Put widgets on the desktop

A widget buried in Notification Centre is a widget you only see when you deliberately go and look, which defeats the point. They can sit on the desktop instead, large enough to read from across the room.

Click an empty patch of wallpaper with two fingers and choose Edit Widgets. The gallery opens along the bottom: pick an app on the left, then drag a widget out onto the desktop and drop it where you want it. Drag it again later to reposition it, or use the minus button to take it away.

To reach Notification Centre and whatever is still in there, swipe in from the right edge of the trackpad with two fingers, or click the date and time in the menu bar.

If they pull your eye while you work, go to System Settings → Desktop & Dock, find Widgets and set Dim widgets on desktop to Automatically: they drop to monochrome while an app is in front and get their colour back when you look at the desktop. Always keeps them monochrome and Never in full colour.

On macOS Sequoia and earlier, the equivalent setting is Widget style, with Automatic, Monochrome and Full-color.