Widgets reside in Dashboard and can’t access system or user data outside of that environment. Some users, particularly developers, would prefer to access their Widgets directly on their desktop. Fortunately, there is a way to do this. You can take advantage of the same Terminal trick that Apple developers use to build Widgets in a desktop environment.
Use Terminal to Enable Dashboard Development Mode
How to Move a Widget to the Desktop
MacOS Mountain Lion and later versions require an additional step. By default, the Dashboard is considered part of Mission Control and is treated as a Space. You need to first force Mission Control not to move the Dashboard into a Space:
How to Move a Widget to the Desktop (Mountain Lion or Earlier)
If you’d like to move Widgets to the Desktop on macOS Mountain Lion or earlier versions, here’s what to do:
Return a Widget to the Dashboard
If you decide you don’t want to have a widget take up permanent residence on your desktop, you can return the widget to the Dashboard by reversing the process.
