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Q. I really enjoyed your article about using widgets on the iPhone. I’ve added some widgets to my home screen and they’re really great!
My favorite widget is the Photos widget. I love seeing some of my favorite photos and remembering fun times I’ve had with friends and my family
But sometimes the Photos widget shows photos I don’t want to see. I don’t want to delete the photos, but I don’t want them showing up in my Photos widget, making me sad. Some memories I’m just not ready to deal with.
Is there a way to hide a sad photo from the Photos widget on my iPhone without deleting the photo?
Thanks for your help.
A. Great question! Yes, widgets on the iPhone and iPad can be very helpful and even fun! The Photos widget is one of my favorites too. Seeing fun photos can certainly bring a smile to my day.
But you’re right, some photos are best avoided. You don’t need reminders of every moment of your life in the Photos widget. Sometimes photos aren’t a happy reminder of joyous times.
The good news is that you can easily remove a photo from the Photos widget without deleting that photo. You can also prevent a photo from ever being shown in the Photos widget.
How to Remove a Photo From Being Shown in the Photos Widget on Your iPhone or iPad
If you have the Photos widget on your iPhone or iPad (and I highly recommend that you do!), you can easily remove a photo from being shown in the widget. And you don’t have to delete the photo to make that happen.
Want to know how to add the Photos widget to your iPhone? Check out => 2 Great Reasons to Add Widgets to Your iPhone Now
Removing a Photo from the Photos Widget
If you see a photo in the Photos widget on your iPhone that you don’t want to be there, you can easily remove it.
To remove a photo from showing in the Photos widget, double-tap the photo that is being shown in the widget.
The Photos app will open with that photo being shown. Tap the Share button below the photo.
You’ll see a menu appear below the photos with options for sharing the photo. Scroll down through the options until you see one that says Remove from Featured Photos. Tap that option to remove that photo from appearing in the Photos widget.
Using the Photos App to Remove a Photo from the Photos Widget
If you want to prevent a photo from ever being shown in the Photos widget, you can do that from the Photos app. You don’t need to wait for a photo to appear in the Photos widget to prevent future appearances in the widget.
The Photos widget shows Featured Photos in the Photos app. To prevent a photo from ever being shown in the Photos widget, open the Photos app and tap For You in the bottom menu bar.
Tap Featured Photos and select the photo you don’t want to appear in the Photos widget.
That photo will appear on the screen. Tap the Share button. Scroll down until you see Remove from Featured Photos and tap that.
The Featured Photos section of the Photos app will no longer include that photo. Nor will that photo appear in the Photos widget on your iPhone or iPad.
Your Thoughts
Do you use the Photos widget on your iPhone or iPad? Do you like reliving fond memories with the Photos widget? Did you know that you could remove a photo from the Photos widget without deleting the photo from your phone?
Share your thoughts in the Comments section below!
Very good guide, I have to admit that I wasn’t aware of this feature of iPhone. I’ve done something similar on Android, but never on iPhone. Will try it now.
Hi Dave, Yes, you may really enjoy having the Photos widget on your iPhone. But if it shows a photo you don’t want to see, you can remove that photo from the widget easily without deleting the photo from your phone.
I can’t find the photos widget- although frankly I find them annoying. What’s wrong with using the thumbnails. Why duplicate everything. I don’t get the attraction.
Hi Ann, The Photos widget is really fun, if you have photos on your phone you’d like to see. The Photos widget shows you selected photos from your Photos app. You can make the widget small, medium, or large on your home screen.
If you don’t like the Photos widget, you don’t need to add it to your phone. If you want to add it, press and hold the home screen until the apps jiggle, then tap the + sign in the upper left corner of the screen. Scroll through the widgets until you find Photos, then add it to your screen.
ah! Thanks for that on how to add the widget. I mistakenly thought it had something to do with the screen that you get when you swipe right from the home screen- the Today view. Google seems to be telling me I could use the photos widget there, but I couldn’t figure out how to add the photos widget to the Today view. It takes up a lot of room, IMHO.
Hi Ann, Yes, widgets on the iPhone can take up space on the home screen. But with many widgets, including the Photos widget, you can choose the size of the widget to minimize, or maximize, the space that the widget uses on the screen.
You Mean Photo widget shows feature photos from our library and have privacy features to , we can set permission to only me or hide any pic from feature list like any social profile i am Right
Hello Hind, Yes, you can enjoy photos from the Photos app on your home screen using the Photos widget. But if there are any photos you want to hide from the widget you can do so easily. Just follow the steps outlined in the article.
I hope you enjoy the Photos widget, Hind.