How to Add Moon Phases to iPhone Widget

Are you constantly fascinated by the moon and its ever-changing phases? If so, wouldn’t it be great to have easy access to the current moon phase right on your iPhone’s home screen? With the right tools and a simple process, you can add moon phases to your iPhone widget effortlessly. In this blog post, we will guide you through the steps on how to accomplish this. Let’s get started!

What You’ll Need

Before we begin, make sure you have the following:

• An iPhone running iOS 14 or later
• The “Scriptable” app downloaded from the App Store
• A reliable internet connection

Step 1: Download and Install the “Scriptable” App

The first thing you need to do is download and install the “Scriptable” app from the App Store. This app allows you to create custom widgets for your iPhone’s home screen. Once the app is installed, open it up, and let’s move on to the next step!

Step 2: Get Moon Phase Data

In order to display the moon phase on your iPhone widget, you need a reliable source of moon phase data. Thankfully, there are several websites and APIs that provide this information. One popular choice is the “US Naval Observatory” website which offers accurate and up-to-date lunar data.

1. Launch your preferred web browser and navigate to the “US Naval Observatory” website.
2. Locate the section or page that provides the current moon phase data.
3. Note down the relevant URL or API endpoint for retrieving this data; we will need it later.

Step 3: Create a New Script in “Scriptable”

Now that you have the “Scriptable” app installed and the moon phase data source at hand, let’s create a new script:

1. Open the “Scriptable” app on your iPhone.
2. Tap the “+” button in the top right corner to create a new script.
3. Give your script a suitable name, such as “Moon Phases”.
4. Tap on the newly created script to open the editor.

Step 4: Write the Script

Here comes the exciting part – writing the script to fetch and display the moon phase data on your iPhone widget. Let’s break it down into three sections: fetching the data, formatting the data, and displaying the widget.

Fetching the Data

In this step, we will use JavaScript within “Scriptable” to retrieve the moon phase data from your chosen source:

async function getMoonPhaseData() {
  // Make an HTTP request to fetch the moon phase data
  const url = 'URL_OR_API_ENDPOINT';
  const request = new Request(url);
  const response = await request.loadJSON();
  
  return response;
}

const moonPhaseData = await getMoonPhaseData();

Replace ‘URL_OR_API_ENDPOINT’ with the actual URL or API endpoint you obtained from the moon phase data source.

Formatting the Data

Now that we have the raw moon phase data, we need to format and extract the relevant information:

// Extract the necessary information from the moon phase data
const phaseName = moonPhaseData.phaseName;
const illumination = moonPhaseData.illum;
const age = moonPhaseData.ageOfMoon;

// Format the data into a readable string
const formattedData = `Phase: ${phaseName}\nIllumination: ${illumination}%\nAge of Moon: ${age} days old`;

Displaying the Widget

We are almost there! Now, let’s display the moon phase data on our iPhone widget using the information we formatted:

// Create a new widget
const widget = new ListWidget();

// Set the widget background color (optional)
widget.backgroundColor = new Color("#000000");

// Display the moon phase data on the widget
const title = widget.addText("Moon Phases");
title.font = Font.boldSystemFont(16);
title.textColor = new Color("#FFFFFF");

const data = widget.addText(formattedData);
data.font = Font.systemFont(14);
data.textColor = new Color("#FFFFFF");

// Present the widget
if (config.runsInWidget) {
  Script.setWidget(widget);
} else {
  widget.presentMedium();
}

You can also customize the widget’s background color, font styles, and text colors to your liking by modifying the provided values.

Step 5: Add the Script to the Home Screen Widget

1. Save your script by tapping on the “Done” button in the top right corner.
2. Exit the “Scriptable” app and return to your iPhone’s home screen.
3. Enter the widget editing mode by pressing and holding on an empty space on your home screen until the apps wiggle.
4. Tap the “+” button in the top left corner to add a new widget.
5. Scroll through the list of available widgets until you find the “Scriptable” widget.
6. Select the desired widget size and tap “Add Widget”.
7. Tap “Done” to exit the widget editing mode.

Step 6: Enjoy Your Moon Phases Widget

Congratulations! You have successfully added a moon phases widget to your iPhone’s home screen. Take a moment to admire your creation and enjoy the constant reminder of the magnificent lunar cycles.

Note that the widget will update automatically based on the refresh interval set in the “Scriptable” app.

Conclusion

By using the “Scriptable” app and a reliable source of moon phase data, you can easily add moon phases to your iPhone widget. This simple guide has provided you with the necessary steps to bring the wonders of the moon to your home screen. Now, go ahead and amaze your friends with your newfound lunar knowledge!

Happy moon gazing!