Widgets
Summary
We just shipped a new version of GoTrack that allows you to place widgets on your home screen. It’s available now on the App Store.
As mentioned in our last blog post, widgets were a highly requested feature in our October poll. After several months spent redesigning the app and addressing long-standing pain points, we’ve finally had the time to add these in.
What do they do?
These new widgets allow you to see the next trips in your schedule – including their departure times, platforms, and status – directly from your home screen, without even opening the app.
Two sizes of widget are available that show the next trip and the next three trips in your current schedule, respectively. You can control the schedule that you’re viewing in the usual way from inside the app.
Having a widget on your home screen can help you to keep up with your schedule throughout the day. It could catch your eye while you’re on your way to another app and let you know of a big delay or cancellation without you having to intentionally open GoTrack to check. (Personally, this could have helped me avoid some terrible commutes back when I used to work downtown.)
Warning
iOS only refreshes widgets periodically, so delay and platform data can get a bit out of date. If you’re planning to board a train soon, we recommend that you open the app to get real-time data.
How to add a widget
Adding a widget is easy. From your home screen, tap and hold an empty space until your apps begin to wiggle, then tap Edit and Add widget and look for GoTrack. From there, you can select a size.
You can also resize a widget on your home screen later by tapping and holding on it.
Feedback
We hope that you get value out of these widgets. If you have feedback or ideas on how to improve this feature (or anything else), please email us any time. We’re usually able to respond within a few hours.