Top 13 Ways to Fix Widgets Not Working or Loading on Mac

macOS supports widgets to glance over relevant information without opening the app. With the macOS Sonoma, Apple has added a trick to add your iPhone widgets on Mac, too. However, it’s all irrelevant when your Mac widgets fail to work or load in the first place. Here are the best ways to fix widgets not working or loading on Mac.

Mac widgets not updating or showing no data can defeat the purpose of using them. Before you remove widgets and stop using them, use the steps below to get real-time updates via widgets on Mac.

1. Restart Mac

You need to reboot the Mac and try loading widgets again. It’s one of the effective ways to troubleshoot common Mac problems.

Step 1: Click the Apple icon at the top-left corner.

Step 2: Select Restart.

After your Mac reboots, open the notification center and check if widgets load  

2. Add Widgets Again

You can remove and add widgets again and use them without any issues.

Step 1: Click the clock icon in the Mac menu bar. Select Edit Widgets at the bottom.

Step 2: Select the ‘–‘ icon beside the widget to remove it. Drag and drop the same from the bottom widget panel.

3. Check Internet Connection

Some Mac widgets require an active internet connection to load the app data. Read our troubleshooting guide if your Mac has network issues to fix the problem.

4. Make Sure the App Is Installed on Mac

When you uninstall an app on a Mac, the macOS may not remove its widgets from the notification panel. You will continue to see a blank widget on the sidebar. So you might need to remove the existing widget, download the app from the App Store or the web, and add widgets again.  

5. Update the Affected App

Mac widgets not working or loading can be due to outdated apps on your machine. You need to launch the Mac App Store and update affected apps to the latest version.

6. Reinstall the Affected App

Do you still see blank widgets on Mac? You need to reinstall the affected app and try again.

Step 1: Launch Finder on Mac.

Step 2: Select Applications from the sidebar.

Step 3: Right-click on an app and select ‘Move to Bin.’

Step 4: Download and install the app from the web or the Mac App Store.

7. Place Widgets on the Mac Desktop

As a part of the macOS Sonoma update, you can add your Mac widgets to the desktop. If you have installed the macOS Sonoma public beta, use the steps below to place widgets on the desktop.

Step 1: Click the Mac clock to open the notification center.

Step 2: Drag and drop widgets to the desktop and check if they are working as expected.

8. Check iCloud Space

Some of your Mac apps require iCloud to sync the latest data. For example, when you add new notes or reminders from an iPhone or iPad, the same won’t appear on the Mac widget if you have insufficient iCloud space.

Step 1: Click the Apple icon in the menu bar and open System Settings.

Step 2: Select your Apple ID and open iCloud.

Step 3: Check the detailed storage breakdown.

You can remove existing media and files to free up iCloud space or upgrade to one of the iCloud+ plans.

9. Reset Notification Center

Mac widgets reside in the notification center. You can reset it using Terminal and load widgets without any problem.

Step 1: Open Terminal on Mac. Run the following command.

defaults delete com.apple.notificationcenterui; killall NotificationCenter

Step 2: Hit Enter to run the command and close the app.

10. Check Location Services

Some of the Mac apps require location permission to update widgets with astute information. You should check location services and give the required permission to install apps.

Step 1: Go to Mac Settings (check the steps above).

Step 2: Scroll to Privacy & Security. Select Location Services.

Step 3: Enable the permission for required apps on Mac.

11. Clear Mac Cache

If your Mac is infected with a corrupt or bogus cache, it may fail to load widgets properly. You can use a third-party app like CleanMyMac X to find and remove such cache files on Mac.

CleanMyMac X is a paid solution, though. You can also go with Onyx to delete cache files on Mac.

Download CleanMyMac X on Mac

Download Onyx on Mac

12. Reset NVRAM (Intel Macs)

When none of the tricks work, reset NVRAM on Mac. It stores system settings, and resetting it fixes normal Mac glitches. Note that these steps below only work on Intel-based Macs.

Step 1: Restart your Mac (check the first trick above).

Step 2: Keep pressing the Command + Option + P + R keyboard shortcut and release them when you hear the startup chime.

13. Update macOS

Widgets not working or loading can be due to a software glitch on the Mac.

Step 1: Go to System Settings on Mac (check the steps above).

Step 2: Scroll to General and select Software Update.

Download and install the latest macOS build on your Mac.

Glance Over Widget Data on Mac

macOS widgets showing no data can break your workflow, and you may need to open apps frequently to check the data. Which trick worked for you? Share your findings in the comments below.