iPhone Photos Album Widget: Setup Guide

This guide shows you how to add a Photos widget to your iPhone Home Screen and set it to display a specific album, so you can see your favorite pictures at a glance without opening the app. You’ll need an iPhone running iOS 14 or later, and the album you want to use must already exist in the Photos app.

What You’ll Need

• An iPhone with iOS 14 or newer (the steps are the same through iOS 17 and 18)
• At least one album already created in the Photos app
• Your Home Screen unlocked and in edit mode (you’ll learn how to do this below)

Step-by-Step

1. Unlock your iPhone and go to the Home Screen page where you want to add the widget. It’s easiest to place it on a page with some empty space.
2. Enter jiggle mode by pressing and holding your finger on any empty area of the Home Screen (not on an app icon) until the icons start to wiggle. On iPhones with Face ID, you can also press and hold the wallpaper directly.
3. Tap the plus (+) button in the top-left corner of the screen. This opens the widget gallery.
4. Search for Photos by typing “Photos” in the search bar at the top, or scroll down the list of apps until you find the Photos icon (a colorful flower-like pinwheel). Tap it.
5. Choose a widget size. You’ll see three options: small (a 2×2 square), medium (a 4×2 rectangle), and large (a 4×4 square). Swipe left or right to preview each size. The small and medium sizes show one or two photos; the large size shows a grid of several photos. Tap the size you prefer, then tap “Add Widget” at the bottom.
6. Position the widget. The widget will appear on your Home Screen, still in jiggle mode. Drag it to your desired spot, then tap “Done” in the top-right corner (or press the Home button on older models) to exit jiggle mode. The widget will initially show random photos from your library.
7. Edit the widget to select your album. Press and hold the Photos widget until a menu pops up. Tap “Edit Widget” (not “Edit Photo” or “Remove Widget”).
8. Tap the album name in the widget’s settings panel. It will say “Recents” or “Favorites” by default. A list of your albums will appear.
9. Select your desired album from the list by tapping its name. The widget will immediately update to show photos from that album.
10. Tap outside the widget (or press Done/Home) to close the settings. Your widget is now set to display your chosen album.

Common Mistakes

• Not entering jiggle mode properly: Pressing and holding an app icon opens a quick-action menu, not jiggle mode. Press and hold an empty area of the wallpaper instead.
• Choosing “Edit Photo” instead of “Edit Widget”: The menu that appears when you long-press the widget has two options. “Edit Photo” lets you pick a single photo to display (for certain sizes), while “Edit Widget” lets you choose the album source. For album selection, you need “Edit Widget.”
• Selecting a Smart Album that doesn’t exist: If you deleted an album, the widget may show a blank space. Always verify the album still exists in the Photos app under Albums > My Albums.
• Expecting live updates for every photo: The widget refreshes periodically, not instantly. Adding a new photo to the album may take a few minutes to appear on the widget.

Tips

• Use the large widget for a photo grid: If you want to see multiple pictures at once, the large size shows a 2×2 or 3×3 grid depending on your iOS version.
• Create a dedicated “Widget” album: Make a new album and add only the 5-10 photos you want to see regularly. This gives you control over what appears, rather than cycling through an entire album.
• Stack widgets for space: You can drag the Photos widget on top of another widget to create a Smart Stack. Then swipe up or down on the stack to cycle between them.
• Use Favorites for quick access: If you already mark photos with the heart icon, the “Favorites” smart album is a great default choice.
• Move the widget to the Today View: Swipe right from the first Home Screen page to access the Today View, press and hold an empty area, tap +, and add the widget there for a less cluttered main screen.

Troubleshooting

• Widget shows “No Photos” or a blank space: The album you selected is empty. Add at least one photo to it in the Photos app, or choose a different album.
• Widget won’t change album: Make sure you’re tapping “Edit Widget” and not “Edit Photo.” If the menu doesn’t appear, try restarting your iPhone (press and hold the side button and either volume button until the power slider appears, then slide to power off, wait a few seconds, and power back on).
• Widget shows the wrong photos: The widget may be cached. Remove the widget (press and hold, tap “Remove Widget”), then add it again following the steps above.
• Can’t find the Photos app in the widget gallery: Scroll down the gallery list — it’s alphabetical. If it’s missing entirely, check that you haven’t hidden the Photos app (Settings > Screen Time > Content & Privacy Restrictions > Allowed Apps).
• Widget is stuck on one photo: This can happen with the small size. Try switching to the medium or large size, then back to small, or re-add the widget.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I set the widget to show a single specific photo?
Yes. Use the small or medium widget, long-press it, choose “Edit Photo,” then select the photo you want. Note that this overrides the album setting for that widget.

Does the widget update automatically when I add photos to the album?
Yes, but not instantly. It refreshes periodically, usually every few minutes or when you unlock your phone. You can force a refresh by removing and re-adding the widget.

Can I have multiple Photos widgets with different albums?
Absolutely. Add as many widgets as you want, and set each one to a different album using the same steps.

Why does my widget show photos from “Recents” even after I selected an album?
This usually happens if you tapped “Edit Photo” instead of “Edit Widget,” or if you didn’t tap the album name in the widget settings. Go back and follow steps 7-9 again.

Will the widget work if I delete the album?
No. The widget will show a blank area or “No Photos.” Recreate the album or select a different one.

Does this work on iPad too?
Yes, the same steps apply to iPadOS, though the widget sizes and layout differ slightly.

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