Shared Photos Widget for Couples and Friends

Last fall, I received a message from a mom whose daughter was heading off to college. She wanted a way to stay connected and follow her new life at university. I assumed this would be a perfect use case for a Happyfeed Pod, but she specifically asked about widget options. Unlike the existing Throwbacks Widget, her idea was a widget to see shared photos from a group with her family. Each new photo would pop to the top of the queue, providing a glimpse into her daughter’s life.

I loved the concept and hoped to build this new widget within the coming month. College starts in the fall and I didn’t want the opportunity to pass by. Unfortunately, some other projects took priority (looking at you Android Video) and the widget got pushed back until …today!

So, I’m happy to introduce a new way to share joy in Happyfeed - the Shared Memories Widget.

Shared Photo Album for Friends or Family

Sending photos to an iPhone widget adds an important element to sharing pics. Every time you open your device, there’s a chance to see something new. There’s no need to open the app, tap to the right page, and wait for anything to load. The difference may seem minor, but by removing a few small steps, widgets can add more delight and surprise to sharing. Using interactive buttons to the widget, Happyfeed even allows you to tap through several photos, so you never miss a moment.

How it works:

• Add the Shared Memories Widget to your home screen to see recent photos shared with you via Pods or anyone you follow.
• Photos are added as they are shared - showing the most recent 7 memories, and displaying the latest one automatically
• Tap the arrow buttons to move back and forth between photos. Larger widgets have allow directions and the smaller version has one button.
• Videos work with the widget too. You’ll see a single frame from the video and can tap to open Happyfeed Pods and watch the whole video.
• Note: Widgets do not currently work with Random Pods. We’re just not 100% comfortable with letting strangers put photos directly on your home screen (yet). You can follow Random Pod members directly though to view their photos.

The Shared Memories Widget is one of three widget options currently available in Happyfeed. If you don’t want to join a group or share anything, you can also try out the Daily Throwback Widget or a simple widget that displays your latest entry in the app.

How to Add a Photo Widget

If you’re new to Happyfeed or adding widgets to iOS, I’ll walk you through the full process of setting up our Shared Memories Widget and sending pics. The whole process shouldn’t take you more than five to ten minutes and it’s easy to get your friends or family started too.

1. Download the Happyfeed app in the App Store.
2. Create a free account with your email or Apple Sign Up.
3. Navigate to the “Pods” tab in the app to create a group or join one using a code from a friend. If you create a new Pod, you’ll have an option to share a code with others. You can make new invites later but you’ll want to copy, share, or write this down to save time.
4. Open your iPhone or iPad home screen, then press and hold anywhere until you see an “Edit” button in the top left corner of the screen. Tap the “Edit” button and select “Add Widget.”
5. Use the search bar to find Happyfeed and you’ll see all our widget options.
6. Swipe left until you reach the “Shared Memories” widget and choose the size you prefer - small, medium, or large.
7. Now that your account, Pod, and widget are set up, you can send photos in Happyfeed by uploading a memory from the Upload screen in the app and selecting the 🌀button (either during or after creation) to pick Pods to send it to.

Use Case: Couples Widget App

A perfect use case for the Shared Memories Widget is as a couples widget. You can do this simply by creating a two-person Pod with you and your partner. It’s especially helpful for couples that are in a long distance relationship or spend more time apart than they’d like. Having an ever-changing window into your partner’s life via a photo widget is a gentle way to keep each other informed of little joys throughout your day. Choosing daily themes can make it even more fun:

• Send each other a selfie each day, pets included when possible
• Pick a theme your partner loves: like a daily snack, flowers, clouds, or inside joke
• Use the photo for a motivational quote, especially if they are studying or working hard
• Take photos of yourself in new places that you can visit together someday
• Send memes or jokes you know will cheer up the other person

We’ve designed Happyfeed to work just as well for couples as a small group of friends or family. For example, many couples have requested an option to send all their Happyfeed memories to their relationship Pod. This option allows them to send more photos without the extra work of toggling which memory to share with whom.

There’s no limit to how many Pods you can join or how you send any individual memory to those groups. You can send to no one (keeping it private), send to everyone (including followers), or select specific pods to share with. Some Pods have over one hundred members!

All-In-One Photo Widget

There are plenty of other photo widget apps available in the App Store, many that even focus on sharing photos between friends and couples. But what makes Happyfeed stand out is that it directly connects to the memories and connections you’ve already created. This means that you can send a pic from “1 year ago” to your boyfriend or girlfriend’s home screen with a few taps. They’ll be able to go even further by opening the shared memory in your Pods to send emoji reactions or leave a comment.

• Easily share your photos from daily throwback memories
• Open the app for more options, like commenting and emoji reactions
• Keep a history of the photos you send and receive
• Create new memories to send anytime, up to ten a day

On top of that, Happyfeed is a full-fledged photo and video journaling app. It’s built to make saving a photo (or video) a day super simple, with a focus on positivity.

We started out as a gratitude journaling app, so good vibes are in our DNA.

Beyond sending pics back and forth between widgets, you can:

• Upload private photo and video entries for your eyes only
• Create groups, called Pods, to send only specific memories to
• Enjoy a variety of recap tools like: a shakeable gratitude jar, a monthly movie maker, and more

By fitting photo sharing into a habit of recording memories, you’re more likely to actually send photos to your friends. This works both ways - more sharing all around.

Try it out.

Happyfeed is a free app with a Plus version only for extra features, like more photos per day and longer videos. We won’t make you sign up for a trial that you need to remember to cancel, and we won’t ever cut you off at some arbitrary time or number of uploads. Most people never pay and we are 100% cool with that, even if you use the app for 1000 days.

Try it out and, if you do, be sure to let me know what you think. Always improving!

Download Happyfeed for free.