Retro clock widget

What a retro clock widget shows

A digital clock is the widget most people place first. It needs to be readable from arm's length, so the time takes most of the space and the date sits quietly below it.

It uses the phone's own time, so it needs no permission and works offline. WidgetCraft's clock layer follows your 12- or 24-hour setting unless you choose a format.

How the retro style shapes it

Retro widgets use the palette of 1970s posters and record sleeves: mustard, burnt orange, brown and cream, with curved stripes and chunky rounded lettering.

• Numbers: Set numbers thick and brown, with an orange stripe underneath.
• Text: Use a chunky rounded face or a script for the title and plain sans for details.

Retro clock widget recipe

Retro color palette

• Cream #F3E3C3Background
• Sand #E8CF9FSurface and tracks
• Chocolate #3E2A1FText
• Walnut #8A6E55Labels
• Burnt orange #D9622BAccent

How to make a retro clock widget in WidgetCraft

1. Create a widget and open Canvas. Set the size to 360 × 180, the background to #F3E3C3 and the corner radius to 20.
2. Tap Add and choose Clock. Set the format to hours and minutes, the font to Pacifico, the size to 78 and the color to #3E2A1F.
3. Add a Date layer above it for the weekday at size 12 in #8A6E55.
4. Add a second Date layer below for the day and month at size 15.
5. Add a small Shape in #D9622B as the only accent, and align every layer to the same left margin of 24.
6. Arrange the layers in the split layout: the time on the left at size 64, a thin divider at x 236, and the weekday and date stacked in a column on the right.
7. Add the retro ornament with Shape layers and move them below the other layers in Layers: three vertical stripes down the right edge in burnt orange, mustard and chocolate.
8. Tap Save, then Add to home screen and resize the widget on your launcher if needed.

Everything in this recipe works in the free version.

Tips for retro clock widgets

• Use cream instead of white and brown instead of black.
• Stack two or three stripes as decoration.
• Seconds make a home screen widget look busy and Android updates widgets about once a minute, so leave them out.
• Check the widest time, such as 22:58 or 12:48 PM, so it never touches the edges.
• If the launcher crops the widget, reduce the time size before reducing the margins.
• Do not use cool blues or greys.
• Do not use thin modern type.

Questions about the retro clock widget

What size is a retro clock widget?

It is designed for 4 × 2 home screen cells on a 360 × 180 canvas. You can resize it on the launcher and the design scales in proportion.

Which colors does it use?

Cream (#F3E3C3) for the background, Chocolate (#3E2A1F) for the main text, Walnut (#8A6E55) for labels and Burnt orange (#D9622B) as the accent.

Is it free to make?

Yes. Clock widgets use free features in WidgetCraft, and the retro styling is free too.

What else is this style called?

People also search for vintage clock widget, 70s clock widget, retro aesthetic clock widget. They describe the same look as this retro clock widget.

More retro widgets

• Retro analog clock widget
• Retro calendar widget
• Retro battery widget
• Retro countdown widget
• Retro to-do list widget
• Retro photo widget
• Retro quote widget
• Retro music widget
• Retro year progress widget
• Retro step counter widget
• Retro habit tracker widget
• Retro sticky note widget
• Retro world clock widget
• Retro date widget
• Retro home screen setup
• All retro widgets

Clock widgets in other styles

• Boho clock widget
• Autumn clock widget
• Bauhaus clock widget
• All clock widgets