automation on iOS using Javascript, but with the advent of widgets you can also run scripts directly on your home screen. So I can finally get the transparent weather and calendar widgets I like. Instead of a big box that covers my wallpaper.

If you’re like me and most of your coding experience is limited to HTML or makes your TI-83 racing game car look like a Wiener, Scriptable’s myriad scripts can be daunting at first. You might think. Fortunately, most of the scripts I’ve come across have incredible instructions in the script itself, and Scriptable automatically color-codes it so you know what to replace and what not to replace. I will.

1 Github user Has already compiled a great list of widgets and scripts that you can run, including one that gives you a final look at what’s playing in Sonos without having to open the app. Also, there are many people on Github and Reddit who can run scripts and provide guidance in case of errors.

However, one of the best Scriptable widgets I’ve found actually requires two scripts, so here’s a detailed guide to my handy guide and how to use it. That way, you too will get a beautiful big weather widget that won’t hide you. Beautiful big wallpaper.

Both scripts are by the developer MaxZeryck. First Widgets-Blur solves one of the most annoying problems with iOS widgets. They do not support background blur or transparency. Widget-Blur Use wallpaper screenshots to generate a background image that exactly matches the limits of your iOS widget, basically making the widget background look transparent. If you use his other widget, WeatherCal, and the background is transparent, you’ll need this.

To get started, you need to open the above link on your mobile phone. You should see 807 lines of code. Copy them all, then open the Scriptable app and tap the blue plus sign in the upper right corner to paste the script. At this point, you can also rename the script so that it is not confused with others. To do this, tap the name at the top and change it to whatever you like.Once it’s all sorted, you can hit play The lower right button. The script then walks you through things, such as going into “wiggle mode” on the home screen to take a screenshot. When all is done, the widget-enabled photos will be saved in your photo album.

Next, get and configure the WeatherCal widget itself. Scripts are available in two ways. It is a method of copying and then pasting. Github Alternatively, select Weather Cal Widget Builder from the Scriptable Gallery section. I ran the latter to avoid copy / paste errors.

After loading the script, there are some things to do. Weather Cal is incredibly customizable, but it can be daunting if you’re new to coding. that’s OK! It’s really easy, I swear.

First, you will need the API key from OpenWeather Powers the weather side of the widget. API keys are currently free from OpenWeather. So sign up for one Wait for it to be delivered to your inbox.

Going back to the script, you need to paste the API key between the two quotes on line 8. If you don’t see the line number of your code, go back to the Scriptable list of scripts and Configuration Button in the upper left corner. next, Editor Switch on Display line numbers..

For me, the hardest part of the whole setup is pasting the API key into the script. Editing scripts and typing on mobile phone screens are not exactly mixed. I held down the space bar and moved the cursor to create a large gap between the quotes, so I had enough space to touch the screen. paste A prompt was displayed.

After entering the API key, all you have to do is adjust the other settings of the widget. You can also select Fahrenheit or Celsius, specify the calendar to display, and change the font type used. Zeryck has done a great job of documenting what every line of code does, so it’s easy to tweak things. He also warns you not to touch any code if you are not very familiar with Javascript.

Once the changes are complete play A button to run the script for the first time. This step is absolutely important. When I first try to run the script directly from the widget, I can’t get permission from iOS to check the location. To avoid that, first run it directly in your Scriptable app.

Then add the Scriptable widget to your home screen, select the Weather Cal script and enjoy the widget that doesn’t feel like it’s about 10 years behind.