note: I am running 10.8. Check out the video below to learn more about how it works. Just start to drag a widget around within Dashboard and hit F4 (or whatever your dedicated Dashboard shortcut is) and you can release the widget right onto your desktop. Home Widget is available as a free download, and full functionality is unlocked with a $.49/month subscription or a one-time unlock of $9.99. Home Widget maintains the status of accessories, just like in the iOS Control Center, so if a lamp is on the widget is bright, if it is off the widget is dark. If you like to access HomeKit on your iPad as well, Home Widget includes built-in iCloud sync so all your created widgets will be available on all your devices. The widgets include a host of customization options including color, background, transparency, blur, etc. While widgets were restricted to the Notification Center in iOS, users can now finally put widgets on the home screen of their iPhone and iPad with the latest version of the operating system. When I first got access to it, I immediately added a widget for my August Lock in case there are times when the auto-unlock fails or if I need to manually open it without launching an app. Functionality includes individual accessories, scenes, or groups of accessories.

You can add small, medium, or large panels for almost any combination of HomeKit access. I am not sure why Apple hasn’t built-in HomeKit access to the iOS home screen, but Home Widget solves the problem for me.

If you want quick access to all your HomeKit accessories without needing to launch the app or go to the control center, keep reading to learn more. Over the past few weeks, I’ve been testing Home Widget for HomeKit, and it’s become an app that I’ve started to use daily.

Macbook widgets screen