I am really enthusiastic about the locking screen widgets that make a comeback

Over a decade ago, widgets were part of the Android locking screen. Google presented them in 2012, but they never stayed for a long time. The company deleted the functionality while the Android 5.0 lollipop rolled. While locking screen widgets returned to the Pixel tablet with Android 15 last fall, smartphones did not get the functionality. I am now delighted that Google has announced that it would bring locking screen widgets to tablets and mobiles.

Offer updates at a glance

Android is known for its personalization options and introduced widgets at the start of the platform. Lock screen widgets went to Android in 2012 with Android 4.2 Jelly Bean. They offered a practical way to view information at a glance with musical controls, weather updates, calendar events and other elements accessible on the lock screen. Apple followed suit and added widgets to the iOS home screen with the release of iOS 14 in 2020. Two years later, it deployed lock screen widgets with iOS 16.

However, Android has not introduced many improvements to lock screen widgets. The design seemed clumsy and not intuitive. Most users did not know that the functionality existed and some had trouble configuring.

Unsurprisingly, Google deleted locking screen widgets at the end of 2014. The company may have poured the functionality due to confidentiality problems or design problems. He moved his goal to the use of notifications as the main way to serve information on the locking screen. Meanwhile, OEM thirds like Samsung and nothing still offers widgets on the locking screen.

Lock screen widgets were available on the Pixel tablet with the outlet of Android 15 QPR1 BETA 2 at the end of 2024. The device supports all widgets, including those of third -party applications. The feature would be deployed on all Android phones and tablets with the next Android 16 QPR1 later this year.

Not that we complain

Inspired by Android, Apple introduced widgets on the lock screen in 2022, offering users a practical way to access the information of the application. While Android had abandoned the functionality by then, Apple has created enough excitement for iPhone users to adopt the functionality. It was just a matter of time before Google decided to bring back the locking screen widgets to Android.

Another reason for his return could be the way interaction with our devices has changed over the years. Features such as Aways Display (AOD), fingerprints and facial recognition and IA -based improvements put confidentiality problems.

We hope Google will not abandon him

Google is constantly experimenting with new ideas but abandons many projects of years later. The same has happened to lock screen widgets, so I hope the second time is charm.

And seeing how much users have received enthusiastically the locking screen widgets on iOS, the implementation of Android could also be better received. However, the answer depends on how Google performs the functionality this time. If the locking screen widgets on Android continue to deal with design problems or poor developer support, feature can be found in garbage dumpster in a few years.

Offering customizable features can do the trick

Google is known to introduce promising features and ideas and delete them after a while. The company must offer robust development of developers so that locking screen widgets succeed. If general public applications like Google Calendar, Spotify, Messenger and Snapchat create locking screen widgets, this will guarantee a generalized adoption of functionality.

Google must also facilitate the customization of locking screen widgets so that users can change their size, modify their appearance and place them anywhere on the screen. It should also give Android users to control the information displayed on the lock screen. They should be able to hide private information and add authentication for sensitive widgets.

I look forward to the widgets that come back to the locking screen with Android 16 QPR1. The possibility of checking the information without unlocking your phone is more relevant than ever. Lock screen widgets could be an integral part of the Android experience if Google systematically implements functionality.

You can organize and inform yourself by trying some of the best Android widgets. Although I doubt that Google’s long-term commitment to features like this, I believe that locking screen widgets can improve the way we interact with our phones.