# How to Add a Mood Board Widget on Your iPhone > A mood board widget puts your inspiration on your home screen, so you see it every time you unlock your phone. Here's what a mood board widget is, why it works, and how to add one from Aethel in under a minute. - URL: https://www.aethel-app.com/guides/how-to-add-a-mood-board-widget - Author: Marina, Founder of Aethel (https://visionandcode.substack.com) - Time to complete: 5 minutes - Last updated: 2026-07-14 You unlock your phone dozens — sometimes hundreds — of times a day. A mood board widget turns every one of those moments into a tiny hit of inspiration: instead of a random app grid, your home screen shows the board you made, right there where you can't miss it. This guide covers what a mood board widget is, why it's one of the most underrated ways to stay connected to your goals, and exactly how to add one from Aethel — create a board, drop a widget on your home screen, pick your board, done. ## What is a mood board widget? A mood board widget is a home screen widget that displays images, colours, or words from one of your mood boards — a living tile of your inspiration, sitting among your apps. Where a normal mood board waits inside an app you have to remember to open, a widget brings the board to you: it's always on your home screen, and with Aethel it refreshes through the day, cycling through the images and affirmations on your chosen board so it never fades into the background. It comes in three sizes, works on any iPhone running iOS 16 or later, and takes about a minute to set up. ## Why add a mood board widget? A widget sounds like a small thing. In practice, moving your board from inside an app to your home screen changes how often it actually works on you. - **It's always in front of your eyes** — Your board no longer lives inside an app you have to remember to open. It's on your home screen, in the one place you look at more than anywhere else. - **You're reminded every time you unlock** — You unlock your phone constantly. Each time, your widget is right there — a quiet, repeated nudge toward the mood, goal, or feeling you're building. - **It stays fresh** — The Aethel widget refreshes roughly every hour, cycling through the images and words on your board, so you keep noticing it instead of tuning it out. - **Motivation with zero effort** — No journaling, no reminders app, no discipline required. Once it's set, the inspiration just shows up on its own, all day. - **Your home screen becomes yours** — A widget turns a generic grid of apps into something that looks and feels like you — beautiful, intentional, and personal. - **It works for any board** — Aesthetic mood board, goals-focused vision board, or a single affirmation — whatever you made, a widget keeps it in view. ## One widget, every size and mood Aethel widgets come in three sizes, and any board you make can power one. A few real examples on the home screen. - ![A large Aethel mood board widget showing a cottage and lavender scene](https://www.aethel-app.com/guides/widgets/widget-large-home.jpg) — The large widget — a board you can really see, front and centre. - ![A small square Aethel mood board widget beside the app icon](https://www.aethel-app.com/guides/widgets/widget-small-home.jpg) — The small size tucks a board neatly beside your apps. - ![A medium Aethel mood board widget showing a bee on a white flower](https://www.aethel-app.com/guides/widgets/widget-medium-home.jpg) — The medium widget — a single hero image, glanceable all day. - ![An Aethel widget on a daisy home screen showing the affirmation 'just enjoy where you are now'](https://www.aethel-app.com/guides/widgets/widget-daisy-home.jpg) — Add text to your board and the widget carries your affirmation too. ## How to add a mood board widget from Aethel 1. **Create your board in Aethel** — Download Aethel free — it's built for everyday people, not designers — and make the board you want on your home screen. Add photos from your camera roll, your saved Pinterest pins, or Unsplash, plus colours and words. Give it a name and you're set. 2. **Add the Aethel widget to your home screen** — Touch and hold an empty area of your home screen until the apps jiggle and a menu appears, then tap “Add Widget”. Search for “Aethel” in the widget gallery, choose the size you want — small, medium, or large — and tap “Add Widget”. The widget drops onto your home screen. 3. **Choose the board that powers it** — Touch and hold the new widget and tap “Edit Widget”, then tap “Select board” and choose the board you want it to show. Pick your favourite mood board or vision board — the widget will display and rotate through its images and words. 4. **Done — your board greets you all day** — That's it. Your inspiration now lives on your home screen and refreshes through the day, so you see it every single time you pick up your phone. Change the board any time from the widget settings. ## Tips - Pick a board with a few strong images and one affirmation. The widget rotates through them, so variety keeps it feeling alive. - Try the large size for a vision board and a small one for a single affirmation — you can add more than one Aethel widget. - Match your widget to a matching wallpaper (export your board as a wallpaper too) for a home screen that feels fully yours. ## Pricing Aethel and its home screen widget are free to use. Aethel Premium — unlimited boards, every template, and premium fonts — is a one-time purchase, not a subscription. ## FAQ ### What is a mood board widget? A mood board widget is a home screen widget that shows images, colours, or words from one of your mood boards. With Aethel it refreshes roughly every hour, so your home screen always feels fresh — a living piece of your inspiration rather than a static image. ### How do I add a mood board widget to my iPhone? Make a board in Aethel, then touch and hold your home screen until the apps jiggle, tap the + button, search for Aethel, choose a widget size, and tap Add Widget. Finally, touch and hold the widget, tap Edit Widget, and pick the board you want it to show. ### Is the Aethel mood board widget free? Yes. Aethel is free to download and the home screen widget is free to use. Premium features — unlimited boards, all templates, and premium fonts — are an optional one-time purchase, with no subscription. ### How often does the widget update? The Aethel widget refreshes approximately every hour, cycling through the images, colours, and text on your chosen board. That keeps your home screen dynamic so you keep noticing it instead of tuning it out. ### What widget sizes can I choose? Aethel supports the three standard iOS widget sizes — small, medium, and large. Use a small widget for a single affirmation, or a large one to show off a full board. You can add more than one. ### Can I use a vision board as a widget too? Absolutely. Any board you make in Aethel can power a widget — a mood board for a vibe, or a vision board for your goals. Many people keep a vision board widget on their home screen so their goals greet them every time they unlock their phone. ## Related - [Mood Board Widget](https://www.aethel-app.com/mood-board-widget): Everything Aethel's widget can do — three sizes, hourly refresh, and examples. - [How to Make a Mood Board on iPhone](https://www.aethel-app.com/guides/how-to-make-a-mood-board-on-iphone): Make the board first — a simple step-by-step in about ten minutes. - [Aesthetic Wallpaper Maker](https://www.aethel-app.com/aesthetic-wallpaper-maker): Pair your widget with a matching wallpaper sized perfectly for your iPhone. - [Vision Board App for iPhone](https://www.aethel-app.com/vision-board-app-iphone): Keep your goals on your home screen — build a vision board and widget in minutes. ## Get the app Aethel is free to download on the App Store: https://apps.apple.com/app/id6756817775. Aethel Premium is a one-time purchase, not a subscription.