Updated September 2026: in June 2020, days before Apple announced iOS 14, I wrote down my predictions based on Apple's track record, including home screen widgets. I have rewritten the post to compare those predictions with what iOS 14 actually brought, and why it still matters for iPhone users.
I made my predictions without any inside sources, only from Apple's history and what analysts were discussing. My two main guesses were that Apple would focus on performance improvements, and that it would bring widgets to the home screen, perhaps in a panel you could swipe to. The second turned out to be the headline of the release.
What did iOS 14 actually introduce?
- Home screen widgets: resizable widgets that could sit among app icons, plus a Smart Stack that rotated widgets through the day.
- App Library: an automatically organised list of all apps at the end of the home screen pages, letting users hide pages.
- Compact calls: incoming calls as a banner instead of taking over the whole screen.
- Picture in picture for video on iPhone.
- App Clips: small parts of apps launched without installing the full app.
- Default apps: the ability to choose a different default browser and email app.
- A Translate app for conversation and text.
Which predictions came true?
Widgets, clearly. Apple's version went further than a swipe-in panel: widgets could live directly on the home screen, which was a real change in how iPhones looked. The performance focus was less visible in the announcement; features, not speed, dominated the launch.
Why were the predictions possible?
Because Apple often adopts features after they have matured elsewhere, and because widgets had existed in a limited form in the Today View for years. Watching what Apple has already half-built is usually a better guide than rumours.
Do these features still matter?
Yes. Home screen widgets, the App Library and compact calls remain part of iOS today, and customisation has kept expanding in later versions. If you never set up widgets or hide home screen pages with the App Library, it is worth ten minutes: a tidier home screen with the information you check most is one of the easiest ways to make an iPhone feel faster to use.
How can you make predictions like this yourself?
Follow Apple's developer conference each June, look at what the previous version introduced in a limited form, and treat single-source rumours cautiously. Most of what arrives each year is an extension of the year before.
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