Common Symptoms
If your widget isn't updating correctly, you'll likely notice one or more of the following issues. If any of these look familiar, the steps below should help!
Incorrect Progress: You've checked off a habit in the app, but the widget still shows it as incomplete (or vice versa).
Outdated Numbers: For a numerical goal (like drinking water), you've logged progress in the app, but the widget is still stuck on an old number or zero.
Old Habit Names: You've renamed a habit, but the widget stubbornly continues to display the old name.
Stuck on Yesterday: The app has correctly rolled over to a new day, but your widget is still showing the list of habits and progress from yesterday.
Blank or "Unable to Load": The widget appears completely empty or shows an error message.
Why This Happens
Here are the main reasons for delays:
Aggressive Battery Optimization: This is the #1 reason. To give you all-day battery life, your phone's operating system (both iOS and Android) actively limits how often background processes, like widgets, can "wake up" to ask for new data. It may decide to delay an update by several minutes or longer.
Widgets are Separate Processes: A widget is a mini-app on your home screen. It needs to communicate with the main Habitify app to get the latest information. If the main app has been forced to sleep by the OS (especially common on Android), the widget can't get new data and will display the last information it had.
Quick Fixes
Before diving into device-specific settings, try these simple steps that resolve most common widget issues on any platform.
Open the Habitify App: The simplest first step is to open the main Habitify app and leave it in the foreground for 30-60 seconds. This often forces the widget to sync the latest data.
Remove and Re-add the Widget: If that doesn't work, try removing the widget from your home screen and adding it back again. This forces the widget to completely reload its configuration.
Restart Your Device: A full restart of your phone is a classic for a reason—it can clear out temporary system glitches that may be affecting the widgets.
Platform-Specific Solutions
If the quick fixes didn't work, here are the next steps to try, specific to your phone's operating system.
For iOS Users
iOS widgets are updated on a schedule managed by the system. If the cache is stale, you can force a refresh.
Edit the Widget: Long-press the Habitify widget and tap "Edit Widget." Try toggling the data source (e.g., switch from "All Habits" to an "Area," then switch back) or re-select the specific habit from the list. This action often forces the widget's data to reload.
Enable Background App Refresh: Ensure iOS can update the widget in the background. Go to your iPhone's Settings > General > Background App Refresh and make sure the setting is on and the toggle for Habitify is enabled.
For Android Users
Widget issues on Android are almost always caused by aggressive battery optimization settings that stop the app from running in the background.
Set Battery to "Unrestricted": This is the most important step. Go to your phone's Settings > Apps > Habitify > Battery and change the setting from "Optimized" to "Unrestricted."
Lock the App in Recents (Especially for Xiaomi/OnePlus/Oppo): Open your "Recent Apps" screen. Press and hold on the Habitify app's preview and tap the Lock icon (🔒). This tells your phone's system to prioritize Habitify and not shut it down automatically.
Check Autostart Permissions: In your phone's settings, find the "Autostart" or "Startup" manager and ensure Habitify is enabled.
Still Not Updating? Help Us Investigate
If you've tried all the steps above and your widget is still consistently out of date, it may be a more complex bug. You can help our team investigate by contacting support with the following details:
Phone Model and OS Version: (e.g., Samsung Galaxy S25 with Android 16, or iPhone 17 with iOS 19).
Habitify App Version.
Widget Details: The type, size, and configuration of the widget (e.g., Medium Habit List widget, showing the "Morning" Area).
What You've Tried: Let us know the results after trying the steps above.
Visuals: A screenshot of the outdated widget and the correct information inside the app would be incredibly helpful.
You can reach us via the in-app chat (Settings > Chat with Support Team) or by emailing contact@habitify.me.
Requirements and notes
On iPhone and iPad, Interactive Habitify widgets require iOS 17+.
If you use multiple devices, ensure youre signed into the same Habitify account everywhere and that sync has completed before checking the widget.
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