Most portfolio checks are not research sessions. They are a five second look at one number, usually while you are doing something else. Portfolio Glance is the PortfolioTrackr widget that puts that number on your home screen, and on your iPhone lock screen, so the look costs you nothing.
What the widget actually shows
Your total portfolio value is the large figure on every size of the widget, on both platforms. It is not one of the things you pick, because it is the number almost everyone opens the app for in the first place.
Underneath it you can show up to two more figures, chosen from four:
- Today's change, the move since the session opened
- All-time P&L, profit or loss across the whole time you have held
- Amount invested, your cost basis rather than market value
- Top mover, the position doing the most work today in either direction
Out of the box it shows today's change and all-time P&L. You can also leave the second slot empty if you want a plainer face on the widget.
Where it sits on an iPhone
On the home screen there are two sizes. The small one is a single square tile. The medium one is twice as wide, which gives the secondary figures room to breathe.
The lock screen is where it earns its place. There are three lock screen forms:
- Rectangular, a small block under the clock
- Circular, a compact dial alongside your other lock screen controls
- Inline, a single row of text above the clock
That means you can see where your portfolio stands without unlocking the phone at all. The widget needs iOS 17 or newer, because its configuration is built on App Intents. There is no extra large size in this version.
Where it sits on an Android phone
On Android the widget lives on the home screen. It starts at two cells by two and resizes in both directions, so you can stretch it wide across a row or keep it square next to your other icons.
Android has no lock screen widget, and it is worth saying that plainly rather than letting you find out after you install it. Lock screen widgets are an iPhone feature. On Android the home screen is the whole story.
One portfolio, or all of them
If you keep more than one portfolio, the widget shows the combined view across all of them by default. You can point it at a single portfolio instead, which is what most people do when one account is the serious one and the others are experiments.
Hiding the numbers when other people can see your screen
A lock screen is a public surface. It lights up on a desk, on a train, in a meeting room. So the widget has a hide amounts switch. Turn it on and every monetary figure is masked with dots, while the layout of the widget stays exactly the same.
You still see that the widget is there and working. Anyone glancing over your shoulder sees dots. Amounts are visible by default, so this is something you switch on when you want it, not something you have to remember to switch off.
How to add it
The widget ships inside the PortfolioTrackr app on both platforms, so there is nothing extra to download.
- iPhone home screen, press and hold an empty area, tap the plus in the corner, search for PortfolioTrackr, then pick the small or medium Portfolio Glance tile.
- iPhone lock screen, press and hold the lock screen, tap Customise, choose the lock screen, tap a widget slot and pick Portfolio Glance.
- Android, press and hold an empty part of the home screen, tap Widgets, find PortfolioTrackr and drag Portfolio Glance where you want it.
The choices above, which portfolio and which two figures, live in the app under Settings, in the row called Home-screen widget.
What a widget is good for, and what it is not
A widget is a glance. It answers one question, roughly where do I stand, and it answers it without you opening anything or typing anything.
It is not a monitor. If you want to know when a particular holding crosses a particular level, that is what price alerts are for, and an alert reaches you whether or not you happen to be looking at your phone. The two do different jobs and they work well together: the widget for the question you ask yourself ten times a day, the alert for the one you cannot afford to miss.
The bottom line
Portfolio Glance puts the number you actually check on the surface you actually look at. On iPhone that includes the lock screen, on Android it is the home screen, and on both you choose which portfolio and which two figures sit under the total. If you already have the app, it is already there.
You can see the rest of what the mobile app does on the apps page.
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Frequently asked questions
Does PortfolioTrackr have a home screen widget for iPhone and Android?
Yes. PortfolioTrackr ships a widget called Portfolio Glance in both the iPhone and the Android app. On iPhone it works on the home screen in two sizes and on the lock screen in three forms. On Android it works on the home screen and resizes in both directions.
Can I see my portfolio value on my iPhone lock screen?
Yes, on iOS 17 or newer. Portfolio Glance offers three lock screen forms: a rectangular block, a circular dial, and a single inline row above the clock. Your total portfolio value is the headline figure in all three, so you can check it without unlocking the phone.
Is there an Android lock screen widget for a stock portfolio?
Not from PortfolioTrackr. The lock screen widget is an iPhone feature in our apps, and we say so plainly rather than letting you discover it after installing. On Android, Portfolio Glance lives on the home screen, starts at two cells by two, and resizes both horizontally and vertically.
Can I hide the amounts on a portfolio widget?
Yes. Portfolio Glance has a hide amounts setting that masks every monetary figure with dots while keeping the widget's layout identical. It matters because a lock screen lights up in public. Amounts are shown by default, so this is something you switch on when you want it.
Which numbers can I put on the portfolio widget?
Total portfolio value is always the large figure and is not optional. Under it you can show up to two more, chosen from today's change, all-time profit and loss, the amount you invested, and your top mover. The default pairing is today's change with all-time P&L.