Spotify adds widgets to app for iOS 14

Music streaming service Spotify has updated its app to make widgets possible in iOS 14. The Spotify widget does not give users any controls from the home screen, but it does provide a way to quickly access five recently played playlists.

The update has been available for users of the service since Wednesday, 9to5Mac reports. After the update, users have to launch the app once, after which Spotify will appear in the list of widgets. The music streaming service is one of the first major batches of widgets that work in iOS 14.

There is a choice of two sizes of widgets. The small one gives access to the most recently played playlist, the large widget has four icons below that serve as a shortcut to the relevant playlist. The widget resembles the top tab on the Home page of the app itself and appears to be pulling data from there.

In addition, the Swedish company makes it possible for podcast hosts to add entire tracks to their podcasts. As a result, listeners of, for example, music podcasts can immediately listen to songs discussed in their entirety. That only works on Spotify and artists get the usual rate for playing a stream. The service does not yet work for podcasters in the Benelux.