How to implement iOS widgets in Expo apps

Arthur Spalanzani, an indie app developer and engineering student, shares his journey of creating Glow, an affirmations app designed to integrate seamlessly into users' daily lives through native Swift widgets on iOS. After moving from France to Norway and experiencing long periods of darkness, Arthur sought a simpler wellness solution than existing apps, leading to the development of Glow where the widget is the app itself, appearing directly on lock and home screens to deliver affirmations without requiring user interaction. He explores the technical challenges faced in building widgets with Expo and Swift, emphasizing the importance of making them feel native while maintaining the benefits of Expo's workflow. Arthur discusses the innovative approach of using widgets to ensure affirmations are always visible, enhancing user engagement by providing frictionless, ambient presence. The app's success is highlighted by significant widget adoption and its organic spread on social media, demonstrating the potential of widgets as a core value proposition by meeting users where they already are, without demanding interaction.

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