How to add widgets on Big Sur?

By Eileen, 13 November, 2020

Forum
macOS and Mac Apps

Can somebody please explain the steps for adding a widget on Big Sur?

After entering edit mode I am able to browse available widgets; and when I perform VO+Space on a widget and then VO+J I am taken to what appears to be the description/preview of that widget.

What I haven't yet been able to figure out is the next step... adding a widget to the widget screen.

I haven't been able to find any combination of keys which will bring up a menu on the desired widget; and I've also not been able to drag and drop a widget from the list of available widgets to the list of active widgets.

Is this even possible? Or am I simply missing the obvious?

Thanks for any advice ☺️

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Comments

By Jeffry Miller on Friday, December 4, 2020 - 17:55

How do you get to browse these widgets

By Eileen on Friday, December 4, 2020 - 17:55

To get to the list of available widgets you first need to open the Notifications Center (VO-O). Now locate the Edit Widgets button and VO-Space on this.

If you now use VO-J you should be able to locate a grid that contains the available widgets and a Done button.

OK, and thanks, Eileen. I opened notification with vo-o, vo-spaced on the edit button, pressed vo-j, and b browsed the list of widgets, but alas, nothing I did after that changed a thing. I couldn't add or delete any of them. For example, I wanted to permanently delete screen time from notifications. I couldn't. I tried everything I could think of.

What do I need to do to add or remove widgets from notifications?

Thank you,

Bruce

By Eileen on Friday, December 4, 2020 - 17:55

It is possible to remove or edit enabled widgets.

To do this you need to perform a right click on the desired widget.

Unfortunately, the usual shortcut of VO-Command-M does not work here.

Neither apparently does the VoiceOver action menu.

What I do is place the VoiceOver cursor on the desired widget.

Then i move the mouse pointer to the location of the VoiceOver cursor with VO-Command-FN5 (note this won't be necessary if you have your Mac configured so that the mouse pointer automatically follows the VoiceOver cursor).

I then use the trackpad on my Mac to perform the right click.

This brings up the menu which you can then access and navigate as normal.

Hope this helps ☺️