Add Cities to Mac Weather Widget: Quick Steps

To add cities to the Weather widget on your Mac, click the widget with two fingers (or right-click) and select Edit “Weather”. Then click the + button in the top-right corner, type the city name, and choose it from the list. This works for both the small and large Weather widgets on macOS Sonoma and later.

Why the Weather Widget Matters

The Weather widget on macOS gives you a quick glance at current conditions, temperature, and forecast without opening the full Weather app. For people who travel frequently or have family in other cities, the default widget showing only your current location isn’t enough. Adding multiple cities lets you see conditions everywhere at once, making it easier to plan calls, trips, or outdoor activities.

Apple introduced interactive widgets in macOS Sonoma (2023), which allowed users to click and edit widgets directly on the desktop. Before that, you had to go through the Notification Center or the Weather app itself. The editing process is now more intuitive, but many users still don’t realize that the widget can be customized to show any city, not just your current location.

How the Widget Works

The Weather widget pulls data from the Weather app, which uses Apple’s weather service (formerly Dark Sky, acquired in 2020). When you add a city to the widget, it simply points to a location that already exists in the Weather app’s list of saved locations. You can add cities directly in the Weather app by clicking the list icon in the bottom-left corner and typing a new location. Those same cities then become available for the widget.

The widget has three sizes: small (shows one city), medium (shows a few hours of forecast for one city), and large (shows a multi-day forecast for one city). To see multiple cities at once, you need to add multiple widget instances. For example, you could have three small widgets side by side, each showing a different city.

Step-by-Step: Adding Cities to the Widget

1. Right-click (or Control-click) on the Weather widget on your desktop.
2. Select Edit “Weather” from the context menu. The widget will expand into an editing mode.
3. Click the + button in the top-right corner of the widget.
4. Type the name of the city you want to add (e.g., “Tokyo” or “New York”).
5. Select the correct city from the dropdown list. The widget will now display that city’s weather.
6. To add another city, repeat the process with a new widget instance. You can drag the widget to reposition it.
7. Click anywhere outside the widget to finish editing.

If you don’t see the Edit option, make sure you’re running macOS Sonoma or later. On older versions, you can open the Notification Center (click the date/time in the menu bar), scroll to the bottom, click “Edit Widgets,” and then add a Weather widget from the gallery.

How to Choose Which Cities to Add

Think about the places that matter most to you:

• Home and work – Always useful to know if you need a jacket before leaving.
• Family locations – If you have relatives in another state or country, their weather can affect your calls or visits.
• Travel destinations – Add your next vacation spot to start packing appropriately.
• Business hubs – If you work with remote teams, knowing their weather helps schedule meetings.

You can add as many cities as you want to the Weather app, but the widget only shows one city per instance. For a clean desktop, limit yourself to 2-3 widgets. You can also use the Weather app’s list view to see all saved cities at once, which might be more efficient than multiple widgets.

Common Problems and Fixes

Sometimes the widget doesn’t show the city you added. Here are typical issues:

• Wrong city selected – The dropdown may show multiple cities with the same name. Double-check the country or region.
• Location services off – If you’re using “Current Location” and it’s disabled, the widget may default to a random city. Go to System Settings > Privacy & Security > Location Services and enable it for Weather.
• Widget not updating – Right-click and choose “Refresh” or restart your Mac. Sometimes the widget needs a nudge.
• City not in the list – If you can’t find a small town, try the nearest large city or use the Weather app’s search to see if it’s available.

If the widget still doesn’t behave, remove it and add it again from the Widget Gallery (right-click desktop > Edit Widgets). This often resets the connection.

Comparing Widget Sizes and Layouts

Each widget size serves a different purpose:

• Small – Shows current temperature and condition icon. Best for a single city at a glance.
• Medium – Adds an hourly forecast for the next few hours. Good for planning your day.
• Large – Shows a 5-day forecast. Ideal for trip planning or if you want to see the week ahead.

You can mix sizes on your desktop. For example, a large widget for your home city and small widgets for other cities. To change the size, right-click the widget, choose “Edit Widgets,” then click the small/medium/large icons at the bottom of the widget preview.

Alternatives to the Weather Widget

If the built-in widget isn’t enough, consider these options:

• Weather app – Press Command+Space, type “Weather,” and press Enter. The app shows all saved cities in a sidebar.
• Menu bar apps – Third-party apps like WeatherKit or Forecast Bar can show multiple cities in the menu bar, but they may cost money.
• Sticky Notes – For a static snapshot, you could paste a screenshot of the Weather app into a Note, but it won’t update automatically.
• Web widgets – Some websites offer embeddable weather widgets for your browser, but they don’t integrate with macOS.

The built-in widget is free and reliable, so try it first before looking elsewhere.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I add multiple cities to one Weather widget?

No, each widget instance shows only one city. To see multiple cities, you need to add multiple widgets. You can place them side by side or in different spaces.

Why doesn’t my Weather widget show the city I added?

Make sure you selected the city from the dropdown after typing. Sometimes the widget keeps the old city if you don’t click the correct result. Also, check that the city is in your Weather app’s list (open the Weather app and see if it appears in the sidebar).

Does the widget update automatically?

Yes, the widget updates periodically based on your Mac’s location and network. You can also right-click and choose “Refresh” to force an update.

Can I add a city that’s not in the Weather app?

No, the widget only shows locations that exist in Apple’s weather database. If a small town isn’t found, try a nearby city or use its zip code.

How do I remove a city from the widget?

Right-click the widget, choose “Edit Weather,” then click the “-” button next to the city name. You can also delete the widget entirely and add a new one.

Does this work on macOS Monterey or Ventura?

Yes, but the editing process is different. On older versions, you need to open the Notification Center, click “Edit Widgets,” then find the Weather widget and add it from there. The interactive editing directly on the desktop is only available in Sonoma and later.

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