Orbit, Circle, Beacon, Echo and Watchlist provide system actions, so common tasks do not require opening the app. Aurora has no widgets or Shortcuts actions.
Adding a widget
Touch and hold the Home Screen or Lock Screen, choose Edit, then Add Widget, and find the app. On Mac, click the date and time in the menu bar, then Edit Widgets.
What each app offers
| App | Widgets | Control Centre | Shortcuts actions |
|---|---|---|---|
| Orbit | Tasks, Overview, Companion | Add Task, Open Category | Around forty (see Siri, Shortcuts and widgets) |
| Circle | Keep Up, Starred | None | Six (see Siri and Shortcuts) |
| Beacon | Reading | None | Twelve (see Siri and Shortcuts) |
| Echo | Journal | None | Nine (see Siri and Shortcuts) |
| Watchlist | Up Next | Open Review, Open Watch, Add Channel, Refresh Channels | Twelve (see Siri and Shortcuts) |
Every listed widget, control and Shortcut is included with its app.
The widgets share one design across the apps: a single header line, content sized to what is there, and the app’s theme colour. They also look right in tinted and clear Home Screen styles. Some have a button that works without opening the app, such as ticking off a task in Orbit, or marking someone as caught up in Circle.
What Siri shows
When you ask Siri or run a Shortcut, the result is shown as a small card in the app’s style, in your chosen theme and font: the task you added, the people who are due, the articles in a folder. Cards for lists have buttons that act in place, so you can tick something off without opening the app. Siri reads a short line aloud rather than every item.
In Echo, a locked journal never shows its entries in a Siri card.
Automations worth building
- Open Echo Lens set to On This Day, on a morning trigger.
- Append to Today’s Entry, so a single button adds a line to your journal without opening Echo.
- Snooze Orbit Reminders tied to a Focus mode.
- Set Orbit Profile, so a work Focus switches you into the work library.
- Refresh Feeds or Refresh Channels before your commute.
Control Centre
Orbit and Watchlist provide Control Centre controls, so capture and navigation are one swipe from anywhere. Touch and hold Control Centre, choose Add a Control, and search for the app.