Why aren't my widgets updating?

Widgets can’t be updated in real time by the app, so these will usually show data that is recent but not totally up to date. This is normal - to conserve battery life, iOS only allows widgets to update about 40 to 70 times a day.

There are a couple of things you can do to get fresher data:

• Turn on the Optimise for Commuting Hours setting and set the times you really care about having up to date train times. The app will then concentrate its limited number of widget updates into those windows rather than spreading them across the whole day. The windows are UK time and can run past midnight - see How do commuting hours work?. On days you don’t commute the widget only refreshes every couple of hours, unless you’ve set On non-commuting days to Show train times.
• Turn on notifications. When the app’s backend spots a cancellation, a delay or a platform change on one of your routes, it sends your phone a silent nudge to refresh the widget as well as the alert itself. That means the widget can update at the moment something actually changes, instead of waiting for its next scheduled slot. This only happens if you have notifications switched on - see What notifications will I get?.

Note that the app still can’t really control when widgets update - iOS has the final say. If you need train data that is right up to date, you can always tap the widget to open the app. On iOS 17 and later you can also tap the small circular arrow icon in the widget’s header to refresh it in place, without leaving your Home Screen.

The large widget also shows the reason for a delay when the operator has given one, so you can see at a glance whether it’s a points failure or a late crew.

If your widget is showing a bed, a suitcase or a Christmas gift instead of trains - or nothing at all on a day off - that’s not a fault - see Why is my widget showing the wrong station?.

• Faq