Widgets use battery, but usually not much — and less than opening the app itself
A widget drains battery whenever it refreshes. How much depends on what it does: a clock widget that updates once per minute uses almost nothing. A weather widget that pulls data from the internet every 15 minutes uses more. A widget that runs location services or plays video uses the most. On most phones, all your widgets together account for 1 to 3 percent of daily battery drain, which is small enough that you probably won't notice it unless you have dozens of them or they refresh very frequently.
The real question is not whether widgets drain battery — they do — but whether they drain more than the alternative. If you check weather by opening the weather app five times a day, that uses more battery than a weather widget you glance at once. The widget sits on your home screen and updates in the background; the app wakes your phone, loads graphics, and connects to the internet each time you tap it. For most people, widgets save battery overall because they let you see information without opening an app.
Key Takeaways
- Widgets refresh on a schedule you can usually control, and each refresh uses a small amount of battery proportional to what data the widget needs.
- A widget uses less battery than opening the same app multiple times per day, because the widget shows you information without waking the full app.
- Widgets that refresh every 15 minutes or less, or that use location or video, drain noticeably more than widgets that update hourly or show static information.
- Turning off widgets you don't check regularly, or increasing their refresh interval, reduces battery drain without losing the information you actually use.
How widget refresh intervals affect battery life
Every widget has a refresh interval — the time between updates. On iPhone, you set this in the widget settings or the app that powers it. On Android, the interval depends on the app; some let you choose, others set it automatically. A widget that refreshes every 5 minutes will drain battery roughly 12 times faster than one that refreshes every hour, because it wakes the phone's radio and processor 12 times as often.
The smallest intervals — 5 to 15 minutes — are common for weather, news, and stock widgets because the information changes frequently. Larger intervals of 30 minutes to 2 hours are typical for email, calendar, and fitness widgets. Some widgets, like a clock or a to-do list, don't refresh at all; they only update when you interact with them or when the system wakes the phone for other reasons. If you have a widget set to refresh every 5 minutes and you don't look at it, you are paying a battery cost for information you are not using. Increasing the interval to 30 minutes or turning the widget off entirely recovers that power.
Which types of widgets drain the most battery
Widgets that pull data from the internet drain more than widgets that display information already on your phone. A weather widget that fetches a new forecast every 15 minutes uses the phone's cellular or Wi-Fi radio, which is one of the biggest battery consumers. A calendar widget that reads events stored locally uses almost nothing. A news widget that downloads images and text uses more than a text-only widget. A fitness widget that tracks your location in real time uses far more than one that displays your step count from earlier in the day.
Video widgets and widgets that stream audio are the heaviest users. If you have a widget that plays music or video, it keeps the screen on and the audio hardware active, which drains battery quickly. Most people don't use video widgets on their home screen for this reason. Location-based widgets — those that show nearby restaurants, traffic, or weather for your current location — also drain significantly because location services are power-hungry. If you use a location widget, check whether it updates in real time or only when you tap it; real-time updates cost much more.
Comparing widget battery use to opening the app
The fairest comparison is between using a widget and opening the app the same number of times per day. If you check weather by opening the weather app three times daily, that costs more battery than a weather widget that updates three times daily. The app has to load its full interface, display graphics, and connect to the internet. The widget does the same connection but skips the graphics and interface. Over a full day, the widget saves battery because you see the information without the overhead.
The break-even point is roughly one check per day. If you look at a widget once per day and would otherwise open the app once per day, battery use is similar. If you would check the app more than once per day, the widget saves power. If you would check the app less than once per day, the widget costs power because it refreshes whether you look at it or not. The solution is straightforward: remove widgets you don't check regularly, or increase their refresh interval so they update less often than you actually use them.
How to reduce widget battery drain on iPhone
On iPhone, open Settings, then Battery, and tap Battery Usage. This shows you which apps and processes used the most power in the last 24 hours or 10 days. Widgets appear under the app that powers them. If a widget is using more battery than you expect, open that app's settings and look for a refresh interval or update frequency option. Many apps let you change it from every 15 minutes to every hour or longer.
You can also remove widgets from your home screen. Long-press the widget, tap Remove, then confirm. The app stays on your phone; only the widget disappears. If you want to keep the widget but reduce its power use, some apps let you disable background refresh. Go to Settings, General, Background App Refresh, find the app, and toggle it off. This stops the widget from updating when your phone is locked, though it will still update when you look at the home screen.
How to reduce widget battery drain on Android
Android widgets vary more widely because different apps handle them differently. Start by long-pressing a widget on your home screen and looking for a settings icon or gear symbol. Tap it to see if the app offers refresh interval options. If it does, increase the interval from 15 minutes to 30 or 60 minutes. If there is no settings option in the widget itself, open the app and check its main settings menu for a refresh or update frequency option.
To remove a widget, long-press it and tap Remove or Delete. To check which apps are using the most battery, go to Settings, Battery, or Battery Usage (the exact path varies by manufacturer). Look for apps that show high battery use and check whether they have widgets running. If an app's widget is draining more power than the app itself, the widget is updating too frequently. Disable the widget or increase its refresh interval. Some Android phones also have a Battery Saver or Power Saving mode that reduces widget refresh rates automatically when battery is low.
When to keep widgets despite battery cost
Some widgets are worth the battery cost because they replace a habit that uses more power. A calendar widget that shows your next meeting uses battery to refresh, but if it prevents you from opening the calendar app five times a day, it saves power overall. A fitness widget that displays your step count uses battery, but if you check it instead of opening the full fitness app, it saves power. The key is whether the widget reduces the number of times you open the app.
Widgets are also worth keeping if you check them frequently enough that the refresh interval matches your actual use. A weather widget that updates every 30 minutes is worth keeping if you look at it at least once per 30 minutes. A news widget that updates every hour is worth keeping if you read it at least once per hour. If you have a widget you never look at, or that you check less often than it refreshes, remove it. The battery savings are when ready and noticeable.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do widgets drain battery when my phone is locked?
On iPhone, widgets can refresh when your phone is locked if background refresh is on. On Android, it depends on the app and your phone's power settings. To stop locked-screen widgets from refreshing, go to Settings, General, Background App Refresh on iPhone, or Settings, Battery, Battery Saver on Android, and turn off the apps whose widgets you want to pause.
Is it better to remove all widgets to save battery?
Only if you don't use them. If you check a widget regularly, it saves battery compared to opening the app. If you never look at a widget, remove it. The trade-off is convenience versus power: widgets let you see information without opening an app, but they cost battery to do it. Keep the ones you actually use and remove the rest.
Why does one widget use more battery than another?
Refresh interval, data source, and complexity matter most. A widget that updates every 5 minutes uses more battery than one that updates every hour. A widget that fetches data from the internet uses more than one that reads local data. A widget with images or animations uses more than a text-only widget. Check the app's settings to increase the refresh interval or reduce the widget's features.
Can I set different refresh intervals for different widgets?
On iPhone, it depends on the app. Some apps let you set the interval in their settings; others use a system-wide interval. On Android, most apps let you set the interval per widget, so you can have one weather widget update every 15 minutes and another update every hour. Check the widget's settings by long-pressing it and tapping the gear icon.