As part of a broader push for widgets on Android, Google this week said it would bring widgets to the Android lock screen in a future update.
“Whether you want to easily manage smart home devices like lights and thermostats, or build dashboards for quick access and control of vital information, lock screen widgets empower users to create a personalized, always-on experience,” Google’s Tyler Beneke explains.
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Google previously brought widgets to the Pixel Tablet as part of the December 2024 Pixel Drop (which I described as “Home control on Pixel tablet,” because of how Google described it at the time). As Google noted, Pixel Tablet users can “swipe right from your tablet’s lock screen to access widgets for quick controls for your smart home devices, timers, music and more.” But a related Google Pixel Tablet Help article notes that this functionality is part of lock screen widgets, by which you can “add widgets like Clock, Timer, and Weather to quickly check content while your tablet is locked.”
But now, widgets are coming to the Android lock screen more broadly. They will be available on Android phones and tablets, starting with AOSP, the open source version of Android, after the release of Android 16 QPR1, or the first Quarterly Platform Release after Android 16. Because Android 16 is shipping earlier in the year than before–the recent set of Android updates was the final QPR release for Android 15–that means Android 16 QPR1 should arrive in late summer 2025, probably September.
Widgets on the lock screen have the same requirements as “any other widgets,” Google says, meaning that home screen widgets and lock screen widgets are identical. That said, developers have to enable lock screen support in their widgets, which is just a simple switch. They can also opt their widgets out of lock screen use. Google expects hardware partners to install their own widgets on the lock screen of their devices by default.
“All widgets are compatible with the lock screen widget experience,” Beneke says. “To prioritize user choice and customization, we’ve made all widgets available. For the best experience, please make sure your widget supports dynamic color and dynamic resizing. Lock screen widgets are sized to approximately 4 cells wide by 3 cells tall on the launcher, but exact dimensions vary by device.”
Developers interested in widgets on Android–for the home or lock screen now–should consult the documentation on the Android Developers website. There is separate documentation for widget design as well.
