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Slack’s New iPhone Widget Proves Surprisingly Useful

Slack has finally introduced Home Screen widgets for its iOS app, a feature that’s been available on iPhones since 2020. Although it’s a welcome addition, it comes a bit late given the four years Slack has had to develop these widgets.

Slack now offers three types of widgets: a small “Status” widget that provides a shortcut to your status page; a small “Catch Up” widget that directs you to your missed notifications; and a medium “Status” widget that allows you to update your Slack status directly from the Home Screen.

The first two widgets seem somewhat redundant. I find it hard to justify dedicating Home Screen space to shortcuts that simply open the Slack app. The small “Status” widget is especially underwhelming since I don’t change my status frequently enough to need this shortcut. The “Catch Up” widget is marginally more useful as it shows the number of missed notifications, but I’d prefer to tap “Catch Up” within the app itself rather than having a separate widget for it.

However, the medium “Status” widget does offer some practical benefits. While I don’t frequently update my Slack status, this widget allows me to do so directly from the Home Screen. Tapping one of the status options sets your status and updates the widget to reflect the change, including the time it will clear. If needed, you can also quickly clear the status using a dedicated button.

This medium widget exemplifies what effective widgets should be: enabling users to make changes without opening the app. Unfortunately, the “Catch Up” widget falls short because it doesn’t allow you to interact with notifications directly or view detailed information from the Home Screen; it essentially replicates what you can already see with a notification badge.

Moreover, the medium “Status” widget is limited by its predefined status options—”Focus,” “Taking a break,” and “Lunch.” If you want to set a custom status, you’ll need to open the app.

Ultimately, while these widgets might be useful for some, they also risk blurring the line between work and personal time. If I were to use the medium “Status” widget, I’d prefer keeping it in my Today View, where it’s less intrusive but still accessible when needed.

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