How to add more Notification Center widgets on Mac

Today View Widgets

Like its iOS counterpart, Notification Center for Mac comes bundled with several stock Today widgets to get you started. However, it’s possible to add third-party widgets to Notification Center’s Today View by means of the Mac App Store and via direct download. Inside, we’ll highlight how to add new widgets to Notification Center along with several widget recommendations.

How to find more Today view widgets for your Mac

Step 1: Launch the Notification Center on your computer.

Step 2: Click Today at the top.

Step 3: Go the bottom and click Edit and then click App Store.

How to add widgets

Once you have widgets downloaded and installed on your Mac, simply do the following:

Step 1: Invoke Notification Center by clicking the Notification Center button in the upper right-hand corner of the menu bar.

Step 2: Click the Edit button at the bottom of the Today View.

Step 3: Click the plus sign next to the item that you wish to add to the Today View.

You can then use the drag handles to rearrange the order of the Today View widgets, or use the ‘-‘ sign to remove a widget from the Today view. Once you are finished editing, click the Done button in the bottom left-hand corner of the screen, or just click out of Notification Center to exit.

Here’s a list of the widgets that I currently have running in my Notification Center’s Today View. I use a total of five widgets, and three of them are third-party widgets from the Mac App Store.

MiniPlay

I use MiniPlay to control both iTunes music and Spotify streaming. I really like this widget because it features large album art, has the ability to scrub music, and has all of the playback controls immediately accessible. It’s also really well designed from a visual standpoint, and it’s free on the Mac App Store.

MiniPlay

Download MiniPlay for free on the Mac App Store

iStat Mini

We’ve looked at iStat Mini before, and my feelings about it haven’t changed. This is a simple Today View widget that provides you with a brief look at your Mac’s system status. It’s great for quickly obtaining a broad overview of your Mac. If, on the other hand, you’re in search of a widget that has more depth, check out Monity.

iStat Mini

Download iStat Mini for $1.99 on the Mac App Store

Calculator

I use the calculator widget at least once a day, but not enough to justify a robust third-party calculator app like PCalc. The stock calculator widget works perfectly for me, though I must admit that I much prefer the look of PCalc’s UI.

Calculator

Available as a default widget in OS X Yosemite.

World Clock

I have friends all over the world, and as such, I like to have a general idea of what time it is in the various areas that I like to visit. The stock world clock widget allows me to do this without giving it too much thought.

World Clock

Available as a default widget in OS X Yosemite.

Thessa

I absolutely adore Thessa on the iPhone, so it was a no-brainer for me to pick this up for the Mac. Having a robust method for accessing my Nest Learning Thermostat directly from Notification Center is amazing. It’s so easy to keep tabs on my home’s temperature while I’m working now.

Thermos

Download Thermos for $2.99 on the Mac App Store

Note that you can use widgets from apps outside of the Mac App Store as well. There are quite a few third-party apps that can be downloaded via a web browser that feature Today View widgets.

What widgets are you currently enjoying in your Mac’s Notification Center? Sound off down below in the comments section with the details.