WidgetAIReminders widget for iPhone: a to-do list you actually see
A to-do list only works if you look at it. That's the whole case for putting reminders on your Home Screen: the list is in front of you every time you unlock the phone, instead of behind an app icon you'd have to remember to open. iOS ships a Reminders widget that does this, and it's decent. The catch is that it looks one way, shows what Apple decided it should show, and can't share a tile with anything else.
WidgetAI builds a reminders widget the way you describe it. This post covers what a custom one can show, the templates to start from, how to pair it with your calendar, and the honest limits of a to-do widget on iOS.
What the stock widget gives you
Apple's Reminders widget shows a list you pick, with checkboxes, in the system style. For a lot of people that's enough. You'd look elsewhere for three reasons: you want a different look, you want something other than a plain list (just the next thing, or just a count), or you want reminders next to your schedule, the weather, or the date on one tile. Those are exactly the things a widget you describe can do.
What a custom reminders widget can show
WidgetAI reads two things from Reminders on your device: the title of your next reminder, and how many reminders are due today. That sounds small, but it covers most of what people actually want at a glance:
- The next thing. One reminder, big, so you can't miss it. "A small widget that just shows my next reminder in large text."
- Today's count. A number, with a label, and a colour that shifts as the day fills up. "Show how many reminders are due today, and turn the tile red if it's more than five."
- A checklist look. A short list with circle markers, styled like a paper checklist or a minimal app. "A medium widget styled like a checklist, with round bullets and a light background."
Reminders are read locally, on your iPhone, with the permission you grant. Nothing about your to-dos is uploaded to render the widget. That's true of every on-device signal in the app, and it matters more for a list of your personal tasks than for most data.
Templates to start from
If you'd rather not begin with a blank chat, there are four reminders templates:
- Reminders Today shows the day's count with a small label, tuned for a small widget.
- Next Reminder puts the next title front and centre.
- Checklist is the list layout, for a medium tile.
- Flagged is the same idea styled around a flag marker, for people who flag the important ones.
Pick one, then change it by talking. "Use a serif font." "Make the background a soft gradient." "Add today's date in the corner." Every message reshapes the design, and when it looks right you add it to your Home Screen. If you want the details of what happens between your message and the tile, we wrote up how the AI builds your widget.
Reminders and calendar on one tile
This is where a custom widget earns its place. Your day is reminders plus events, and no stock widget shows both. A medium WidgetAI tile can:
"A medium widget with my next calendar event and its time on the left, and my next reminder plus today's reminder count on the right."
The Agenda template is a good starting point for the calendar half; add the reminders half by asking. Both sides read on-device and update on their own. If you want to build the calendar side first, our iPhone calendar widget guide covers the options, and the weather widget guide is the other thing people commonly pair with a to-do tile: the day's tasks under the day's forecast.
Colours that mean something
Because WidgetAI supports rules, the widget's colour can follow the data instead of staying fixed. A due-today count that's zero can turn the tile calm green; a count over a threshold can turn it amber or red; the background itself can shift, so a glance across the desk tells you whether the day is under control. "Green when nothing's due, amber at three or more, red at six." It's one sentence, and it's the kind of thing a preset widget can't do.
The honest limits
Two things every to-do widget on iOS runs into.
You can't tick items off in the widget. Home Screen widgets in WidgetAI are display-only. Tapping the tile opens the app; it doesn't complete a reminder. Apple's own widget can toggle checkboxes because Apple gives its own apps interactions third-party widgets don't have in the same way. If checking things off from the Home Screen is the feature you care about most, the stock widget is the right call, and we'd rather say so. The full list is in what iOS widgets can't do.
It lags a little. A widget is a snapshot that iOS redraws on a budget it controls. WidgetAI reads your reminders fresh each time the widget rebuilds, and you can set the refresh target as often as every minute, but iOS decides when that happens. Add a reminder and the widget will show it within a few minutes, not instantly. Opening the app reads everything fresh on the spot. The mechanics are in how iOS widget refresh works.
Neither limit makes the widget less useful for its real job, which is keeping the next thing where you'll see it.
FAQ
Can I check off reminders from the widget? No. WidgetAI widgets are display-only, and tapping opens the app. Apple's own Reminders widget has checkboxes if that's the feature you need most.
What reminder data can the widget show? The title of your next reminder and the number of reminders due today, read on-device with your permission. You choose the layout, fonts and colours.
Can I put reminders and calendar events on one widget? Yes. A medium widget can show your next event and time beside your next reminder and today's count. Both are read locally and update on their own.
Is my reminders data uploaded? No. Reminders are read locally on your iPhone to render the widget and are not sent to our servers or the AI.
Is it free? The free plan includes 1 widget and 10 AI edits a month. Pro lifts those limits as an in-app purchase.
WidgetAI is made for iPhone, iPad and Mac, and it's on the App Store. Start with "a small widget that just shows my next reminder in large text" and build from there. For more ideas, see the best iPhone Home Screen widgets for 2026.