Google confirms arrival of lock screen widgets with Android 16: Know more

Lock screen widgets that were available on Pixel Tablet since last year will be made available for phones by the end of this year with Android 16 update

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Google recently announced the release of lock screen widgets with Android 16 on the Android Developers Blog. The Alphabet-owned company confirmed that the lock screen widgets will be added to the Android Open Source Project (AOSP) in the first quarterly update post Android 16’s release—due in late 2025. These lock screen widgets have been accessible to Pixel Tablet since last year but, the US technology giant is now bringing it to phones as well as other tablets.

 

By default, all widgets will support the lock screen feature however, developers will have the option to disable it if they wish. Notably, some of these lock screen widgets will need you to unlock your phone in certain cases. Essentially what it means is that if you are triggering an app through that widget, it would still require you to authenticate with a fingerprint, pin, or face unlock before it functions. 

 

Pixel Tablet vs. Phones

 

The lock screen widgets for phones are not yet enabled in the latest beta version of Android 16 but, according to a report by the Android Authority, the publication has managed to activate it early. Android Authority reported that Pixel Tablet users can access lock screen widgets by swiping right from the home screen, however, on phones, the feature currently works only through Android’s screensaver mode, which activates when the device is charging or docked.

 

Google mentioned in the blog post that hardware manufacturers can customise how the widget interface is triggered, meaning different implementations may appear once the update rolls out.  ALSO READ: Google Pixel 9a: What to expect and upgrades it would get over the Pixel 8a

 

Another key difference from the Pixel Tablet version is the screen layout. Unlike the tablet’s two-row grid of widgets, Android Authority demonstrated a vertically stacked arrangement on phones. With limited space, only a few widgets appear at a time, requiring users to swipe through multiple screens to view them all.